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Join in DCDC’s “In the Spirit of… Abundant Blessings” Holiday Performance

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Dayton’s own world renowned Dayton Contemporary Dance Company is back for a hometown an unforgettable holiday extravaganza with In the Spirit of… Abundant Blessings, a celebration of the African-American church. Performances take place on Saturday, December 7 at 7:30pm or Sunday, December 8 at 4pm at the Victoria Theatre, located at 138 N. Main St. in Dayton.

This holiday performance is a switch up from recent years. The company has been performing the beloved Littlest Angel production traditionally. Although a tradition, this swap up is sure to excite Dayton audiences. Not only is the dance quality tremendous, there is live music too!

Music is provided by a collection of amazing talent including The Jeremy Winston Chorale, the Frederick Douglass Elementary Children’s Choir, Judah Band, Music Director Deron Bell with a mass community choir, and nationally renowned gospel singer – the legendary Shirley Murdock. This performance transports audiences to a higher plane of joy and belonging. It’s a holiday offering the entire family is sure to enjoy!

DCDC will also be paying tribute to Sheri “Sparkle” Williams’ 46th year with the company, as is DCDC’s and one of the nation’s most recognized contemporary dance artists.

“This is a wonderful culminating event for our 50th Anniversary. In the Spirit of .. is one of my favorite offerings because it brings the community together. It is a season for giving and sharing. Stepping into our 51st season is no small feat; if not for our dream of our founder, Jeraldyne Blunden, we would not have this wonderful legacy that lives on throughout Dayton, the nation, and the globe. I’m looking forward to celebrating with you the gifts of our abundant blessings.” – Debbie Blunden-Diggs, DCDC Chief Artistic Administrator and Producing Director.

HOW TO GO?

Saturday, December 7 at 7:30 p.m. or Sunday, December 8 at 4:00pm

Victoria Theatre, located at 138 N. Main St. in Dayton.

Tickets are $28 are available at ticketcenterstage.com (scroll to pick Sunday performance) or by calling 937-228-3630.

Group Tickets available for groups of 10+. For group tickets contact Lyndsey@dcdc.org. Student, Veteran & Senior discounts are also available.

Read Between the Lines with DCDC March 4th & 5th

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Photo by Paul B. Goode

Last year, the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company was awarded the highly-coveted Bessie award for Outstanding Revival, for it’s revival of Donald McKayle’s iconic “Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulder.” The Huffington Post listed it as one of the top 10 dance performances for 2016.

Daytonians have the opportunity to see this work, along with two others, as part of DCDC’s newest production “Vantage Points: A Read Between the Lines,” March 4 & 5 on Dayton’s historic Victoria Theatre stage.

 

 

“It is very interesting that a piece choreographed in 1959 — by a master choreographer — is still very resonant, and unfortunately very relevant, today,” DCDC Artistic Director Blunden-Diggs said. Alastair Macaulay, dance critic for the New York Times wrote “Rainbow evokes how much there was for many African-Americans to transcend. It’s a strong piece of American dance history; I’m grateful to have seen it.”

The concert lineup also includes the world premiere of a new work by Ray Mercer, a longtime cast member of Broadway’s “The Lion King.” Mercer’s new work pulls the viewer into the choreographer’s mind to experience dance from the choreographer’s vantage point.

 

 

The concert doesn’t quite fall in Black History Month, but the audience could extend the celebration into that first March weekend with the show, Blunden-Diggs said. “To be able to put these works on stage that have been created by us, for us, makes a really strong statement,” she said. “Come celebrate black history with us, because DCDC is black history.”

The show is sponsored by the Dayton Power & Light Foundation with media sponsor Synchrony Financial. Catch it at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 4 and 4 p.m. Sunday, March 5. Individual and group tickets are available at ticketcenterstage.com or by calling the box office at 937-228-3630.

For more information on DCDC and our upcoming shows, visit dcdc.org, and connect with us on social media: follow @daytoncontemporarydancecompany on Facebook and Instagram or @DCDCLive on Twitter.

