Living It Up: Universal Orlando’s Blue Man Group is an updated, but still exhilarating, feast for the gay senses

Posted by ErikRaymond on May 15, 2013 in Arts & Entertainment | Leave a comment

It’s rare when a show where the lead characters never utter a word is entertaining but Blue Man Group at Universal Studios flips that misconception on its ear. Astounding visual aspects fuses innovative theatrical spectacle with improvisation and vaudeville-style comedy, art, science and even a rock band.

Sometimes even the best art benefits from reinvention. That’s why Blue Man Group – which has run consistently at Universal Studios Orlando for more than four years – has added new sections, new technology and even a new musical score.

Dressed in all black, this trio enraptures the audience through their innocence and wonder as they encounter different mediums, like “GiPads” (picture Gigantic iPads) and painting canvases. The overall theme of the updated show is to engage audiences away from technological vices. Through their unique and captivating brand of live entertainment The Blue Men satire the notion that society is spending increasingly longer amounts of time texting, e-mailing, and otherwise communicating via impersonal methods, rather than enjoying real-life face time.

The show features a mixture of familiar routines – although in most cases, they too have also been updated – along with entirely new elements. Audience favorites, like the ‘Paint Drumming’ and ‘Gum Balls/Marshmallows’ continue to be a part of the production – and yes, the first few rows need to wear ponchos.

New sections include a pulsating new finale – involving flashing lights, and large white balls that cascade from the ceiling that viewers interact with, bouncing them around the room. Featuring an original Blue Man Group song that will have guests dancing in the aisles – think Information Society, Pet Shop Boys and White Party – all rolled into one multi-sensory experience that is androgynous, astonishing and poignant.

The enhanced/updated show is indeed a visceral, real-life experience, drawing the audience into a world filled with high-energy dance music, colorful characters, and plenty of comedy, both slapstick and satirical.

This avant-garde theatre troupe—always made up of three “blue men” – originated in New York in 1987. Since, the Blue Man Group franchise has gone global, with operations across three continents, permanent live performance installations in six cities including Boston, Chicago, and Orlando as well as an ongoing theatrical tour of the USA and Canada.  They’ve even gone seaside; Blue Man Group is the staple entertainment aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line’s “Epic.”

For more than 25 years, Blue Man Group has provided an larger-than-life, rousing, interactive experience that really speaks to all cultures and brings collective exhilaration to another level. The unparalleled skills and awe-inspiring performers make the show nothing short of mind-blowing.
For more information, universalorlando.com/blueman.

Photo Credit: Paul Kolnik