Blue Man Group

By Tiffany Brown · January 25, 2009 · 2:00 a.m.

Exuberantly messy and thunderously noisy, Blue Man Group is a rarity amid on-Strip entertainments, hitting the sweet spot for grown-ups and kids alike.

Venetian ties abound at Gaming Hall of Fame ceremony: Monday, October 31, 2011; By Richard N. Velotta; This year’s induction ceremony for the Gaming Hall of Fame will have a distinctive Venetian flavor. Sheldon Adelson, chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp., will be joined by one of the resort’s entertainment icons, Blue Man Group, in a ceremony and charity dinner Tuesday night benefiting the National Center for Responsible Gaming at the Venetian.

A look at some who answered the casting call for a new Blue Man drummer: Thursday, July 22, 2010; By Delen Goldberg; I came out here to play slots. We’re staying a week. My wife saw an ad for the call on TV and said I should try out. I’ve been a musician since I was 15 years old.

Richie Elliott, left, of Las Vegas and Robert Morshead of Snohomish, Wash., wait outside the drum auditions during open auditions for the Blue Man Group inside the Venetian.

Who will be the next Blue Man?: LAS VEGAS AT LARGE: The Venetian hosts 157, who want to wear paint, drum and not speak a word; Thursday, July 22, 2010; By Katharine Euphrat; Richie Elliott sat on the floor at the Venetian for more than three hours, nervously tapping a familiar beat against his thighs. Name after name was called as color-changing lights shifted the mood of the theater lobby. He was waiting his turn at Monday’s casting call to become the Blue Man Group’s next Blue Man, along with 156 others.

The Blue Man Group performs at the Blue Man Group Theatre at the Venetian.

Blue Man Group: Blue, but not the blues: REVIEW: Show is loud, spirited, colorful and full of surprises; Monday, January 26, 2009; By Joe Brown; In the new Vegas, “blue” is synonymous with a curious trio of wordless humanoid aliens, whose playfully ingenious long-running show is nearing four years at the Venetian. Exuberantly messy and thunderously noisy, Blue Man Group is a rarity amid on-Strip entertainments, hitting the sweet spot for grown-ups and kids alike. Announcements to the audience begin scrolling and the increasingly silly instructions get everyone in a chummy mood.

Blue Man Group performers hold up an Allegiant Air sign Tuesday during a promotion to announce a partnership between the troupe and the Las Vegas-based airline.

Blue Man Group taking flight: LOOKING IN ON: TOURISM: Deal between troupe, Allegiant Air gives each visibility on other’s turf; Friday, March 21, 2008; By Richard N. Velotta; Through an agreement believed to be the first between an airline and an entertainment company, Allegiant Air and Blue Man Group will use each other’s turf to broaden their brands.

The bald truth is 'Blue Man Group' still shines: Friday, October 14, 2005; By Jerry Fink; Where: Venetian's Blue Man Group Theatre.

Uber Time: Away from Blue Man, members of Uberschall find time to play: Friday, January 28, 2005; Spencer Patterson; By his own admission, Jordan Cohen didn't get much accomplished Monday.

Blue Man Group sets date for Venetian move: Friday, September 24, 2004; The cobalt-blue troupe of performers, noted for such oddball talents as playing percussion on plastic tubes, is scheduled to premiere in a new 1,750-seat theater. Its run at the Luxor will end on Sept. 15.

Blue Man Group offers indescribably great time: Friday, May 23, 2003; By Jerry Fink; You leave Luxor Theater after attending a performance of Blue Man Group and wonder what the heck you just saw.

Rhythm and blues: Blue Man Group enters rock arena with CD, tour: Friday, April 25, 2003; Spencer Patterson; "We have a meet and greet after every show, and people always come up and say, When are you going to come to Idaho? You need to come to our town,' " Banks said. "And we never know what to tell them."

Blue Men still drumming up a lot of excitement: Friday, July 26, 2002; Joe Delaney; "Blue Man Group: Live at Luxor," now in its third year, stands alone as the only production show in a major Strip hotel performing seven days a week and doing 14 shows. The 1,200-seat Luxor Theater was full at the early weekday show we attended. The audience was thoroughly warmed up and involved before the Blue Man Group made its appearance.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Blue Man Group is good, 'illegitimate' theater: Thursday, March 2, 2000; Joe Delaney; "Blue Man Group: Live at Luxor" is a most unusual entertainment experience. ... Sans dialogue, it is, at times, an assault on all the senses. ... Heavy on percussion, this stimulation of abstract responses was written, directed and produced by Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton and Chris Wink, the original Blue Men, who will alternate in shows here with 11 other Blue Men.

Blues in the Night: Thursday, February 24, 2000; By John Katsilometes; What: "Blue Man Group: Live at Luxor."

Columnist John Katsilometes: Blue Man Group is red hot: Sunday, October 24, 1999; By John Katsilometes; Describing the Blue Man Group's stage act to the uninitiated is never easy.

Blue Man Group

What: Performance artists who incorporate non-verbal communication, rock music, comedy and multimedia into their theatrics. The Blue Men, who perform in threes, wear black jumpsuits and brilliant blue greasepaint over bald skullcaps to get their signature look.
Instruments: Custom-built percussion pieces made from PVC pipes and other common material.
Venue: The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, since October 2005. BMG also has shows in New York, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Orlando, Berlin and Tokyo.
First performances: 1987
Originators: Phil Stanton, Chris Wink and Matt Goldman were New York City East Village street performers who developed the act that now consists of more than 100 performers and musicians who rotate into the shows. A cast of eight performers rotates through the shows at the Venetian.
Early career: The off-Broadway show "Tubes," which was created in 1991 and performed at the Astor Place Theatre in New York City, won an Obie Award.
Early success: BMG also opened shows in Boston and Chicago, then later in Las Vegas, first performing at the Luxor Hotel and Casino from March 10, 2000, to Sept. 15, 2005.
Noteable: Honors include Grammy-nominated album "Audio" in 1999.
Official Web site: www.blueman.com
Tickets: www.Vegas.com