Blue Man Group

My husband and I went downtown last night, to see a performance of "The Blue Man Group." We had seen them in Las Vegas (when we went there to see Barry Manilow this past January), but last night's show was very different.

First of all, when The Blue Man Group performs in Vegas, they're at a much smaller theatre at the Venetian. The smaller the theatre, the more you feel like you're part of the performance somehow. Last night's show was at the Toyota Center, which holds thousands and thousands of people. My husband had bought these tickets months ago, as soon as he found out The Blue Man Group would be in Houston. Even so, our seats weren't on the floor in the center, they were on the side. Good seats, but being right in front of the stage (rather than on the side) is always much better.

Last night's performance seemed more like a rock concert.... when we saw The Blue Man Group in Vegas, it was more of a show than a concert, if you know what I mean. My husband knew most of the music that was played last night..... songs from Led Zeppelin and The Who, among others. Still, the concept of The Blue Man Group is just wild. It always makes me wonder how the group got started.

I can imagine one person coming up with the idea and trying to convince others to join him: "Listen to this... we wear black jumpsuits and black boots. We cover our hair and our ears with blue latex, paint our faces blue, and wear blue gloves. We don't say a word when we're on the stage.... all our expression has to show in our eyes and on our faces. And we play famous rock songs by hitting red drumsticks on PVC pipes....... and then we can we toss paintballs at a canvas to make abstract art that fans will pay hundreds of dollars for after the show."

I know that I'm making their act sound very simple, which in reality it isn't. The energy of The Blue Man Group is just boundless, and once they come onto the stage, they've got everyone in the audience hooked and you're almost afraid to blink because you don't want to miss anything. The lighting effects they use are amazing throughout the show, which only adds to the visual magic of the performance.

And when you think of it, The Blue Man Group keeps their anonymnity once they're out of the blue make-up. You really can't tell who they are, not even when you're up close to them. After their show in Vegas, the group members were out in the lobby, posing for pictures with anyone and everyone. Still keeping their silence, they never said a word.... they just stood there for the pictures and they all gave their blue-lipped autographs. Instead of writing their names if you ask them to sign a program, they kiss the program book, leaving an imprint of blue lips on the paper. They didn't do that after last night's show.... way too many people in the audience.

The other day when my husband and I were in "The Fun Shop" looking at Halloween costumes, he was wanting to buy Blue Man Group make-up, so he could dress in black and be a Blue Man for our Halloween party. They had that make-up in the shop...... blue cream-paint, plus a latex cap to cover hair and ears. The man in the store said the entire process would take at least two hours to do, because once you put the latex cap on, the entire cap had to be covered in the blue make-up, so it would look seamless. Then, once all the blue stuff was on, you couldn't eat or drink, and you had to make sure you didn't touch anyone or anything, because your body's temperature would keep the make-up moist. As much as my husband wanted to be a Blue Man for Halloween, after hearing the down-sides of the process, neither of us thought it would be a good idea for the party.

Last night was fun, though. I was worried that I wouldn't be feeling well enough to sit through the performance, but I was just fine. I took cough medicine just before we left the house, and I had cough drops in my purse. As soon as I felt my throat getting dry, I took out a cough drop and I was just fine. This flu still lingers with me a little bit..... my ribs are a little sore still from all the coughing I did, and I'm not moving as fast as I usually do. This too shall pass. This too shall pass. I keep saying that over and over these days.... knowing that everything I'm feeling from this flu is just an teeny-tiny miniscule drop in the medical bucket. My friend has begun radiation treatments.... they're hoping to shrink the tumor that's wrapped around her larnyx. What she's going through, and will be going through, is not a teeny-tiny drop in the medical bucket. It's more like a waterfall. Niagara Falls.