“Mom, that was freaking awesome!” So said my son after I took him to see Blue Man Group for his 20th birthday. I was amazed to find that the concept of the group is older than him. Three friends, Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton and Christ Wink, came up with a brilliant idea and founded Blue Man Group in 1987. Yes, Blue Man Group has been around for 21 years. The fact that I hadn’t gone to see the show in all that time led me to believe that there are probably other people out there who haven’t seen them either. If you are one of these people, I urge you to change that.
Silent the guys may be, but it isn’t a quiet show. Right from the beginning, LCD screens flash announcements of birthdays, anniversaries and other phrases encouraging you to yell out greetings in response. Three blue-painted men then come on, bangin’ on steel garbage cans that erupt with colors. They play PVC drainage pipes and anything else they can get their hands on. Captain Crunch becomes a symphony. Art is made before your eyes with paintballs and marshmallows.
If you sit in the first several rows, you are given a rain poncho to wear; the boys aren’t really very neat in their art or music. The audience, the night, we went ranged from teenagers to the elderly. This is a show that has something for everyone. An older woman was brought up on stage with the guys to help in one of their skits, and she seemed to be having a blast. Performances change often to keep things fresh and exciting. There are many people who make Blue Man Group a regular outing.
Besides being a fantastic live experience, Blue Man Group has quested out into the world of children. They have developed a Keyboard Experience and Percussion Tubes which are produced by ToyQuest. These look really cool and are sure to be a hit with any young (or old, for that matter) kids who like to make noise. I may have to pick up several for nieces and nephews.
Blue Man Group has several venues around the country. You can see them in New York, Boston or Las Vegas, but their Chicago home is at Briar Street Theatre on North Halsted Street. Students with valid college identification can purchase Rush Tickets at the box office two hours prior to show time.
Visit www.blueman.com or call 1-800-BLUEMAN for more information.