How to Go? Vantage Points: A Read Between the Lines

Saturday, March 4, 2017 | 7:30 pm
Sunday, March 5, 2017 | 4:00 pm
Victoria Theatre, 138 North Main Street, Dayton, Ohio

Tickets start at $24.50 +

Turn Of The Fraze

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The History Of A Dream

The Australian Aborigines believe in two interconnected worlds. One is the world in which they live in; a world of the physical. The other is the world of Dreamtime, where their reality is created. In essence, the Dreamtime follows no linear rules of time; all times exists at once and folds in on one another. The Dreamtime is where creation takes place and, when one comes back to reality, the thoughts become a tangible reality. There are rare occasions where everything aligns and certain groups of people gather together, envisioning a concept or a direction and their dreams become a reality. The Fraze Pavilion seems to be one of these places conceived during this Dreamtime.

In October of 1983, a tract of land that abutted the City of Kettering’s governmental buildings was purchased from the heirs of the original landowner, W.D. ‘Doc’ Johnson, for $1.5 million…yet the story goes back much farther back than that.

“Actually, the area had been platted right before the Depression into single family plots, but it had never been developed except maybe one or two parcels.” said Peter Horan, former City of Kettering Planner and Assistant City Manager. He went on to talk about the Johnson property itself. “‘Doc’ Johnson’s place had been quite a controversial property for a while. Right after Kettering was incorporated in the early fifties, ‘Doc’ wanted to build a downtown Kettering there. The City Council back then said, ‘We’re not rezoning it for that. We just approved Town & Country Shopping Center.’ ‘Doc’ was mad about that for years. He kept coming in with proposals to build something on it, but nothing ever worked out. So, when ‘Doc’ died, that’s when the family wanted to do some things with the property and that’s also the same time that the City started putting together a concept plan about a multi-use area that would become Lincoln Park. We took that concept to the neighborhood, the City Planning Commission and the City Council and the concept was very well received.”

Jerry Busch, Mayor of Kettering from 1981 through 1989 echoed Horan’s description, saying, “It pretty much started with a vacant piece of land that we got from ‘Doc’ Johnson and developed it from there. The planning department came up with the sketched plan for Lincoln Park Commons and we came up with it from that basis, the Fraze was brought in about halfway through. Originally, we talked about having a kind of bandstand with some wooden benches…and it grew from there. With the help of Pete Horan, we talked to some of the performing arts people in town and got an idea of what their requirements were.”

The creation of the park, the office park, the residential concept and the Fraze Pavilion itself was a multi-tiered project that seemingly advanced hand in hand, developing and maturing with each additional facet that was added.

“Originally, we did all the park design, and that was before the Pavilion was even in, and then once the park was finished, we began the effort of trying to get the Fraze Pavilion itself built.” James Garges, City of Kettering Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Director said about the planning process. “So, for a while, almost a year or two years, all you really had there was a grassy knoll in the park and we had a little programming in the park and so forth, but the plan to have an amphitheater was there from the start. When we went into actual park design and that whole hundred acres there became developed. It’s a pretty interesting project from that perspective.”

Many times, we see public facilities in a constant state of construction, wherein the structure is being changed, augmented, repaired or completely redesigned due to lack of planning or poor oversight. With the Lincoln Park project, one gets the sense that there was a fully operational plan in place that took into account the various elements and how they would work together, not only at that moment, but also on into the future.

“When you do it right, everything flows together right. If we tried to take the Fraze and plop it down into the existing park, it wouldn’t be the same facility, so that’s why it flows so well. Again, if you have the foresight to do really good design and planning for a park and you have a good idea of what is going to be in the park in the future, you may not be able to do everything at once, but whatever you do as the first phase just fits right in with the second phase.” Said Garges. “So, the master planning from the park perspective becomes a very, very critical element to the success of everything that will eventually be in the park. The Fraze Pavilion itself was actually the last piece of the park that fit and that last piece of the puzzle fit perfectly. We had a very good team. At that time, it was NBBJ, which was an architectural firm out of Columbus and Al (Alfred E. Berthold) was the lead architect of the project. It was myself, Pete Horan and Al Berthold; we were three of the key folks that worked together on it from a facility/design perspective. Al did a great job, he really did. Joe Roller was another landscape architect that was on board with the Parks and Recreation department and the planning department forKettering. Joe, from an in-house perspective, working with Al Berthold, was also very helpful. So, you see, we had a really nice team of landscape architects, park folk and Pete Horan, who I would call almost like the Minister of Taste. Pete’s good at that stuff!”

Many municipalities have taken on a major undertaking only to have the process drag on, hampered by constant infighting, indecisiveness and a general sense of poor planning. With the whole of the Lincoln Park project, it seemed as if all the key elements worked together in unison to realize a shared vision.

