Review: 'Blue Man Group' at Briar Street Theatre
(Photo: Eric Klein)
After the long-drawn-out pandemic that shows no sign of letting up, we are in a new world where things that once seemed strange no longer inspire the wonder they once did. Murder hornets? Sure, whatever. UFOS? Get back to us next year.
Since we are living in a new world, it makes sense that the Blue Man Group, a performance art group that has been around since 1987 would reopen live performances with a new show—one that keeps some of the favorite elements, but tells new stories and plays up the audience interaction and the need for community in a world grown too used to isolation. It is the latest of their refreshes where they add new music, stories, custom instruments, and state-of-the-art technology.
Their show opened for the first time since the pandemic on Aug. 18 at the Briar Street Theater in Chicago where they have performed since 1997. Gone is their origin story—after 30+ years, we know who they are. And after 2020, we’re more conditioned to accept anything out of the ordinary.
The masked audiences packing into the theater were excited to be back to something familiar. Before the show opened, audience members were saying this was the first time they’d been around so many people and were asking each other, “What was your last big show? What was the last time you were at a concert?”
Of course, the Blue Man Group isn’t just a concert. It has stayed true to its storytelling roots, a performance art group that performs a narrative even though it isn’t a linear one. The three performers—all painted blue and appearing bald—have a certain familiarity about them and especially to the Chicago audience that was present on opening night. They cheered whenever they saw familiar elements; they eagerly took on all the audience participation and interactions that was expected of them.
A few notes if you are new and about to experience your first Blue Man group show—don’t be late. First, you don’t want to miss anything, second, you don’t want to be singled out. Also, if you arrive early enough, you can watch the screen to the side of the stage with its “instructions” that will get you in the right mood for the show.
The show is high energy from start to finish and connection was a key theme, dispelling the isolation that so many people have experienced.
They started out with their strengths—the blue men have always been incredible percussionists and they play with color and paint. They opened with paint drumming and went on to playful interactions involving marshmallows, paint, and the creation of art. Some of the finest moments in the evening were when they played on a variety of percussive instruments, filling the theater with sound.
One especially meaningful sketch came when a package was delivered to the stage. After a brief exploration, they discovered that it played music—music that blared through the speakers. They would hand it off to each other and the music would take on new layers, building in volume and complexity…until one of the Blue Men snatched it from the other and it went silent. It soon became apparent that the music played only when it was given to someone else, whenever the Blue Man tried to take it, the music stopped.
Eventually, they gave it to a member of the audience and finally opened the box and revealed its contents, but it was a sketch that underscored the theme of connection, of caring about each other, and of needing to have positive interactions because the music dies when we try to harm each other.
It gets tricky to wear a mask when your face is painted blue, so the Blue Men put on face shields when bringing audience members on stage or when climbing through the seats or walking the aisles to find volunteers who would join them in their play. The band, on the other hand, had awesome masks, each one with its own creativity and splashes of neon.
Another fun sketch involved Captain Crunch where the Blue Men were able to show off their percussionist skills by chewing. Loudly.
While there were new elements in the show, there were also many familiar ones. The Blue Men remain mute, but they communicate with intense stares, especially when one of the three starts acting out of synch with the other two. There were instructions to the audience on how to behave as though they were at a rock concert and there were lots and lots of high-tech light and sound explosions designed to tickle the audience with its spectacle. They also included many of the interactive favorites from a video exploration of a Blue Man’s throat to covering an audience member with paint (after outfitting her in a protective coat).
Ultimately, though, what the Blue Man Group show did on opening night was to welcome people back to what they had missed and to remind them that no matter how otherly someone might look, it is possible to share a community and to celebrate the world we share.