Pretty much everyone has heard of Blue Man Group at some point, but who are they exactly? Well… That’s kind of hard to say. For one, the three-piece band consists of unidentifiable blue painted men. They don’t talk, and they maintain an their expressionless composure at all times.
Right off the bat, it would seem like a show from anyone who doesn’t speak or show any emotion would be extremely boring to watch. Well, that’s where you’re wrong. Blue Man Group puts on a show that’s innovative, funny, and enlightening at the same time—not an easy feat. For those who really don’t know what you’d expect to see here, I have a short story for you. I went to a Blue Man Group show in the past and was pulled on stage and placed in a box with only my head protruding and covered in Jell-O. That pretty much sums up the experience. It was hilarious, and I’m pretty sure there are still pictures of my goofy face protruding from a box floating around on my friends’ phones somewhere.
The three men will often interact in hysterical ways, and their expressionless faces often only add to the hilarity. Whenever one of them does something out of the ordinary, which is a common occurrence, the others will often just stare at them until they either join in or move onto something else. I’ll never forget how funny it was when they knocked the Jell-O off of my face and I stared into all their blank expressions as an entire audience of people laughed at my expense. Honestly, it was sidesplitting. I think I went to bed still laughing that night, and I know the entire audience had a blast.
It’s not all humor though. You’ll often find our indigo-colored friends on stage with strange objects like pipes, ketchup, and paint. Without ruining the surprise for you, they take into account everything at their disposal, including the interactive screen behind them that talks to the audience. You’ll rarely see any traditional instrumentation here, and that’s what makes the show so amazing.
The Blue Man Group first made their debut in Chicago in 1990. That was before I was born. I don’t know whether or not to feel young or finally come to the realization that Blue Man Group is super old. The first debuted at Milly’s Orchard Park in Park West as a special guest and since then they have become a primary focus in Chicago’s robust entertainment calendar. In 2017, they were purchased by Cirque-du-Soleil to tour as a feature group on an international circuit. Despite all of these evolutions over the past 30 years, BMG has remained true to their roots and original brand of emotionless entertainment that sparks emotion within their audience.
Check out this video that highlights pretty much what goes on at one of these shows.
Warning: You’ll probably buy tickets after watching, so prepare your wallet.
Blue Man Group puts on shows most nights of the week, so there are plenty of times and dates to choose from. You can get more info and buy tickets here.