“From my personal point of view, it was a really unique opportunity, and it was a challenge, but it was also extremely gratifying to see it all come together and work.” Said then City Manager Bob Walker, before adding, “Like anything, it was a team effort. A lot of people put in a lot of effort, and it paid off. The whole City Council, if you think about it, it was courageous on their part too. They were all sticking their neck out a little bit, and I’ve always given them tremendous credit, particularly Jerry Busch the Mayor. He just provided that political leadership that’s very necessary to see something like that through. He did an absolutely marvelous job.”

This is not to say that the project itself did not have a few people that were uncertain or unable to make this leap of faith…

“I will never forget…there were a few Council members that were still a little nervous and Jerry Busch had this huge banner in the council chambers that said, ‘If We Build It, They Will Come!’” Pete Horan said before complimenting Busch’s unwavering belief in the project. “Jerry was a driving force, politically and in getting support from the community and the Council. Right after it was built, Dick Hartmann was the Mayor and he was a strong supporter as well.”

The one striking thing that is almost imperceptible to most is the layout of the facility. While other entertainment venues take on a ‘cattle herding’ mentality, trying to get customers in and out of the facility as quickly as possible, the Fraze takes the exact opposite approach, forcing the patrons to meander lazily past beautifully landscaped flower beds, statuaries and ponds. This adds to the relaxed atmosphere of the evening.

“The beauty of the Fraze is actually the beauty of the Fraze, not only with the programming that comes out of the facility, but also the environment in which it’s located.” said Mary Beth Thaman, current City Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Director. “The grand vision of Fraze was to put the Pavilion in an incredible environment, which is a park and that the way that you access the Pavilion is so pedestrian friendly. The landscaping enhances your experience. I think the beauty of the project, holistically, is really how it is treated and the experience that you have there, even outside of the music.”

It is easy to take for granted the beauty of the Lincoln Park project as a whole when one is focused on the overshadowing prospects of stars and nationally known entertainers. It is just as easy to stop for a moment to take in the subtle grandeur of the grounds. To appreciate the maintained and manicured grounds and flora. To see the still water that reflect the public sculptures. So what is the most important aspect of the project?

“I would say that it is using the park to walk, to sit, to relax, to play your guitar and it’s WiFi, so they can bring their computer if they want. The park has a lot of walkers and a lot of people that use the park as an activity for themselves.” Alluding to the calm before the storm, Thaman went on to say that, “Again, within three hours, it is transformed into a music venue. So, I think that it offers, in terms of an outdoor summer experience, such a variety. It really is a focal point for Kettering because we don’t have a downtown area per se, but it is the place, when you have concerts and festivals, to be and be seen.”

Having travelled down all of the paths, from concept to creation, from landscaping, developing, construction and landscaping, there is still one facet left to be discovered; programming. Without the music and the arts that make the facility such a vibrant destination, it would still be a beautiful facility…but a very empty beautiful facility.

“You know, anytime you tackle something like that, you can do surveys and all kinds of things, and we did some of those, trying to figure out what people would be interested in.” Bob Walker said. “Then, of course, sometimes, it works out a little bit better than what you thought.”

The person who was placed in charge of building the foundation of Fraze eclectic programming was found through a national search for a suitable General Manager. Rudi Schlegel seemed to fit the bill, having worked at Boston’s Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts (now the Tweeter Center). Schlegel’s long list of credentials and longer list of contacts would prove to be a deciding factor in how well the Fraze would succeed. With the building only half completed when he arrived, Schlegel’s work was cut out for him.

“Actually, the initial challenge was the balance of programming, which, at the time, skewed heavily towards community events and Dayton Arts events, which engendered substantial losses.” Schlegel revealed. “That idealism is great for driving a lofty vision, but there was a fundamental disconnect between the scope of the programming and the design of the building and what, in fact, was going to be viable financially. So, that had to be reconciled.”

Another thing that had to be reconciled was the seating capacity of the venue, which had to be increased to handle four thousand patrons in order to accommodate pop acts. Schlegel was able to attract the attention of some of the best popular entertainers, culled from his previously held connections, drawing in such diverse acts as Ray Charles, Gallagher and Yanni, among others. Such success is no accident though and much is owed to the foundation that was created during those early years.

