11.26.2006

Blue Man Group


I recently had the good fortune to see The Blue Man Group at the Charles Street Playhouse in Boston. This has been a desire of mine for several years and I am happy to report the show does not disappoint. At first, the idea of seeing the show was last minute, arriving at the theatre at 9:30, hoping there would still be tickets available. There were a couple of balcony seats with partially obstucted views. The women in the ticket booth kindly explained it was the wire railing that interfered with the sight of the stage and really wasn't that big of a deal. Okay, Fine. But at $50 bucks a head, you still purchase with slight hesitation.

Over the years, the television ads for this show have always promised a wild ride. An interactive carnival, a bigger than life production. And the promo sound bites and video clips supported this idea. But the reality is this is a very small venue, not actually on Charles Street and really just barely in the theatre district. (A couple strong storms might blow the whole deal into the South End.) I wouldn't use the phrase dive, but the theatre itself is quite small and rough around the edges. In a good way.

There is a bar to hang out in prior to actually taking your seat. This seemed like a wise idea at the time, as it would have taken too much time to make our way back to any established eatery or pub and still return in time for the 10pm show. So we sat among an eclectic group of individuals. It was a rather enjoyable, quiet time. By the time we made it upstairs to our seats, I was delighted to see there were waitresses serving drinks to audience members. That was a first for me. Regardless, it didn't turn the crowd crazy, but seemed like a fun idea.

As it turned out, the two-hour production is indeed a rollercoaster ride, but in between the insane visuals and complex drumming, there are small skits and videos that humorously dissect modern life. The three actors wear skin caps and blue face paint, and do not speak. While there is no concrete reasoning to why they exist or what purpose they serve, it is easy to accept them as space aliens who are attempting to learn our ways. This is a fast-paced, two-hour adventure, that has these Blue Men in the audience almost as much as they are on the stage. While I won't give specific details on the actual material, I will say there is also a small rock band that backs-up all the drumming these guys do, and at times it felt like you were witnessing a new musical art form. It was great fun and I would recommend this show for just about anybody, ages 9 to 99!!

14 comments:

Diane said...

Sounds like a great time! I'll keep and eye out for their next tour of So Cal . . . and any show with waitress service is already a plus!

PixieGaf said...

Great review Flix! I must admit I was always curious as to whether or not this group lived up to all the hype but judging by your review I am guessing they do.

Terrible lie said...

I have never been to the theatre.. Sigh... I dated a loser for 6 years.. Now that I am moving on maybe my next bf will be classy enough to ask me... Anyway enough of the jealousy hahaha It sounds fabulous and I hope you had a great time!!!

GetFlix said...

Diane, I think LA is one of the current venues!!

Pix, it actually was better than I expected.

Amber, it was fun.

prettykitty said...

i had an experience with the blue man group, but unfortunately the confidentiality clause prevents me from discussing it. let's just say, it took forever to get that blue paint off my mouth!

i keed! very good review, flix.

LA said...

Wait, I'm a current venue? (J/K)

Hey guys, Blue Man Group are going to be on the Scrubs season premiere this Thursday @ 9:00, opposite Grey's Anatomy. I'm taping one, watching the other.

(I can't believe my two favorite medical shows are going to be going head-to-head.)

LA said...

(p.s. Another great one for ages 9-99 is Stomp!)

Ryan said...

I have always wanted to see Blue Man Group! Can't wait until they make a tour stop in Sacramento.

Amber - Date a gay man, he will take you to all kinds of plays, musicals etc. You just have to get over the fact that he is a homo... other than that you will be set!

Diane said...

flix - Cool, I'll check it out!

ryan - every gal needs a gay man as a good buddy! I actually have a straight (honest!)friend in WeHo who is always game to go to museums and concerts etc. . . .

Ryan said...

Diane - Every Fag needs a Hag! HAHA

Prunella Jones said...

Very true, Di and Ryan. I always do stuff like this with my friend, Ray. He also tweezes my eyebrows and critiques my fashion choices for me. He rocks! El Hombre hates the theater. He almost got us kicked out a show once for snoring.

ffleur said...

Yes but do the songs "have a beat and you can dance to it"?

kookla100 said...

GF, I've always wanted to see them live. Now that I've read your review, I think I'm going to check them out when they come to town. I'm thrilled to know they have lasted all these years and manage to stay current and hip. Yes, I said hip because that's what us old folks say.

BTW: I'm supposed to be having a day off, but I've been wanting to check out everyone's blogs since I never have the time anymore!

GetFlix said...

Hey, I just found a free Blueman Group download from iTunes. It's a live recording from The Venetian hotel in Vegas.

http://blueman.com/itunes.

You will need an iTunes account to redeem the free download.