This weekend, St. Louis is going to have some interesting characters taking the stage at the Peabody Opera House.
Blue Man Group is an indescribable show starring three actor-musicians, who are, of course, all in blue. This includes a bald cap and full body make-up.
The difficultly in describing the show to someone who’s never seen it is reflected on the organization’s own website FAQ. In answer to the question, “What exactly is Blue Man Group about?” they write: “Blue Man group cannot be explained; it can only be experienced.”
Blue Man Group is a mix of music, comedy and multimedia (among other, less describable elements), creating a theater performance different from anything else that’s graced the stages of St. Louis.
A band provides music, a key element to the show, live on stage to accompany the “blue men.”
Terry Tungjunyatham, a musician currently touring with the group, remarks that with such an untraditional show, one of the main goals for him as a performer was to give the audience an entertaining experience – to have fun. There’s a rough plot stringing the show together, but enough leeway so that the performers can feed off the audience each night and react differently to different crowds.
Tungjunyatham, who also hails from St. Louis, plays strings for the show, including not just guitar or bass but also zither and the Chapman Stick. The opportunity to play such unusual instruments is one of the appeals of playing with Blue Man Group, he says.
Blue Man Group was created by Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton and Chris Wink in New York in the late ‘80s. It began as humbly and as sincerely as it could have: the three of them would become bald and blue and walked around the city, doing anything to surprise those around them and make them think. They would go into bars, drum and throw and catch objects with their mouths.
Today, Blue Man Group had become a cultural phenomenon that has shows in New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, Orlando and Boston — not counting shows on tour in Europe and even on the cruise ship Norwegian Epic.
These different shows have given Blue Man Group the opportunity to evolve over the years. Goldman, Stanton and Wink created this show because of their love of creativity and innovation, and the show reflects those values in the way that it adapts and tries new things with every new performance. This also makes a more engaging experience for an audience member who can look forward to seeing the show in St. Louis next weekend, knowing that it will not be the same show one might have seen during the last tour.
Blue Man Group will be performing at the Peabody Opera House from April 25-27 with both matinee and evening performances on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets begin at $27 and can be purchased online at www.peabodyoperahouse.com or at the box office.