“Opening a venue is comparable to putting a satellite into orbit. You have to have the trajectory right and you have to have the thrust right. To get it into orbit, you really only get one shot.” Schlegel added to the metaphor by saying, “The worst thing that could happen is you don’t hit the trajectory right or you don’t aim high enough.”

In other organizations, associations and venues, when a new director is appointed, they usually set out immediately to eradicate their predecessors work to make their own mark. The Fraze faculty seems to have the wisdom to build upon the strong foundation that was originally built, replacing only those key elements that have become worn or outdated, replacing them with more functionally sturdy materials. This approach has made the Fraze a nationally recognized amphitheater and one that artists and concertgoers alike feel a comfortable relationship with. While there have been changes over the years, the current General Manager, Karen Durham, has been lauded with bringing the Fraze into a new age, creating a season filled with national acts balanced with local artists as well, without sacrificing the traditions that people have come to expect.

“As we saw audiences change, we also tried new things and, over the past ten years, we’ve really clicked on some hot trends, like the five dollar shows, the two dollar shows.” Karen Durham, current General Manager of the Fraze said. “Our festivals have grown and we’ve gotten to the point that we’ve gotten some solid, signature festivals. Swamp Romp, is what Mark (the facility’s second General Manager) started and that kind of laid the groundwork for the blues and the wine and jazz festivals.”

With all the well known acts and beloved artists that have graced the Fraze’s stage, I wondered if Durham had her own personal favorite…a memorable moment…

“Oh! Well, I don’t know why I would have even hesitated. Ringo! Without a doubt! Having a former Beatle on our stage was just…” Karen ended, at a loss for words. She went on by saying, “Having Sheryl Crow record her DVD here is 2003 is another great memory. Whatever happens in the next twenty years, we will always have this moment of time immortalized, recorded with her music.”

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Artists Dance their Way into Dayton for Cityfolks “Rise Up to Dance” Performance at Stivers

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Ever since I was a little girl, I have always loved dance. I used to dance in front of the mirror, the kitchen floor, my front porch or on the school yard in front of my peers. I even used to dance in front of the television with my little “dance crew” while the TV was in the off position and watch my reflection as my crew and I did the Snake and the Running Man dance to the Hip Hop sounds of Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, MC Hammer and A Tribe Called Quest.

When I look back I can’t think of what was louder, my bright pink polka dot shirt with coordinating suspenders, or the speakers shaking the walls and shifting pictures as I grooved the night away.

I was just a kid then, but not much has changed for my love of dance and Hip Hop music. I still dance in front of my mirror, the kitchen floor, and my front porch. I even still get down and dance at school yards like I did recently with a new generation of Hip Hoppers for the upcoming City Folk “Rise Up to Dance” performance, featuring Celebrity Choreographers and Originators of Krump style dancing, Hurricane and Big Mijo of Los Angeles, California. I had a blast watching the kids perform on stage to one of the hottest hip hop dance forms of this generation, Krump dancing.

I had a nostalgic moment at one point during the rehearsal, because I was once that eager kid learning how to dance and express myself. I remember the level of confidence that I built from just getting out there and showing my moves to whoever was willing to watch. I could see that same excitement and energy I had while parading around in my living room dancing to my favorite hip hop tune.

What I loved most about the “Rise Up to Dance” kids was that they were committed. I could tell the kids were giving it their all, stepping outside of their comfort zones and were excited about participating in something positive. Dancing is what saved me at one point, and it is nice to see the youth of today doing the same.

Hurricane stated during rehearsal with the kids of the “Rise Up to Dance” project, “We love to share with them what saved us from the streets and getting into other bad things.”

Big Mijo added, “It is not about the money, but about the kids first. We love to see them doing something positive and that is why we are here in Dayton doing this project.”

Besides Hurricane and Big Mijo, Dayton is privileged to have so much artistic talent working together in the city at the same time thanks to the wonderful people over at Cityfolk. Featured artist include Kwame Ross of the Prophecy Music Project, Renee McClendon Lead Local Artist for Fairview site, and a host of others.

Julius Jenkins, who goes by the stage name “Eclipse” is a 10 year B-boy and Pop lock dancer and the lead local artist working with east end community children for the “Rise Up and Dance” performance.

