The Blue Man Group is an institution. Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton created the three-man show in 1987, and it’s since expanded far beyond its initial profile as an experimental piece of performance art. There are Blue Man Group shows across the world, including a touring version that will play at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts until April 21. The basic formula behind the show has remained the
same – three mute clowns painted in blue deliver impossible percussive routines and offer jaw-dropping feats of magic, music and sound. We caught up with Chris Reiss, one of the Blue Men performing in the Denver production, as well as Chris Smith, the musical director behind all of the fancy drum work and accompaniment. The pair chatted about their history with the show, as well as its demands and unique durability.
Aurora Sentinel: How long have both of you been with the show?
Chris Reiss: I’ve been with Blue Man for eight years. I started in Vegas and did that for a few years, then went to Orlando. The last city I lived in was New York before joining the tour full-time. It’s fun to be a part of the theater production, but being able to move it around has its challenges. It’s an institution; it’s a culture.
Chris Smith: I’ve been doing it for two years now, so I’m a newbie to the Blue Man world. I auditioned in L.A. – I didn’t know how to drum. I came from an acting background. I had six months of instruction and I got to train in New York. I went to Chicago and I got to help them open up and refresh the show in Orlando. Then I hopped on to the tour.
As someone without training in drumming, what was your instruction process like? How do you go to school to become a Blue Man?
CS: During the audition, there were three days of just non-verbal improvisation and exercises. It wasn’t until the very end that they put me through a basic drum test, and I thought the jig was up … But I’ve been a juggler since I was 12, so there was some eye-hand coordination that I could translate. I never had a desire to be a touring musician, but the fact that I am in this roundabout, cheating way and I now have this skill set … it’s a gift that the Blue Man group has given me, through a lot of extensive training in those first six months.
Considering how long the show has been around, how much space does the band have to improvise?
CR: The nature of the Blue Man music itself is very tribal, and it’s very open. It’s very easy for them to adhere to what you’re doing. I compare Blue Man music to a drum circle on the beach. There’s four musicians in this particular production, and we try to capture a lot of the emotion of what the Blue Men are doing during the show and their decisions on what they want to do in the audience. As the music director, I have quite a bit of room to improv. It’s based on how the actor feels throughout the show, and it’s also based on how the audience reacts. We’ll throw in some pretty hard rocking stuff, and depending on how the Blue Men relate to the audience, it’s a real back and forth thing.
You mentioned that you’re still a relative newbie to the Blue Man troupe. After two years, do you feel like you’ve fully integrated into the troupe?
CS: When you come in as a new Blue Man and you’re coming on stage for the first time with someone who has done the show for 18 years, you don’t have the sense of joining a cast and building a show together … There’s still the sense of, ‘There’s the new guy; he doesn’t know how to put on his bald cap.’ But it’s kind of like a kid playing with mud in the sandbox. Putting on the makeup is enough to create associations with your character. Just the act of what it feels like to have my ears pinched back in the bald cap makes me feel like it’s showtime. The makeup does that, too.
Are there secrets of the Blue Man group that you have to guard until you die?
CS: There’s a fraternity, and there are things that are unspoken. There are certain things that we like to keep mystique and mystery behind; there’s so much curiosity behind the show, and the moment you tell people what’s behind that box, where’s the mystery? But there are little things. One of my favorite things is that before every show, the three of us will grab hands right before stepping out on the stage. It’s a quick check-in, a shamanistic moment of we’re being kids and playing around, but we’re checking in with each other and having a real, grounded moment. I think that’s very special.
“The Blue Man Group” runs until April 21 at the Buell Theatre, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, 950 13th St. in Denver. Tickets start at $20. Information: 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org.
Reach reporter Adam Goldstein at agoldstein@aurorasentinel.com or 720-449-9707