The Blue Man Group will bring their unique performance style to Moncton, and it's all about the audience

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by Paul Merrigan
This Week Staff

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Rock stars come in all shapes in sizes, but while there are a fair share of them who wear all black, only three are bald and blue - The Blue Man Group. On Sept. 30 the Blue Men will visit Moncton for the first time, as they bring their How to be a Mega-Star 2.1 show to the stage at the Moncton Coliseum.

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The Blue Man Group will make their first trip to Moncton on Sept. 30 for the second-to-last stop on their How to be a Mega-Star 2.1 Tour.

Mark Frankel, a native of New York City has been touring as a Blue Man for just over a year now, but has been a Blue Man for four years, performing with various shows in New York, Chicago and Amsterdam.

"I was living in New York working as a drummer and a recording engineer and I got invited to go to an industry event that Blue Man Group was hosting and struck up a conversation with someone there," says Mark. "One thing lead to another and three months later I was on stage as a Blue Man."

With the current show, audiences are given a chance to see the approach the Blue Men take while trying to become rock stars.

"Essentially what we're doing is satirizing the rock concert experience," explains Mark. "It's a nice follow up to the spate of concerts that Moncton has had recently. We analyze the rock experience and look at what the steps are to becoming a rock star. We go through the paces of what to wear, how to behave, how to dance and then it goes way beyond that."

While the Blue Man Group is well known for their unique brand of music, using non-traditional items, such as PVC piping, to drum upon, the touring show includes a multi-piece band and some vocals as well, although none from the Blue Men, who don't speak at all.

"The audience is essential to our show, just like any live performance," says Mark. "With Blue Man Group in particular the audience is a key player and we take that to a larger extent. We aren't afraid to go into the audience and step off the stage and to be a part of the experience."

A unique aspect of the experience audiences have from this particular show is how it engages people of such a wide range of ages and backgrounds.

"We get to relate to people in many different ways," Mark explains. "Young children like the colour and the spectacle - they like the look of the Blue Men. Older people are getting linked to the past, because some of our music is from older rock. Even teens look at the show and seem to ask and think about the artistic side of the show, what it means to them."

Even for the performers themselves, each show offers a unique experience.

"The show is different every night, we don't follow a set script," explains Mark. "It varies so much with what the audience gives us. What we're looking for is that moment where you get carried away by the experience within the show. I look for that person in the audience who has had a busy day, worked hard and comes to see us. Watching that person start to relax, enjoy and become a part of the show is amazing."

For more information on Blue Man Group, you can visit their website at www.blueman.com. To purchase tickets for the Moncton show, call 857-4100 or visit www.monctoncoliseum.com.