1988. That was the year I set foot into LaMama to first catch Blue Man Group.
At the time, the show was ground-breaking. I had never seen a show so excellently combine music, technology and comedy to create a form of entertainment that defies categorization and appeals to people of all ages. My memories of the show are quite vivid and that is something to say about my aging memory. So when my tech-obsessed son recently asked me to take him to see the show, I found the idea incredibly exciting. For both of us. His interest was also a sign that the show’s marketers are doing a very good job promoting the show if he saw it advertised somewhere and discovered the show on his own.
Nearly 30 years. How did that much time pass? It’s a long time and I was wondering how the show could possibly live up to my first impression. From the moment we took our seats on the ground floor level and looked at the members of the audience in front of us and saw every single one putting on plastic gear, I remembered just how creative these three guys can get. As they started the show banging drums while splashing large amounts of paint into the air, I watched the look of amazement on my 12 year-old’s face. That look stayed on his face during the 100 minute show. He was as mesmerized as I once was.
The show gets updated often, I presume, but there are bits I remember such as the paint smattering, which is excellent. At the beginning of the show, Blue Men literally spits out paint, collected from balls thrown into their mouths, onto canvases. There’s also a scene where the three Blue Men take a female member of the audience onto the stage to eat Twinkies, which turns quite disgusting, with oozing twinkie dough being thrown around. At nother point, they stuff Cap n’ Crunch down their throats.
The show has been updated with a massive use of technology, which has swept over the nation in the past 15-20 years and it really speaks to the tech generation he is a part of. This consists of enormous iPhones which the Blue Man Group play games on and dance to. There is also video throughout the show, at one point used to film an audience member being hung upside down and to paint a canvas backstage (Real or not? The verdict is out). The toilet roll scene is one I haven’t forgotten after all these years, and it’s still as much fun.
About Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group is an organization founded in 1987 by Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton.They just celebrated their 25th anniversary at Astor Place Theatre, where it moved to a few years after I saw it, late last year and have become an international phenomenon. The organization produces theatrical shows and concerts featuring experimental music (with an emphasis on percussion), comedy and multimedia; recorded music and scores for film and television; television appearances for shows and more. The company just partnered up with Cirque Du Soleil, which is extremely exciting. These guys are truly one of a kind and have innovated a whole part of NYC theater that has gone over and beyond what it set out to be. Check out the video above to see what I’m talking about.
Buy tickets now! If you live in NYC, nearby or are visiting from out of town, this is the quintessential NYC experience that never gets old. All the seats are good, so the less expensive tickets upstairs work.
And my tech-obsessed son? He came out smiling….
Want to win a pair of tickets to Blue Man Group in NYC?
To enter, answer this in the comments: Have you seen Blue Man Group before? If so, when and what do you remember most about the show?
Winner will be selected randomly. This giveaway will end on Wednesday, September 6th at 3pm EST. Winner will be posted here, on the Culture Mom Facebook page and via email and will have 24 hours to accept their prize.
Good for Blue Man Group performance Sunday–Thursday. Winner will have six months from the date of winning to redeem the tickets.
GOOD LUCK!
Disclosure: I was provided with complimentary tickets to facilitate this review but all opinions are my own.
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Saw the Blueman Group in Las Vagas twice from the balcony and down front. Also saw them in NYC which a different experience much more intimate.
I’ve never seen the blue man group before but it has always been one of my dreams.
Congrats! You are the winner!
I saw Blue Man Group many years ago and remember how fun it was. I even have a photo with the of the blue men. Would love to see it again!