Blue men return to Briar Street with a rainbow of new tricks

Stuck inside and feeling blue? Well, the performance artists known as Blue Man Group have the cure for you. Since 1987, blue clad performers have been entertaining audiences with a mixture of paint, drums and technological skits. The men are painted blue and are silent throughout the show with a lot to say about the world around them. They approach their environment with a curiosity that makes them interesting to watch, endearing and lovable.

Fans have kept their home at the Briar Street Theatre, 3133 N. Halsted, for many years with no end in sight, after a break during the pandemic. The brand has expanded all over the world, including New York City, Boston and Las Vegas. The cast doesn't need to speak other languages, so the concept can do well in other countries and has been in showing in Berlin, Germany since 2016. Blue Man Groups have appeared in Japan, Canada, Europe and Australia in the past, among many other locations.

There have been some changes with the Chicago show content and several changes were for the better, making things smoother and more concise. The intro was different without the band building up the usual anticipation as the trio appear onstage. While the backing band is talented and fun, they could be cut to save costs in the new challenging spatially distant ticket selling world. The blue trio can certainly hold everyone's attention with their own drum skills.

Audience participation is tricky these days, but the group continually work around it. Gone are the toilet paper and Twinkie bits that are now replaced with a new dating segment and shooting streamers for an easier cleanup after the show. One new segment needs more workshopping involving a rollercoaster and virtual reality goggles, as it doesn't quite work.

The new paint splatter set up is strong improvement with a member of the audience becoming part of the art. Before, it was almost like a magic trick with a prerecorded video that was not actual real time footage.

The Cap'n Crunch cereal section is still the same, but might be troublesome for those that suffer from Misophonia. This show is recommended for well behaved children, but definitely not Kelly Ripa!

On reopening night, several audience members couldn't resist pulling out their phones to record and take photos, even though they were asked not to from the very beginning. In a show that is about how our technical gadgets affect us, people can't seem to stop for a short time and just disconnect. If I were a Blue Man, I was climb over the seats and snatched that telephone right out of the amateur filmmaker's hand!

We could talk about bad behavior in current times all day, but another timely subject is about being all inclusive in 2021. How about a Blue Woman Group or Blue Gender Nonconforming Group? Let's have a seat at the table for all performance artists that will only expand the brand. There have been gay blue men in the past, as I have interviewed an out and proud performer previously, so there's that in terms of diversity.

Cirque du Soliel bought the franchise in 2017, so just imagine what they could do to the group.

Blue Man Group has brought happiness and escapism to so many people over the years, because of a long history of creating art right in front of an audience live and in person. It doesn't work the same without that spontaneous aspect to it.

We don't know what the future will bring in the upcoming months, so grab your ticket before it's too late. Wear a mask, put your phone down and bring good energy. The blue men feed off the vibe of anyone entering the cozy Briar Street Theatre at every performance.

March over to BlueMan.com for tickets today and buckle up for a once in a blue moon kind of show!