Mar. 21, 2012 - Issue #857: Ben Folds
The Blue Man Group
The iconic trio of cobalt blue, enigmatic performers are back with a revamped, revved up show overflowing with multimedia, music and all around craziness.
Michael Rahhal, who has been with The Blue Man Group since 1998, says this marks the first time the group has taken a theatrical show on the road in North America, and that the touring aspect transforms every night into opening night.
"We're here for two days and then we're splitting, so it's all or nothing. The audience goes in just ready to put it all on the table, and so do we," Rahhal says.
As the show continues to evolve, so does the Blue Man character from his original days of drumming and splattering paint. The addition of a proscenium-sized LED curtain and high-resolution screen to the multimedia lineup introduces what Rahhal describes as "techie Blue Man."
"There's the Blue Man who makes a mess and does stuff with food and paint and that kind of visceral, organic stuff, and using that as a communication tool with an audience, but now, Blue Man is starting to play with technology because he recognizes that technology is a huge part of our existence," he explains. "What he does is take things with take for granted, like iPhones, and he turns it into an artistic communication tool, or a musical communication tool."
Breaking down the functional fixedness of technology opens the door for audience interaction not only from the stage but within the crowd itself. Rahhal says technology has made it possible to connect with people around the world, but in a very solitary way. The show removes the impersonal aspect of technology experienced via texting or Facebook and allows people to truly connect with one another.
"By the end, they're all on their feet, they're all going crazy and laughing and pushing giant balls into the air, and playing [with] paper and streamers. They're having a group experience, and whether they know it or not, when they leave, they're a little bit changed," he notes. "That's what this experience is all about. It's about community, identity; it's about the empathetic drive, the drive to belong."
Tue, Mar 27 – Sun, Apr 1
Jubilee Auditorium, $37.60–$88.75 vueweekly.com comments: powered by Disqus
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