Bald and blue are back in a big way in Boston

By Rich Fahey

BOSTON – Bald and blue are back in a big, bold way.

The iconic performance troupe Blue Man Group, who have held sway at the Charles Playhouse for more than a quarter century, have been revived and refreshed.

The reinvented show includes original new music, two brand new acts and a jaw-dropping new finale that debuted last month.

It has been 12 years since a full rethinking of the show. Members of the press were invited to review the show recently, and the new 90-minute production is high energy to the max, an explosion of sight and sound.

According to the producers, an outside firm called Pretty Damn Sweet assisted with the visual elements of the show.

Banks of video screens capture what is going on stage in detail, as well as the reactions of theater-goers, who become part of the action in many ways.

The blue men have already retired the trophy for most effective ways to use, for example, PCV pipe.

You will notice everyone in the first few rows from the stage is wearing a raincoat. This is not because showers are expected inside the Charles Playhouse or that the building may have sprinklers that are apt to go off.

That is because the Blue Man Group can be messy, when it comes to using liquids while beating their drums or creating art with the haphazard use of spray paint. You may become part of a work of art.

As befitting a show owned and operated by Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. Blue Man Group features production values that are state of the art, amplified and enhanced so that the sights and sounds can be almost overwhelming.

With no dialogue except for narrations of videos introducing each act, the production values carry the day.

When the Blue Men start prowling the audience looking for “volunteers” for one of their acts, everyone is in trouble.

At its essence, the show remains the same. Three bald and blue men explore today’s cultural norms with wonder, poking fun at the audience’s collective quirks and reminding them how much they all have in common.

“Blue Man Group is thrilled to announce this revolutionary new show content to Boston audiences,” says Managing Director Jack Kenn. “We cannot wait to transport audiences with new music and new visuals through our partnership with renowned creative agency Pretty Damn Sweet and an all-new show finale debuting on October 5 that will certainly leave crowds on their feet.”

Tickets to all performances are now on-sale starting at $49 by visiting http://www.blueman.com/boston or calling 1-800-BLUEMAN.

Doors open one hour before each performance.