The epitome of eccentricity, avant-garde performance group Blue Man Group astounds audiences throughout the world in places as sultry as Las Vegas to as exotic as Berlin. How this weird trio found themselves in the pristine Segerstrom theater in Costa Mesa is anyone’s guess.
The only way to really describe their antics is watching children at play. The trio brings everyday, ordinary objects (drums, paint, marshmallows and even cereal) to the stage and with them creates a playground teeming with imaginative instruments, art displays and other inventions. There isn’t any rhyme or reason nor point or plot to the show and some may find that frustrating and almost bewildering. The only way to enjoy a Blue Man show is to take it in its stride; take it for what it is.
Although the performance is classified as theater, it is more an over-the-top art show above all else. At its heart, a Blue Man Group show is performance art, no more and no less. They come to make a statement, although what that statement is remains unclear but at least they made a big deal out of it, colors, special effects and all. Known more for their whimsical antics than for any talent in particular, the group made use of the audience and the stage, parading around in their brilliantly blue nonsense.
Blue Man Group is all about having fun, drawing fans and newcomers alike into their strange little world, sometimes even onto the stage to participate in their games. Their uniformity and their solemn expressions only enhance the comedic aspects of their performance. At one point, they brought one audience member on stage and lined her up with themselves at a table, placing a Twinkie on each of their plates. What ensued was a hilarious act of the three straight-faced performers grappling with their fluffy Twinkies, attempting to eat them simultaneously and all three glancing over at the audience participant, expecting her to follow suit and shaking their heads when she couldn’t keep up.
Spoilers withheld, the finale was undeniably spectacular. Loud upbeat music enveloped the audience as the three men splashed paint across the stage, beat drums and pipes to accompany the music and created a happening party right in the theater. Brightly lit lanterns gently descended into the audience, glowing and changing colors as they bounced throughout the crowd. Three large plasma screens bedecked in iPhone attire sparkled and exploded with designs as dancers dressed in neon-lit morph suits moved around them. Confetti floated gaily among the chaos.
What is so entertaining about three blue men spitting paint out of their mouths and banging on empty pipes to make melodies like “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga come to life? It’s hard to pinpoint what makes the show so great. Well-timed physical comedy, special lighting effects or just an innovative way of looking at things? There is no answer, but whatever it is they do, it works. The audience was on the edge of their seats, waiting to see what would happen next.
It is the Blue Man Group after all. What else are you to expect besides the unexpected?
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