story by Kayte Deioma, photos courtesy of Blue Man Group

Right next door to Shear Madness on the Charles Playhouse main stage in Boston, Blue Man Group creates its own brand of delightfully interactive chaos. Though not locally conceived, the Boston company of the original New-York-born multi-media performance art experience is true to its roots. Now also in Chicago, Las Vegas, Orlando and Berlin, Germany, the Blue Man experience has evolved with its expansion into new arenas. People who have seen earlier Blue Man shows will be charmed by the new additions. The original three Blue Men, Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton and Chris Wink keep strict creative control over the content presented by the 33 Blue Man actors who rotate through the various performances.

But what is Blue Man Group?

If you sit in the first several rows, you’re given a plastic rain poncho to wear during the show to protect you from miscellaneous substances that spew from the actors and the stage. Three men in black with bald heads painted blue manage to create art, rhythm and music by the most unconventional means. Mouths are used to play catch, to paint, to sculpt and to play rhythms. But never to talk. Food is the medium of choice, from rhythmically chomping Cap’n Crunch to sculpting chewing gum. The antics of the three Blue Men would be downright silly if they weren’t so ingenious and perfectly executed.

Drumming becomes painting as drumsticks splash paint from drum skins to canvases, spraying plastic-covered audience members in the process. PVC piping in the form of an elaborately twisted xylophone played with foam rubber paddles and a trombonesque tube drum they call a “drumbone” create complex rhythms backed by a full band in a cage above the stage.

But what is Blue Man Group?

Blue Man roams the audience and invites a woman from the crowd to join the on-stage tableau to be courted with flowers and Twinkies. The silent acting is subtle and smart. Blue Man roams again and finds a young man to be taken backstage and used as a human paintbrush as the audience watches on the big screen. The deadpan Blue Man addresses various states of the human condition. Subtext is provided by a scrolling marquee, giant posters and projected slides.

But what is Blue Man Group?

Blue Man Group is head-bobbing, foot-stomping, hand-clapping, mesmerizing, unadulterated fun for the whole family. Don’t try this at home kids – at least not without covering everything with a plastic drop sheet first.

Visit www.blueman.com or call (617) 426-6912 for schedule and pricing information.