Eight years ago when my husband and I embarked on our yet-to-be-topped best holiday ever to the west coast of USA, I put a quirky and unusual show on my list during on stop in Las Vegas — a wordless show with three blue men making music playing on pipes and playing with paint…
It was The Blue Man Group, and at that first encounter, I was wowed by the energy, creativity and sheer coolness of the show.
I sure never expected to catch them here in Singapore but life does tend to surprise you! In celebration of the 25th anniversary of The Blue Man Group, the Blue Men have indeed landed right here in living colour to kick-off a World Tour! This promises to be comedy, theatre, rock concert and dance party all rolled into one. In other words, this show is going to be bringing the classic Blue Man concept out to the world!
Part of what magic of The Blue Man Group is that it manages to cut across age groups and cultures by appealing to what is common between us through humour, the use of music and lots of audience interaction.
I knew my kids were going to love it.
From the get go, the kids were entertained by the running messages on the screens at the corners of the stage giving different instructions to the audience, which ranged from the usual request to turn off all mobile phones to gobbly-gook. They gleefully joined in as we were instructed to clap and cheer, help an audience member with a headache, and chant happy birthday to someone else, amongst other things. It was good fun and warmed everyone up nicely for what was to come.
And then it was show time.
There is no interval at this show and from the time the trio of Blue Men stumble onto stage till the end of the show approximately an hour and 40 mins later, we are treated to plenty of gags that kept us laughing and constantly kept us guessing as to what would happen next.
We all had our favourite segments. Both the children loved the bits where the Blue Men made music playing on pipes, particularly the huge “pipe organ”! I knew they would be enthralled by the idea that we could use the something unconventional like pipes to play music, and they were. I liked the part with the giant iPad, or GiPad, as they were called. Something that is an update on the show and was not part of the show I watched years ago. Noey also enjoyed the audience interaction portion where a lady was invited on stage to join the Blue Men. You’ll have to watch the show yourself to find out what happens! Much of the show is dependent on how the audience volunteers react, so if you’re picked, do be a good sport and have fun!
Of course, everyone was ready to party when the balls and streamers rained down on us! No surprises that we went home with a ball of streamers huh.
I have been asked if this show can be enjoyed by children. Yes it can! And, chances, they will love it. My kids sure did! Here are some points to note and tips to enjoying the Blue Man experience with your children:
- Before going to the theatre, show the kids some clips of Blue Man performances to prepare them for what they are going to see. Also so they won’t be freaked out by the bright blue men!
- The show can be LOUD as there is a live rock band playing on stage at points. If your child is sensitive to sound, this might not be the show for them. That said, neither of my kids had problems with the sound level.
- The show is approximately 1 hour 40 min long with no interval. Do visit the restroom before entering the theatre.
- Food bought at the concession stands outside can be brought into the theatre for hungry tummies. Look out for the BLUE popcorn!
- Booster seats are available at the cloak room outside the theatre doors.
- The Blue Men will come out into the audience during the performance and might look right at you. Don’t be scared!
- This is one show where you don’t have to shush your kids. Laughing, dancing and wiggling is encourages, so have fun!
- The Blue Men and members of the band do make appearances in the lobby after the show so you might like to hang around to grab yourself a selfie! But be aware that it might be a little too close for comfort for the little ones. Mei didn’t want to go anywhere near!
The fun continues at the Marina Bay Sands MasterCard Theatres till 26 April 2016. Young or old, this is probably one performance that you should experience once in your life.
Blue Man Group
Ticketing and Show Information
Season: 29 Mar to 26 Apr 2016
Venue: Sands Theatre, MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands
Performance Times:
Tues to Fri 8pm
Sat (2 Apr & 9 Apr) 2pm & 8pm
Sat (16 Apr & 23 Apr) 2pm, 5pm & 8pm
Sun 1pm & 6.30pm
Sun (17 Apr) 1pm
Ticket Prices: $90, $120, $135, $155
Duration: Approximately 1 hr 40 mins with no interval
Booking: Marina Bay Sands Ticketing http://www.marinabaysands.com/entertainment/blue-man-group.html or Sistic http://www.sistic.com.sg/events/blue0416 or calling 6348-5555
*Thank you for the media invite, Base Entertainment! All photos courtesy of The Blue Man Group unless otherwise watermarked. All opinions remain, as always, my own.
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