Blue Man Group @ Playhouse SquareIs it possible to spend 90 minutes at the theatre, not hear a single word spoken, and be totally and absolutely delighted? When you go to see the touring production of BLUE MEN GROUP, and there is no doubt that you should go, at the end of the experience you’ll be standing on your feet, applauding and shouting for joy.
BLUE MAN GROUP combines music, comedy and multimedia theatrics to produce a unique form of entertainment. This isn’t a play. It isn’t vaudeville. It isn’t Cirque du Soleil. It is unique!
To make it even more exciting, not only is the audience entertained, but they also learn. Did you know the eyes see a color and the brain translates it into others? Do you know what 2-dimensional space is all about? Do you know “the rock concert moves?” On the other hand, do you know how funny Captain Crunch cereal can be? Do you know the hysteria that texting can create in a conversation between virtual texters?
Yes, through electronic gimmicks, flying colored paint, filling their mouths with marshmallows, eating Twinkies, audience participation, drumming (yes, it does get loud and the bass moves the theatre’s floor under your feet), three on-stage performers (Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton, Chris Wink were the three originators), a band and seven Blue Men hidden in the dark onstage teach and delight.
The youngest of the three “Kid Reviewers,” Ian, my 10-year-old grandson, was totally delighted all evening. Sitting on the edge of his seat, jumping up to hit huge balloons and catch strings of fiber that wafted out over the audience, the boy was one big smile. He couldn’t think of a single thing he didn’t like. Yes, kids will love the goings-on, as will adults and all those in between.
Be aware that this is a 90-minute show with no intermission. In spite of the warnings by the ushers, the pre-show speech, and visual clues on stage, as the show went on the aisles were bustling with people exiting and entering. Several times the performers gave faux-anguished looks at the patrons. In one instance, a stage spotlighting was pointed at several women who arrived late, just to embarrass them and earn a few laughs.
CAPSULE JUDGMENT: BLUE MAN GROUP is a total delight. Go, go, go and have a unique theatrical experience!
PHOTO of Blue Man Group at Cleveland Performance Art Festival, directed by Thomas Mulready 4/13/90.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Roy Berko. Berko’s blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2009, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info. His reviews can also be found on NeOHIOpal and CoolCleveland.com.Roy Berko, who is a life-long Clevelander, is a Renaissance man. Believing the line in Robert Frost’s poem “Road Not Taken,” each time he comes to a fork in the road, he has taken the path less traveled. He holds degrees, thought the doctorate from Kent State, University of Michigan and The Pennsylvania State University. His present roles, besides husband and grandfather, are professor, crisis counselor, author and entertainment reviewer… Read Roy Berko’s complete bio here