Blue Man Group

The bold and the blue-tiful

Review by Caroline Fontein

Unlike other shows on the Strip, there are no elaborate costumes or acrobatic feats. Instead, Blue Man Group offers an exhilarating experience where you can immerse yourself in invigorating music, innovative lighting effects and the antics of three captivating blue men.

Once inside the 1,760-seat Blue Man Theater, prepare yourself for a departure from the norm where people become inspired to decorate themselves with tissue paper and shout like Arsenio Hall or yell like a cowboy, among other wacky things they are prompted to do by digital signs hanging above the stage. The audience participation creates a growing sense of excitement and fun before the show starts. It's a refreshing break from the typical theater ambience where you are encouraged to be seated and be quiet.

As the lights dim, enlarged silhouettes of each Blue Man beating a drum appear on a screen in front of the stage. Their heart thumping rhythm enlivens the audience as they play in perfect sync with one another.

The screen rises, revealing three slim, shiny-blue-skinned men dressed in black standing behind three cylinder drums. As one of the Blue Men keeps the rhythm, another one pours paint onto the drum. With each new beat a spray of vivid color explodes. The dark stage is a perfect contrast against the robust blue figures and splashing colors.

Along with the Blue Men, there is a live band with its members situated on different levels of the stage. These musicians are visible only through the neon, glowing shapes on their otherwise black uniforms. As they move to the beat of the music, these neon shapes look like techno-tribal like figures dancing in the dark.

When they are not entertaining the audience with sound, the Blue Men are making the audience laugh with their curious and sometimes mischievous interaction with one another. Even though there is no talking and the Blue Men maintain an almost straight face throughout the show, there is a narrative conveyed in their actions. They perform amusing vignettes, winning lots of laughs with their sense of bewilderment and subtle gestures.

At one point the Blue Men each have a box of Cap' n Crunch and they playfully compete with one another to see who can make the biggest crunch while at the same time making a musical rhythm. It is both amusing and amazing to see their interaction and ability to create harmonious sounds from such an unsuspecting source.

Sometimes only a screen will appear on the stage with information read aloud by a voice over that sets the premise for what's to come. "How to be a Rockstar" is an act in the show where the Blue Men follow narrated prompts that explain how to rock. Not only do the Blue Men follow the prompts, but the entire audience also joins in with them as the screen asks them to demonstrate the "head bob" and "one arm fist pump" among other classic rock moves.  People in the audience yell and throw up their hands as the Blue Men rock out on stage.

You might even get a close look at their plastic-like skin as the Blue Men walk into the audience for some one-on-one interaction at different times in the show. They climb on chairs, run up to the balcony and even experiment with the lighting system before making their way back to the stage where they experiment with sound on more non-traditional surfaces.

One of these surfaces is a white expandable pipe, called the drumbone. As one blue man beats on the instrument, the other one either extends or retracts the length of the pipe, creating different tones. With each new sound, the Blue Men look at one another in both amazement and intrigue as the audience waits in anticipation of what they will think of next.

The Blue Men temporarily disappear for "Digital Frontier," an innovative display where neon lights and music come to life. It is another awesome scene that expands the boundaries of what holographic lights, percussion and the help of some sword swirling rangers can achieve.

Toward the end of the show, the men come on stage wearing PVC backpacks that illuminate with different stunning hues according to each new drumbeat. Flashing colors and electrifying music create another thrilling moment in the show. As the energy and intensity reaches its climax, paper streamers explode from the PVC backpacks and multi-colored spinning tubes spring from the ceiling over the crowd. It is a true delight for the senses.

From music to comedy, the Blue Man Group spans several different show genres, but it is definitely in a class of its own as a one-of-a-kind experience not to be missed.