Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Chicago Blue Man Group ?

Here is a review of the show in Chicago: Out of the Blue: Blue Man Group simply sensational Long known as the home of the blues, Chicago recently embraced a new blue sensation. Wildly outrageous, raucously entertaining and unbelievably original, Blue Man Group brings viewers into a world of childlike wonder most of us left behind years ago. Unlike anything you've ever seen, Blue Man Group is taking the city by storm, playing to sold-out crowds since it opened last October, when the troupe took over the Briar Street Theatre and transformed it into the "Tubes" set. You won't recognize the space (constructed as a carriage house for Marshall Field in 1901), which has been metamorphosed top to bottom. The lobby looks like the laboratory of some mad scientist run amok, with elaborate industrial tubing snaking its way along the ceiling and down the walls. Grab hold of a piece and listen to the sounds that emit from it, from classical music to clogging champions. The foyer's eye-popping extravaganza includes playful visual images competing for your attention and illuminated silver torsos emerging from the walls. Be sure to arrive well before show time to capture the whole experience, because this will be anything but your average night out. The lobby is just a preview; the show is something else - three silent, cobalt blue men presenting an over-the-top sensory assault of sight gags, physical stunts, art commentary and audience participation. The fun starts immediately after you're seated, as ushers distribute long strips of tissue paper which people tie around their heads - some in big bows holding back hair, others as headbands. Audience members in the first five rows don plastic rain ponchos to protect them from splattering paint, flying food and various projectile objects. On stage, Blue Man Group appears to be a trio of visitors from another planet, eyeing the audience with mute curiosity. But they don't want to be seen as aliens, rather as curious gentle beings from inner space who want to "blesh" with the audience through color and sound. A circuslike atmosphere prevails as the overzealous performers keep the surprises coming, fast and furiously. The 80-minute show (with no intermission) climaxes with a novel variation of a juvenile prank, swamping the audience in seemingly endless rolls of crepe paper. Compared to both "Stomp" and the band Devo, the Blue Man Group is like a '90s spin on a '60s "happening." But don't try too hard to understand it - just enjoy it. The idea for Blue Man Group dates back 10 years when three close friends, Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton and Chris Wink, staged their blue humor on the streets of New York at the alternative Club Nowhere. The show evolved into "Tubes" and opened off Broadway in 1991, followed by a second production in Boston in 1995. Chicago is the third installment. The Blue Men number 13 in all and perform on a rotating basis, backed by a rocking three-piece band, who wear day-glo skeleton costumes on a stage above the stage. With frequent television appearances, their popularity continues to increase, and the open run is expected to continue for at least the next two years. Blue Man Group performs at the Briar Street Theatre, 3133 N. Halsted St., Chicago, at 8 pm Tuesday through Thursday, at 7 pm and 10 pm Friday and Saturday, and at 4 pm Sunday. Tickets are $46 and $39. Call (773) 348-4000.