– By Cate Marquis –
The performance art troupe Blue Man Group returned to the Fabulous Fox Theater, Feb. 9-12. The performance art troupe of blue men in black, silent presumably aliens with a creative curiosity and a penchant for drumming, is touring again. The tagline this tour is “Still Blue. The Rest Is All New.”
Younger folk and their families were a large presence in audience at the Fox on opening night, Feb. 9, and show the Blue Man Group presented was very kid-friendly, more so that earlier versions that were more artsy and cerebral. This one leaned into comedy more and there was plenty of flying paint and other colorful liquids, so the rain ponchos some audience members up front wore were warranted.
The Blue Man Group originated in 1991 in New York, and has expanded to several long-running shows based in New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, Boston and Berlin, as well as tour groups. The shows are known for their drumming, their creative performances, props and staging, and for a mix of comedy and percussion, and for the wordless, other-worldly but friendly blue men who reach across cultures and age groups.
This new version of the Blue Man Group had fewer blue men on stage and there was the addition of a backup band and original music to accompany the performers. Only three Blue Men formed this group, engaging in drumming on a number of unlikely objects and some custom-made instruments. While the Blue Man Group performances have always involved interactions with the audience (including being splattered with colorful liquids as they drum and tossing around giant beach balls at one time), this new show has more individual audience participation. There were a few segments where the audience members chosen to come up on stage and be, well, pranked by the weird wordless fellows or to participate in some musical weirdness with rubber chickens – all of which was very amusing.
It did seem that this new show leaned more to comedy and kid-friendly entertainment than previous tours, as noted, which might disappoint long-time fans who lived the surrealist side of the Blue Man Group. Not having the stage populated with only Blue Men also seemed a bit distracting, as the back up band and the on-stage assistants were not in blue-face and instead wore black and yellow like there were on a road construction site.
Still, the Blue Man Group performers themselves retained those signature comically-weird jerky movements which as so funny, and which they employ to great silent comedy effect. The three performers were excellent as both comedians and musicians, whether interacting with each other or rifting with the audience, which is the heart of the Blue Man Group appeal. Each had his own quirks and personality, as they creatively worked out their problem-solving routines. The stage was filled with props like oscilloscopes and other electronic displays, was built with multi-level scaffolding, and had video screen were everywhere on stage. For a few routines, the Blue Man Group went out into the audience with cameras, so we both saw them in the crowd and on big screens on stage, as they climbed up on seat backs and interacted in their “alien” way with various audience members. When one audience member arrived late, the Blue Man Group stopped to stare as a recorded voice boomed out “late arrival,” with much audience laughter.
While the routines are new, the blue men are few, and the show leans more comedy than the surreal, it still entertained in signature Blue Man Group fashion.
The Blue Man Group is on stage at the Fabulous Fox from Feb. 9-12.
© Cate Marquis
