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Curiosity knows no boundaries for Blue Men
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THREE curious men with blue skin, bald heads and black clothes promise to delight and captivate audiences in Shanghai in November.
The eponymous members of the internationally acclaimed Blue Man Group have already tested out their trademark antics on local residents with a series of warm-up activities staged downtown last month. Although the blue-hued trio famously remain silent on stage, they say they’re looking forward to connecting with local audiences during upcoming shows at the SAIC Shanghai Culture Square.
“The Blue Man character is always curious about other people, the world and the society around him, and that’s why we are so excited about visiting Shanghai, which is all new to us,” says the captain of the group, who goes by the name of Meridian. “We will definitely take the chance to explore more.”
Since its formation in 1991, the group has taken its stage shows and concerts to 15 countries, and performed in front of over 35 million viewers.
“It is a bit difficult to describe a Blue Man show. It has elements of live theater, musical, comedy, and it’s also a party. I think it is more like an experience of pure joy, and a celebration of life. There are no particular story lines, but all the casual combinations on-stage and off-stage make for a spectacular show,” says Fei Yuanhong, deputy general manager of the SAIC Shanghai Culture Square.
With only three identically dressed blue-skinned cast members leading the action on stage, the group has always thought of new tricks over the years.
“As curious people, the Blue Man Group is influenced by what happens around them. The show has been constantly evolving as a response to the changing world. But what remains the same throughout that time is our curiosity,” says Meridian.
“For example, we live in a society today featuring life with Internet through phones and tablets all the time, so we have some fun parts of the show that incorporate that. We have some great humor about extraordinarily huge tablets that we invented. The audiences will love that.”
According to Meridian, the Blue Man Group is also thinking about creating some content specifically for Chinese audiences. Though no final decisions have been made yet, he is not worried about the response from local audiences.
“People understand the character of the Blue Man and the show wherever we’ve brought it. Even though it is a show coming from somewhere far away, it is about something we share in common — our desire to connect with each other and celebrate all the wonders of life together.”
Interaction with the audiences has always been a big part of the group’s shows. The Blue Man goes right into the audience, and sometimes invites some viewers onto the stage.
“We might have a little trick for an audience (member) who is late. You know, someone always is,” says Meridian.
The interactive nature of the show requires the Blue Men to improvise based on the audience’s reaction, which is Meridian’s favorite part of the show.
“The unexpected is always happening on stage and it is really fun,” says Meridian. “Even the audience in their seats may react so differently from place to place. We love that when questions pop in our heads like ‘what is going on here?’ ‘Who are these people?’ ‘How do we react to this?’ That is what we are all about — getting to know audiences in different places. We don’t expect or need the audience to respond in one particular way.”
Today, there are about 50-60 Blue Men performing Blue Man shows around world. There are no particular professional criteria for joining the group, although an inner curiosity and sense of the play are definitely prerequisites for perspective cast members.
“I think there’s something special about the people who get chosen. We genuinely can look at someone without talking and have an exchange of information with them. We can connect with people, and people feel that and experience that. They feel connected to the Blue Man character,” says Meridian. “That is something special about the Blue Man, and it goes deeper than the color we wear.”
Of course, women are also encouraged to apply. In the past, casting agents for the group have described the Blue Man character as “genderless” and “androgenous.” To date though, few ladies have stepped forward to audition.
“It is very difficult to find someone who can be a Blue Man. But I think it would be possible to have more Blue Women if there are more applicants,” says Meridian.
Date: November 16-December 4, 2pm, 5pm, 7:15pm
Venue: SAIC Shanghai Culture Square, 597 Fuxing Rd
Tickets: 80-788 yuan
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