The Blue Man Group

Happy Valentine’s Day! Kathleen and I went to see the Blue Man Group at the State Theater in Downtown Minneapolis this afternoon. We’ve been curious about this performance art group for years, with our interest heightened while watching the television series Arrested Development, a favorite sitcom about a wealthy family’s riches-to-rags descent, produced and narrated by Ron Howard. The Blue Man Group was a recurring theme in the show after character Tobias Funke (played by David Cross), confused the stage troupe with a support group for depressed men.

The real Blue Man Group was founded in New York City in 1987 by three artists, who began performing on the streets of Manhattan before moving up to clubs and theaters. Debuting on stage in 1991, the show ran for 30+ years in New York, traveled to 25 countries and now plays continuously in Las Vegas and Shanghai in addition to the U.S. touring company that we saw today. 

The 90-minute show starred three deadpan actors in cobalt blue makeup, all skilled drummers, who performed without speaking, although there was occasionally some recorded dialogue played in support. The skits and numbers were physical, curious, often silly, sometimes messy and even a little gross. In one early bit, a performer tossed small balls of paint in the air to his two partners, who caught them in their mouths. One of them spit the paint out, splattering it onto canvas, while the other caught one ball after the other, accumulating them and then regurgitating the lot. A repeating shtick was to pour water onto large drums illuminated by colored lights and send it flying when played (see photos)—it was fun to watch although some online reviews that I read noted that ponchos are handed out to the front rows of patrons. 

Audience participation was a big feature, with performers tossing marshmallows into the crowd, holding a fake wedding between two audience members and hanging another upside down and using his body to paint a giant canvas. In the show’s finale, we were directed to stand and dance while the performers shot confetti and toilet paper from giant guns into the audience.

While we were glad to have finally experienced this unique show, we honestly didn’t love it, and wouldn’t see it again. Your mileage may vary—if you enjoy high-energy entertainment with bright lights, loud music, audience engagement and sight gags that are parts vaudeville, circus act and theater, this may be  right for you. The Blue Man Group’s continued success certainly demonstrates its appeal and popularity. With an estimated 50 million tickets sold since its inception, they’re obviously doing something right.  

Bonus Question: What are spoonerisms? (answer at end of post)

Source: NYTimes.com

Source: Hennepinarts.org

Tobias: I’m afraid I just blue myself.
Michael: There’s got to be a better way to say that.
(Source: YouTube)

Bonus Question Answer: Spoonerisms are phrases where consonants or sounds are switched between two words. Named after the Reverend Archibald Spooner (1844-1930), an Oxford scholar who frequently spoke this way, they are sometimes unintentional, but often used to add humor, wit and wordplay to language. Examples include: blushing crow / crushing blow; a well-boiled icicle / a well-oiled bicycle; bunny phone / funny bone; belly jeans / jelly beans; and Shel Silverstein’s children's book Runny Babbit, a Billy Sook.

Bonus Quote: Why isn’t the word “phonetically” spelled with an “f”? — Steven Wright