July
1Blue Crew not Singing the Blues
LAS VEGAS -- Soaring gas prices have hurt business here in Sin City but you’d never know it when you drop by the worst show in town -- the ubiquitous Blue Man Group.I’ve always admired the men in blue purely as a business venture. Three anonymous guys with blue faces and marginal talents (and spartan production values) pack their theater at the Venetian night after night. And there are six other Blue Man productions playing regularly around the world.
Entertainment writers keep turning out laudatory pieces about the mega business run by Cirque de Soleil (a company that turns out great productions) but, as a business venture, I have to give the prize to Blue Man Group.
At the Venetian last night, while the Phantom played next door (how many times can folks keep returning?) and Jersey Boys does its sing-a-long, the three Men in Blue did their routine -- tossing and catching marshmallows in their mouths, stuffing themselves with Capt Crunch, banging out lame tunes on their giant xylophone they call an Aronophonic.
There’s lots of audience participation shtick, dragging reluctant participants from the audience who are then painted blue or fed Twinkies. And for the big close? Giant rolls of paper billow across the audience from the back of the theater causing folks to thrash around amid the onslaught -- a sort of toilet paper avalanche.
I’ve heard of papering the house, but this gave the term new definition.
Mind you, folks from the fly-over country found all this modestly amusing and a steady blast of drums kept them from nodding off. But, to use Variety lingo, the hix from the stix deserve better trix. The so-called script (what little there is) feels like it was written thirty years ago. Considering the glitz of modern Vegas, the production values are embarrassing (folks in the first ten rows are asked to put on plastic ponchos as though to protect them against some spectacular detonations, but nothing occurs).
The success of Blue Man clearly represents a triumph of show business branding. The Blue Man Group was formed in New York in ‘88 and struggled to survive for several years. The founding fathers are Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton and they still all share one office. But rake in an estimated $8 million in revenue per month.And while the Quebequise behind Cirque have been immortalized in countless articles, the Blue Crew has chosen to remain substantially below the radar.
That is just as well: They should remain there until they invest some their money and talent and re-energize their show.
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Posted by: invosotoDus | 10/11/2009 3:41:20 AM
A needless shot at a theater group that serves no purpose but to entertain tourists. Do I agree with you? Sure. Is it groundbreaking and interesting? Not really.
Posted by: Mike | 7/7/2008 10:39:47 AM
Blue Man came from the NY East Village Art Scene. It's the darling of many a theater anarchist. It's got great snob-art pedigree. Dissing it as common man fodder, really misses the point -- it's the ultimate insider art joke come to life. And the fact that people from states besides NY and Cali seem to attend, just makes it all the more a triumph of a trojan horse of tom foolery masking a lot of deconstruction and post-graduate wet dream theses ...
Posted by: Big Bomb | 7/6/2008 10:45:53 PM
The comment that was made here stating: "if it weren't for these guys (Blue Men) there would be no Cirque or Stomp."
Once again the depths and public display of someone's ignorance and complete disregard for facts amazes me.
Who ever wrote that statement should slap a bumper sticker across their forehead that reads "Idiot!"
Will the idiot please do some simple, and I mean simple so not to overwork your brain, research on Cirque
Posted by: Guy | 7/6/2008 12:01:35 PM
Mr. Bart forgets how revolutionary the Blue Men were. If it weren't for these guys there would be no Cirque or Stomp or any of the others.
I agree they should update their show, but dude... such venom seems to say more about the author than the blue guys.
Posted by: Dude | 7/3/2008 8:58:58 AM
Bart should nix what he thinx is bad for us.
Posted by: C | 7/2/2008 2:29:19 PM