Blue Man Group Blue a Fuse in Ottawa

The Blue Man Group is on a world tour and one of its stops on the Canadian leg of the tour is Ottawa. The award-winning stage show known for its trio of bald and blue performers, who have performed in over 20 countries and have been seen by more than 35 million people worldwide are at TD Place from February 20 to 23. We caught the zany performance artists on the premiere night.

If you have been lucky enough to attend one of their regular shows in Berlin, Boston, Chicago, Vegas, NYC, or Orlando, you know that these guys and gals are a little nutty and you’re in for a good time. Last night they laughed and partied as three bald and blue characters explored the world and discovered surprises at every turn. Recently acquired by Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, the Blue Man Group World Tour is showcasing brand new content featuring new music, fresh stories, custom instruments and sensory stimulating graphics. Having seen them before in Boston and Toronto, I was glad to see some familiar well-loved routines, but also an upgrade to the light show and some of the special effects.

The night got off to a bit of a rough start as fans were kept waiting about an hour while the crew tried to troubleshoot a power cut of some kind that prevented the show from beginning. Ever the patient Canadian crowd, they resorted to chatting among themselves, getting an extra drink in, and listening to the music being piped in. Finally, when it seemed like all was in order and it was time to start, one more little power hiccup seemed to prevent the performers from starting the show. This time it only took about 10 minutes to fix the problem. The crowd was more than ready for the show get rolling and it started with a bang – literally! There’s a reason the audience members sitting in the first 3 rows are given rain ponchos and warned that they are in the “splash zone”.

What followed was a euphoric celebration of human connection through art, music, comedy and non-verbal communication. They have performed for 35 million people around the world and although their performance is by now a well-oiled machine, they continue to take great joy in interacting with the audience, either sharing their artwork with them, or swinging them by the ankles on to human-sized canvases to create murals. Yes, that’s what I said, by the ankles.

The show is not for the easily grossed-out however. My friends and I were hit with flying banana coming out of their chests from a distance of about 150 feet, and one lucky lady had a mountain of chewed-up marshmallows deposited in her hand bag as a gift.

If you’re ready for a good belly laugh and a few more surprises, don’t miss the remaining nights in Ottawa. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.tdplace.ca/tickets/

To learn more about the Blue Man Group visit www.blueman.com

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