In terms of entertainment, this weekend couldn’t have been more diversely eventful. On Friday evening, I was lucky enough to attend Boston Ballet’s opening night of the classic ballet, “Sleeping Beauty.” Not surprisingly, it was absolutely breathtaking. Following the familiar storyline, the ballet was executed beautifully. Every precisely trained dancer proved how the art is committed to an engrossing, captivating performance that pulls at your heart strings while at the same time satisfies your every desire for elegance and ornate imagery. The recognizable music and age-old drama occupied every bit of space in the gilded theater. It was beyond impactful and visually epic.
Saturday evening, I was once again lucky enough to attend another show. This time, my evening entertainment took me a full 180 degree-turn to the opposite direction: I saw the one and only Blue Man Group at the all but simplistic Charles Playhouse.
If I were to explain the Blue Man Group in one word, it would be “unexpected.” Even up until the very last second of the performance, I had absolutely no idea what to expect at any given moment. Everyone whom I had told I was attending knew of the Blue Man Group had little idea as to what exactly they did. All I knew going into the experience was that they were an “entertainment group,” plus drums and paint were involved. Naturally, when we were seated just one row beyond the first five or six rows requiring plastic ponchos, I was excited yet nervous.
Having lived through the entire zany show, I now consider myself experienced enough to reveal the esoteric mystery revolving around the spectacle. That being said, I am having trouble putting it into words. So here is my best attempt.
Opening with paint splashing on drums, the three painted men on stage truly worked the crowd with their very few, very intentional and simplistic facial expressions. Every soul was hysterical just seconds into the show’s start. As the display progressed, it proved to be very reliant on audience participation. The Blue Men (who of course were very blue) did by no means confine themselves to their stage. They broke the threshold by literally climbing across the audience, placing their feet on seemingly precarious places on the backs of occupied chairs making estranged and prolonged eye contact with a handful of nearby audience members, me included. From then on for every remaining moment, I was on the edge wondering if another personal interaction with a Blue Man would occur.
Looking back to Boston Ballet’s “Sleeping Beauty,” there is a particular something obviously different in the genre of entertainment — the more modern the genre of entertainment, the more interactive it is. Nowadays, ballets are seen as a bore by many, and while I personally believe this is complete blasphemy considering everything that goes behind each and every detail onstage, I can imagine that those people are the ones occupying seats at the Blue Man Group. The show was current, interacting with contemporary culture featuring blown up iPhones and an oozing Twinkies bit. Audience interaction was a huge factor that played into the hype. Every second was spent wondering if you were going to be singled out in front of the audience, whether that be to throw pieces of chocolate into the mouth of a Blue Man or to be dragged onstage to accompany the three blue performers on an oddly staged date.
Although it was certainly an odd experience centered around comedy, there was talent present. The three men were all clearly skilled and well-practiced percussion experts. Their instruments were cleverly crafted from everyday materials, equipped with all the necessary keys and notes. Not only that but as three Blue Men occupied the forefront of the performance onstage, there were three more men that posed as a backup band on the upper section of the stage that came in and out to assist in the major music numbers. The show was an ingenious mix of rehearsed performance and utter spontaneous improvisation.
No doubt, there are certain genres of entertainment that please some while dissatisfying others. Depending on what you’re looking for, both the Boston Ballet and the Blue Man Group offer an exuberant show, however modern entertainment like the Blue Man Group shouldn’t be automatically discounted for its frivolousness or lack of talent.
