My husband, Michael, and I just celebrated our second wedding anniversary. We are a combined family of five children and one grandchild. My husband works full-time and I have a home office, attend school full-time online and stay home with our youngest child who just turned one. Needless to say, we don’t get out much. This year, Michael decided he wanted to do something special and get us out of the house for the evening. He made arrangements for his mother to babysit, sent me shopping for a dress, and took care of planning the rest of the evening. The result… A fabulous dinner at Mamma Maria’s in Boston and tickets to BLUE MAN GROUP!
For those of you who have been to a Blue Man Group show, I know I’m late to the party, but this was my first time attending a show and it was amazing. If you appreciate comedy, good music, and theater you must see this show. There is nothing like it – anywhere! We were seated about half an hour before the show started. Michael had been to see them before but refused to tell me anything about the show. Instead, all he said was, “you have to see it.”
The lights dimmed, the drumbeat started and the next hour and a half melted away in a medley of brilliant colors, techno-beats and comedic commentary on the ridiculousness of our society. The show is cerebral and intelligent. You can sit and watch it for the surface message or you can let your mind wander through the mental doors they open up through their silent conversation. The best part of the show is their interaction with the audience. You don’t just watch a Blue Man Group show, you participate.
The child-like innocence of the Blue Men sparks a desire in most of us to help them understand who we are as a people. To be supportive in their attempts to explore and discover how to “be” human. Their straight-faced study of our behavior forces us to look inward and try to communicate on a level most of us haven’t tried in decades.
Although there are only three Blue Men on stage at any given time, there are far more than three performers. It began as the brainchild of three college friends, Chris Wink, Matt Goldman, and Phil Stanton, who began performing in New York City in the late 1980s. Since then it has become a global enterprise with more than 50 employees, a production company, and regularly-performed shows in New York, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Orlando, Berlin, and Tokyo. The Blue Man Group is currently on a tour of the United States and Canada.
Between our schedules and the demands of an infant, it had been nearly a year since my husband and I had been out together for a real “evening out.” This show gave us a chance to laugh together, share our thoughts, explore new ideas, and remember what we love about each other. It has been almost two weeks since we saw the show and thinking of it still brings a broad smile to my face. I’m sure it will continue to do so for a long time to come.
Obviously the show holds a special place in my heart for the celebration of my marriage to a wonderful man, but also for the creativity and inspiration that is the Blue Man Group. Should the Blue Men ever come to a theatre near you (or you to a city near them), do yourself a favor… BLUE!
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