Earlier this week I was able to check out the new production from the Blue Man Group at the Charles Playhouse in Boston. I hadn’t seen the show in 25 years and it was a great reminder of the ridiculous amount of talent in the three lead performers and house band. Ask 100 people what a Blue Man Group experience is like and you’ll get 100 different answers.
That’s the best thing about this production, there’s no way to describe it. It has to be experienced. Is it performance art? Is it avant-garde theater with a rock concert? Is it a freak show from a traveling circus act? Is it all of the above and then some? Pretty much. Whatever your reaction is, it’s correct. As someone who respects talent above all else, it’s a mind blowing experience that will make you question how someone even realizes they are able to do whatever it is these men do.
None of it makes any sense, but you sit there wondering how they are doing what they are doing. The show has three lead actors in blue make-up not speaking a single word, but emoting everything through facial expressions and body movements. Their eyes make you laugh and follow along without ever being told what is happening. Mix that with body movements, dancing and trick shot stunts that would go viral on the internet and it’s a complete onslaught of the senses. Water, paint, marshmallows, you name it, the show has it.
Then there’s the music. It’s like a Tool album brought to life bringing forth sounds and visuals in perfect harmony. The house band is just fantastic providing experimental music with heavy beats and wandering rhythm into your ears and rattling your brain. The three Blue Men also play their own “instruments”. If you are familiar with the Blue Man Group, you know PVC plumbing plays a major role in the music. From all three performers whacking a huge PVC layout to one hitting PVC while the other two move the pieces in and out, up and down, the music bounces around the room hitting you from all directions.
Plus all of it is interactive with the crowd. I sat in the poncho section where the first few rows of audience members must wear ponchos provided to them or they’re going to get wet. Water gets sprayed everywhere as does paint. Marshmallows are thrown around and Cap’n Crunch gets spilled on the floor. The three actors walk throughout the crowd bringing audience members on stage and at times the men simply walk through the crowd stepping on chairs and putting their hands on audience members bracing themselves. Whether you want to be part of the action or not, if you are on the ground level you will be involved.
Blue Man Group is one of those things you need to cross off your bucket list. Even if you don’t end up liking it or understanding whatever it was you just watched, it’s an experience to be had. The musicianship is top-notch and will have you moving in your seat or more. The three actors will have you completely baffled at what you’re about to watch and it will have you talking about it days later. I still don’t know how the one guy caught all those marshmallows in his mouth and I’ll never know. It has been a staple of Boston for decades now so if you’ve never seen it you should. If you have seen it, this new version has a ton of new parts to it and new music. It’s the first time there’s been a major overhaul of the show in over a decade so you’ll enjoy it even if you’ve seen it previously. It’s a highly recommended experience that everyone will experience differently.
About the Production:
Tickets are now on sale for international musical phenomenon and Boston show staple, Blue Man Group, for 2024 Charles Playhouse performances. For over 25 years, the iconic production has continued to evolve and introduce exciting new content keeping the high energy show fresh for audiences of all ages. The show was recently transformed in October with original new music, two brand new acts and a jaw-dropping new finale. This show marks the first time since 2011 that Blue Man Group Boston has seen a show transformation of this magnitude, while retaining the same essence and magic of the three bald and blue men who explore today’s cultural norms with wonder, poking fun at the audience’s collective quirks and reminding them how much they all have in common.
All new 2024 show tickets can be purchased online now starting at $49 by visiting www.blueman.com/boston or calling 1-800-BLUEMAN. For tickets and more information about Blue Man Group Boston, check out www.blueman.com. Doors open one hour before each performance. Children under the age of 5 are not permitted in the theatre.
About Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group is a global entertainment phenomenon, known for its award-winning theatrical productions, iconic characters and multiple creative explorations. Blue Man Group performances are euphoric celebrations of human connection through art, music, comedy and non-verbal communication. Since debuting at New York’s Astor Place Theatre in 1991, the live show has expanded to additional domestic residencies in Boston, Chicago, and Las Vegas, an international residency in Berlin, and multiple North American and World tours, reaching more than 50 million people worldwide. Blue Man Group is universally appealing to a broad range of age groups and cultural backgrounds, and continually injected with new music, fresh stories, custom instruments and sensory stimulating graphics. Blue Man Group is owned and operated by Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. For more information, please visit www.blueman.com
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