SLCene Suggests: Blue Man Group at Kingsbury Hall

BLUE MAN GROUP, KINGSBURY HALL, Tuesday, April 1-Sunday, April 6, various times, $32.50-$69.50 (depending on show time)

There’s a tendency to think that if you’ve seen one Blue Man Group show, you’ve seen them all. And there are certainly common themes that run through different shows and tours of the group through the years–the inherent innocence of the three painted men on stage, their naivete when it comes to the technology we see as commonplace, the percussion-as-language approach to their performances. Even so, it’s impossible to feel like what you’re witnessing on stage is anything but fresh and exciting. That was certainly my feeling watching opening night of the Blue Man Group’s current Salt Lake City visit, running through Sunday and including matinees on the weekend. The combination of flying paint, intricate lights and electronic effects and the trio’s stage movements made for a riveting 100 or so minutes of live performance. At times it felt like a rock concert, at others a late-night dance club or a sci-fi jazz joint of the future. Interactivity with the audience is a must at a Blue Man Group show, and it was no different at Kingsbury Hall thanks to segments of the show dedicated to “Digital Age Brain Building Exercises” or “modern plumbing.” A couple different audience members were pulled to the stage to join the fray, and the Blue Men often wandered out into the audience. At various points, you could hear both children and adults yelling requests toward the stage–yes, this is a “show for all ages.” And one well worth checking out in the cozy confines of Kingsbury. (Photos by Paul Kolnik)