Prepare for paint and percussion, color, humor and some toe-tapping fun.
The Blue Man Group brings its “Speechless” tour to Appleton for a run from Friday through Sunday at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center.
The tour, which launched in September, is a fresh iteration for a troupe that’s played across the country and around the world for nearly three decades.
Now owned by Cirque du Soleil, The Blue Man Group in its new tour will reach more than 50 cities in its first season.
“Speechless will feature new and original compositions, invented instruments and unexpected situations alongside iconic Blue Man Group moments based in joy, art, music, comedy, social commentary and profound absurdity,” according to the company.
As the blue men settle into Appleton, Valley Review scoured the web for opinions from those who’ve already taken in the spectacle.
Alex Miller, who reviewed the show in October for OnStage Colorado, said to expect a somewhat silly and high-tech revue.
“Like a fireworks display, a Blue Man Group show is a loud, colorful and visceral entertainment that’s less theatre and more like an interactive concert and variety show with really good production values,” he wrote.
Anita W. Harris, who also reviewed the show in October for the Signal Tribune, was one of several who felt the show could use a storyline.
“But the show does crescendo in a mesmerizing fury of sound, color, light and emphatic percussion,” she wrote. “In the end, nothing detracts from the sheer fun, delight and amazement inherent in this exuberant show.”
Though a new show, theatergoers can expect some fan favorites from previous iterations including marshmallows, PVC pipes and three colorful drums at center stage, writes Jocelyn Murphy for the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
“Fans of the show will be happy to know crowd interaction has not gone by the wayside for “Speechless,” she wrote. “How could it? The Blue Men are too curious about the creatures sharing the space with them not to go out into the theater with their hand-held camera and investigate.”
Make sure to hit The Post-Crescent for a story from Shane Nyman on blue man Jonathan Clapham, a Lawrence University grad who’s making a homecoming as part of the production.
Teresa Ewers, who reviewed the show for New Mexico Entertainment, said there’s something for everyone.
“Many words could be used to describe this energetic show, but you have to experience it to know what it’s all about,” she wrote.
