Guest author Kristopher Kidd of discount ticketing site VegasFool.com grabs the reins for a review of the latest iteration of a long-running favorite…
If you’ve been visiting Las Vegas for any amount of time, there is no doubt that the colorful Blue Man Group have at least piqued your interest. Their Las Vegas journey began years ago at Luxor, followed by a move to Venetian, then Monte Carlo and now back again to Luxor.
Being one of the longest-running shows in the city is quite the accomplishment. Having seen the show before (and blown away), I was wondering if the Blue men had anything new up their sleeves. I was not disappointed.
From the Blue Man-themed box office to the paper streamers before the show, we already knew we were about to experience something unique and fun. With so many new and re-imagined acts, it felt like I was seeing something familiar yet also somehow new.
The smoke drums are now one of my favorite parts of BMG. You’ll even be treated to the Big Drum, which is only found in the Las Vegas version of the show (Blue Man Group performs in New York, Chicago, Boston, Orlando, and Berlin as well).
Have no fear, many of your favorite Blue Man moments are still a part of the show. This includes catching marshmallows in their mouths from across the stage, the drum-bone, embarrassing late arrivals and the iconic paint drums.
Yes, Blue Man is still loud, still hilarious, still in your face, and still the masters of sound using unconventional items for instruments. Who knew that three blue men with no ears could be such brilliant musicians?
On top of being a visual comedy concert, Blue Man also makes you think. They are better philosophers than they get credit for. Staying culturally relevant by exposing our obsession with smartphones gives the audience a chance to remind themselves to live in the moment.
The atrium-level theater at Luxor is one of the coziest you will find. With the show being so massive and the theater being so well laid out, you will literally feel the vibrations of the PVC pipe percussion. If you’re brave enough to grab seats up front, parts of the show might land in your lap…in the form of paint and Twinkies.
Don’t worry, ponchos are provided for those sitting in the appropriately named ‘poncho’ seats. Even sitting in the second half of the theater, you will still likely be within a few feet of a Blue Man at some point in the show. The interaction and audience involvement is all part of the fun.
Las Vegas shows sometimes struggle at simultaneously being entertaining for kids, teens, and adults. It’s hard for a show to appeal to all ages, but Blue Man Group is entertaining for everyone. It’s worth belaboring the point that it’s wildly entertaining even if your group consists of only adults.
What’s so brilliant about BMG is their ability to entertain in many ways. It’s not just funny. It’s not just musical. It’s not just visual…it’s all of the above. You could even say it’s physically exhausting, not just for the performers, but for the audience.
Keeping up with so much activity at once is quite the accomplishment, so much so that you may be tempted to see the production again for anything you may have missed. From start to finish, the guys in blue will keep you entertained and engaged. The end of the show is as unexpected and hysterical as ever.
Blue Man Group is way too much fun!
Blue Man Group performs nightly at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at Luxor Hotel Casino. Tickets can be purchased here. Deals for all other Las Vegas shows can be found by clicking here. The author of this article can be reached via email at KKidd@vegasfool.com
Photos: Blue Man Group, Kristopher Kidd
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