What’s Blue And New?

Last week, Van Wert Live along with presenting sponsors, Jim and Mary Pope, announced that the stage sensation Blue Man Group will perform at the Niswonger on May 8. If you’ve ever heard or seen the Blue Man Group perform, you know its members march to the beat of their own drums and pipes! The performance-art trio debuted in 1991 in Manhattan when creators Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton, and Chris Wink produced the multimedia show. The original act involved making live art, playing musical instruments, and even involved food.

Over the years, the act has evolved into one of the most popular, and eclectic live shows not only in New York, but around the world. What makes the Blue Man Group distinctive is the appearance of its members (bald, blue heads, and stark, black clothing), how they create musical instruments with PVC pipes, and what they use on stage to create moving pieces of art.

So they’re blue, they play music, they’re popular – but why? Here’s all you need to know before you go.

How does the Blue Man Group make music? It takes a special kind of talent and creativity to take plastic piping and be able to turn it into something that makes music. But, that’s exactly what members of Blue Man Group spend hours experimenting with and perfecting. Recently, the group allowed Insider a peek into its studio to learn about how the team pulls things together (or even sometimes breaks them apart) to develop its signature sound.The drum bone is one of the group’s mainstay instruments. To the untrained eye, it looks like a couple of pieces of twisted plastic that aren’t overly complicated. However, looks can be deceiving, according to Blue Man Group’s sound engineer Andrew Schneider. “It basically has five notes total, but it takes three of them to play it,” he told Insider. The audience will also experience the Big Drum and the Paint Drums that when played display a rhythmic explosion of colors.

What is Blue Man Group All About? At a Blue Man Group show, you’ll rock, laugh, and party. As three bald and blue men explore our world, together we’ll discover music, comedy, and surprises at every turn. By the end of this spectacular journey, you’ll be saying “I don’t even know what just happened but I loved it.”

What language is Blue Man Group performed in? Blue Man Group performances are euphoric celebrations of human connection through art, music, comedy, and non-verbal communication. Since the Blue Men don’t speak, Blue Man Group is universally appealing to a broad range of age groups and cultural backgrounds.

What is the poncho section and will I get wet sitting there? During the Blue Man Group performance, materials sometimes splatter off of the stage. We call this “The poncho section,” because we provide disposable plastic ponchos for audience members to wear if they prefer. You will not get “wet,” but you may be splashed with materials. All materials are washable, but we suggest you wear your poncho and comfortable washable clothing that does not need dry cleaning.

In all, there are 70 Blue Men who have visited over 25 countries, used 18,000 buckets of splashed paint, and broken 23,000 drumsticks.

Blue Man Group – Hard to Describe. Easy to Love. Over thirty-five million people of all ages and cultures know what Blue Man Group is really about. Now it’s your turn to experience them LIVE in Van Wert! Over 300 tickets have sold as part of the Member Pre-Sale. General Sales begin on Tuesday, January 4. Anyone can become a Van Wert Live Member for as low as $100 and access early ticket buying. Find out more about the colorful world of live entertainment at vanwertlive.com.