Blue Man Group enjoys a vast and well-deserved following. If you’re a fan, you already know about their truly unique performance style, and if you’ve attended the Las Vegas theater show in the Luxor or Venetian hotels (they are currently back at the Luxor), you are well aware of the group’s high-energy multi-media entertainment, which includes musical, comical, artistic, and educational aspects.
However, if you’ve wondered about, but never seen this trio of blue-masked, wide-eyed, mute men who play with paint, bang on PVC pipes, and wolf down snack food, read on. They make art and music, sure, but they also entertain with social commentary and audience participation, all wrapped up in a playful, intense show.
Background
Three New York friends founded Blue Man Group in 1987, and according to Las Vegas Online, Chris Wink (chief creative officer and TED speaker), Matt Goldman, and Phil Stanton opened their original theatrical show in 1991.
BMG performs three shows: Their long-running theatrical show, The Complex Rock Tour, and the Megastar World Tour. The first is an eclectic mix of art, music, and comedy, while the latter two were created to be genuine rock concerts with a Blue Man twist. BMG performs in New York, Boston, Chicago, Orlando, Las Vegas, and Berlin.
In case you haven’t guessed by now, there are approximately 60 Blue Men and more than 50 accompanying musicians.
The Blue Men
A Blue Man Group show features three men dressed all in black, with bald blue heads, thin blue gloves, and blue grease paint on their faces, creating the famous “always wet” look. They do not vocalize, but they clearly communicate to the audience via physical movements, video messages, and a few animations.
The original theatrical show includes the following:
- Freeform Art: Paint drums, black lights, colored marshmallows are just a few items used in the visually stunning show. You can’t create successful art without primary colors!
- Rock Concert: The blue percussionists are not the only people onstage. Other musicians can be seen high above the set on either side. Drums – lots and lots of drums!
- Education: You get a quick science lesson on human vision. Have you ever wondered why we see only in black and white when it’s dark? You’ll learn it here.
- Comic Theater: The group uses Twinkies and Cap’n Crunch – two extremely well known foods – not as sustenance, but for hilarious entertainment purposes.
- Audience Participation: The opening announcements, as read aloud by the audience, will have you laughing even before the show. Watch for special “volunteers,” too.
WARNINGS: Please be aware that Blue Man Group shows are loud and extremely percussive, and therefore may not be suitable for very young children (the website recommends attendance for three years and older). Also, strobe lights are used, so anyone with epilepsy, migraines caused by bright lights, or other light-induced medical conditions should research the show carefully before buying tickets.
Las Vegas
Tickets: You can get tickets as early as 120 days ahead to ensure good seats. The Blue Man Group website has plenty of online benefits and packages for groups, including “priority access, awesome seats, discounts, luminescent swag, and maybe even food and drinks.” You can also find tickets and information on the Luxor website, which features its own ticket packages.
The poncho section takes up the first five rows of the orchestra seating and is for audience protection. The theater show can be rather messy and materials sometimes leave the stage, but if you dress casually and use the provided poncho, you’ll be fine.
Navigation: If you plan to stay on or near the Strip (Las Vegas Boulevard), do not rent a car unless it’s absolutely necessary. You can use any number of shuttles from McCarran Airport, which will take you to most Strip hotels. If you have a rental or your own vehicle, try to avoid the car-swamped Strip and take the back roads instead.
When you’re ready to go to the show from your hotel, walking to the Luxor will likely be much more entertaining and less frustrating than driving. Plan for some sightseeing along the way, or take the monorail that runs behind the hotels on the east side of the Strip, to the MGM station.
You can also use the older, much shorter tram lines on the west side of the Strip, one of which connects the Excalibur, Luxor, and Mandalay Bay hotels. However, be prepared to walk at least three blocks if coming from the MGM station, which is at the back of the MGM Grand, touted as the largest hotel in the U.S.
No matter what entrance you use to get in to the Luxor, give yourself plenty of time to navigate through the building. Like most big name Las Vegas hotels, the Luxor is huge, so study a map of the building for efficient travel through its corridors. As with any show, check with the hotel to get theater opening times, show duration, and other details.
TIP: When I went, there was no intermission during the hour and 45-minute show. If this is still true, plan your eating schedule and bathroom trips accordingly. Kind of like the movies – the action doesn’t stop for your bladder.
Blue Man Group is about as unique an experience as one can get in a live stage show. Eclectic, strange, humorous, and loved by critics and audiences alike, the Blue Men are sure to entertain from start to finish.
Have you ever seem BMG? What did you think?
Are you creeped out by their face paint?