Blue Man Group returns

From the inside, the Blue Man Group Theater in Astor Place looks exactly the same as it did 10 years ago, when it played host to many middle school birthday parties. Although some of the skits in the show are the same and the blue-covered bald men are still comically creepy, Blue Man Group is even more worthy of a visit today than it was when it first came out and we all saw it in Ninja Turtle pajamas and Rainbow Brite t-shirts.

Upon entering the Astor Place Theatre, the industrial pipes, wires and tubes that hang from the ceiling and the large hooded ponchos draped over the seats suggest that the show will be both gritty and interactive. In fact, the show involves the audience from start to finish.

Before the lights go down, everyone is given segments of thick and narrow recycled (the red LED ticker carefully notes this) toilet paper with only the directions to "wear it" and "be creative." The ever-present ticker flashes messages to members of the audience and prompts them to speak, shout or sing along to whatever it sends across the screen. True to being a "birthday-friendly" place, at this particular show, the entire audience spoke (not sang, at the ticker's demand), "Happy Birthday" to a senior citizen named Abraham.

The height of audience involvement comes when the Blue men pick someone to have a Twinkie dinner with them onstage—during this show, a Japanese woman sat at the end of the row of the three Blue men, wide-eyed and apparently unsure whether to play along or flee. In addition, the cast jumps off the stage every so often to stare at or climb on the chair of a particular audience member. More often than not, the Blue Men pay special attention to any bald man they see, giving them bowls of Cap'n Crunch cereal or half-eaten Twinkies as tokens of love.

Aside from the comedy, the audience is continually awed by vibrant colors, swift movements and the gastronomical feats of the cast. The Blue Men launch brightly colored paint balls into each others' mouths, wetting them with a guzzle of water and spitting them out onto a canvas to create modern art. One Blue man tossed at least fifteen marshmallows into his mouth, then regurgitated them as a perfect white tower which he facetiously labeled with the sign, "$4000."

But the show is not just a circus-like exercise in color and audience participation. It is also boldly infused with a blend of comedy, social commentary and performance art appeals to viewers of all ages. Adolescent audience members, not to mention the college-age crowd, will revel in the ick-factor of the marshmallow skit and enjoy the impending fear that they too will be covered in half-masticated Cap'n Crunch or a spray of yellow paint. More sophisticated viewers will appreciate the skits that pertain to contemporary American society, such as one highlighting interpersonal rifts resulting from the internet era, and another, stone-faced piece, in which several LED tickers scroll tongue-in-cheek messages about the merits of contemporary art, drawing hoots and chuckles from the audience.

One hallmark that is integral to nearly every piece is the sensational drumming of the Blue men, providing a driving rhythm which unites the entire audience. Viewers of any age can appreciate music banged out on trash cans and plastic pipes—especially when the Blue Men oblige shouted requests from the audience, including one for Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird."

Ultimately, audience members will leave the theatre feeling inspired. Not only is Blue Man Group's performance a spectacle of awe-inspiring tricks and comedy, but as a whole it truly opens the mind to humanity's creative potential and can be appreciated on many levels. Although returning viewers may miss out on the novelty of aspects like the Cap'n Crunch shtick and the marshmallow competition, the creativity and beauty of many parts of the show can be appreciated over and over.

There is something for every audience member, new and returning, young and old, during the 1 _ hour performance. The Blue Man Group is as entertaining as always, and with the innovations of their new show—officially opening March 23rd—it is likely that it will continue to excite and entertain through many seasons still to come.