Photo compliments of the Blue Man Group
Don’t let the blue body paint and vow of silence deter you from the Blue Man Group’s mission. There’s more to the chaotic and childish stage show than one might think. In actuality, Blue Man Group’s intentions are anthropological in nature.
When entering Warner Theatre for opening night of the Blue Man Group’s touring show on Wednesday night, patrons were greeted by a blue screen with the following text projected upon it:
“When meeting people from a foreign culture, offer a few gifts that reflect your interests as a gesture of friendship. Better yet, give things you’ve created yourself. Also, explore their interests and their culture. Ultimately, the best way to forge a lasting friendship is to create something together. Whether it’s a meal, an art project or a spontaneous dance party, when you create something with others, you build a connection that lasts a lifetime.” – International Diplomacy Guidebook
Blue Man Group, as a stage show experience, is a real-time lesson that teaches its audience members that using your imagination isn’t just for little kids. It’s okay to act like a goof. It’s okay to play with your food. It’s okay to make a mess. And, most importantly, it’s okay to have fun.
Photo compliments of the Blue Man Group
Babies, kids, teenagers, college students, young professionals, parents, and grandparents watched with wide-eyed innocence while the three men clad in blue-face and black attire stuffed their faces with marshmallows, gum balls, and Captain Crunch to create a stage show unlike any other Avant-garde variety show in the nation.
Like STOMP, no words are ever spoken by the cast of characters. Visual efforts and physical comedy creates the illusion of an audible dialogue between audience and performer, which is a prime example of the message project on the screen before the evening’s show.
“Ultimately, the best way to forge a lasting friendship is to create something together,” and that’s exactly what occurred.
Within the first 15 minutes of the show, the three blue men created works of art via paint and marshmallows that were issued to audience members upon completion. A young girl no older than 14 was pulled from the audience to eat a Twinkie sit-down dinner with the blue men and a full-grown man was flung by a pulley while dangling upside down to create a full-body self-portrait on a canvas.
The entire audience came together for a dance party akin to a New Year’s Eve celebration meeting a rave inside the confines of the gorgeous Warner Theatre. For a few minutes there, it was easy to forget that this was a sit-down stage show instead of a late-night out at Studio 54.
“Whether it’s a meal, an art project or a spontaneous dance party, when you create something with others, you build a connection that lasts a lifetime.”
There is no way that anyone in the audience will ever forget the time they saw the Blue Man Group at Warner Theatre. Why? Because they were a part of the creative process.
The cast and crew of this particular traveling troupe have a tremendous amount of talent. The four members of the show’s live band rocked so hard that it felt like we were being treated to a new-age AC/DC meets Depeche Mode. Their beats were tight, their rhythms punched like a UFC fighter eager for victory, and their energy kept the flow of the show on a high-octane pace.
If tomfoolery is the name of the Blue Man game then creative inclusion is the end result.
Don’t let the blue face and lack of conversation intimidate you. It might appear creepy at first but that’s why this is a study in cultural anthropology. Blue Man Group instigates the audience to go beyond their comfort zone and break that safety-space bubble.
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Tickets for the Blue Man Group’s limited engagement at Warner Theatre are still available for the following dates via the Warner Theatre Box Office and online:
Sun, March 27 at 1:00pm & 5:00pm
Wed, March 30 at 7:30pm
Thurs, March 31 at 8:00pm
Fri, April 1 at 8:00pm
Sat, April 2 at 1:00pm, 5:00pm, & 9:00pm
Sun, April 3 at 1:00pm & 5:00pm
Gold Circle: $92.00
Orchestra: $82.00
Mid-Balcony and Upper Balcony : $72.00
Last 4 Rows: $32.00
For group sales please contact: Broadway Inbound / Telecharge.com Group Sales 1-866-276-2947
A $5 service charge is added to all tickets for this event purchased at the Warner Theatre Box Office.
Rachel moved to DC in the fall of 2005 to study Journalism and Music at American University. When she’s not keeping up with the latest Major League Baseball news, she works on making music as an accomplished singer-songwriter and was even a featured performer/speaker at TEDxDupont Circle in 2012. Rachel has also contributed to The Washington Examiner and MASN Sports’ Nationals Buzz as a guest blogger. See why she loves DC. E-Mail: rachel@welovedc.com.
Rachel,
I was there for opening night last week and would echo everything you said about the show. The rock concert/rave/celebration was tons of fun. Man swinging upside down from pulley was an example of “extreme audience volunteer!”
The Blue Man Group really involved the audience and got us drawn in right from the start even before they got on stage — the scrolling messages at the beginning were great fun!