Julius stated during our interview, “I Definitely see growth from the children involved. Our goal is for the kids to gain confidence and tap into their creative side. We want to show people that these kids are not just running around in the streets, even though the neighborhoods may be ran down and they are less fortunate. We want to give them the opportunity to gain confidence and do something positive for themselves. They have just as much talent and potential as anybody else.”

Marie Medina, who goes by the stage name of Pandora, is best known for her role in “Step Up 3D” as a featured dancer with moves that set the crowd on fire. Pandora is working with Dayton’s east end kids for the “Rise Up and Dance” project and is having a blast working with the children.

Pandora stated, “Dancing is what saved me from going down the wrong path. I want to help and inspire kids just like I was inspired by the dancers in my neighborhood.”

Pandora is originally from Santa Ana, California and has been a Pop Lock dancer for over 10 years traveling the world performing.

Sparrowfaith is another Lead Local Artist, who says his Krumping style of dance was inspired from the hit movie “Rize” in 2005. Sparrowfaith stated during our interview, “I watched the movie “Rise” over and over and began to practice. I am out here in Ohio and they [Krumpers] were in California so I did not have any teachers, but I just liked it so much that I latched on to the style. ”

Sparrowfaith encourages the community to come out and support the kids and artist who have put in so much hard work for a great cause.

Kelsa Rieger, Community programs manager for Cityfolk, states “I have been afforded an amazing opportunity to do what I have always dreamed of, which is to combine all my passions into one career. I am able to bring together the arts, dance, culture and my passion for community development together.”

When I asked Kelsa what people should expect from this performance she added, “People can expect to have their minds blown. They will see things they have never seen and learn things they have never known. My hope is that people gain a deeper appreciation for the art forms that they will experience during the show.”

As I covered this story, it took me back to the little dancer in me that every now and then likes to come out and groove a little bit. Oh those were the days. I can still hear the sounds of LL Cool J’s “I Need an Around the Way Girl” playing in the background while I was doing the Cabbage Patch dance.

Fortunately, there is an opportunity for everyone to step outside of their daily routine, become a kid again and experience the same feelings I did by coming to the Cityfolk “Rise to Dance” performance taking place March 19, 2011 at Stivers. Show time is 6pm and celebration reception will follow right after the show. For more information and tickets visit www.cityfolk.org or call 937-910-1005.

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True Man Group

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The Blue Man Group Set To Perform At Schuster Center

September 29th, 2010

            I somehow became fascinated with the Blue Man Group quite some time ago. It is an easy thing to do, what with the level of musicianship, production values and sheer creativity of the troupe. What fascinated me most, however, is that the basic premise of the Blue Man being the perfect empty vessel, the perfect blank screen on which countless elemental dreams could be projected upon. The music seems to serve as an insistent accompaniment for the journey.

I had heard that the Blue Man Group were creating a new production, so I secured an interview with Mark Frankel, one of the members of the Blue Man Group who will be appearing inDayton. I

“Yeah, we just finished a load-in and tech in Fayetteville,Arkansas and we were sort of working out the bugs. We did some previews there that showed us that we really have a great show on our hands.” Frankel went on to say that, “Fayetteville was exciting and inDallas, the opening has been really, really strong and then the next city isDayton. Daytonians are going to be some of the very first people to have a chance to see this show.”

What are the differences between this new show and the other tours that the Blue Man have embarked on?

“There will be some elements that you may recognize from the Vegas shows, but then there is some brand new content that is focusing on technology and our relationships to things like Facebook and our devices like iPhones and Blackberries…these devices that kind of put up barrier between us, so we’re taking a good look at it. If you go around outside and you’re walking with your kids and you’ll see a parent that’s got his face down into his Droid or whatever and looking at stuff on Facebook…he’s actually experiencing the world through this little two dimensional device when there is a whole three dimensional world right in front of him.”

So, if I’m connecting the dots correctly, a group of blue mutes are going to teach us something about communication?

Mark Frankel

“That’s a fair point. Yeah, but it speaks to the honest nature that the Blue Man communicates. Because he is silent, he is not bound to any sort of text that would dictate an emotion, the audience member can take away an experience that’s personal to them.” Frankel said. “It’s a very effective way to communicate an emotion as opposed to a play, where there’s lines that dictate, ‘I’m angry’ or ‘I’m sad.’ It’s a charm of the character and it’s a unique way to convey an idea.”

With technology and communication as a theme, have there been a lot more technological elements added to the show?

“With regards specifically with the new show, I think that there are some very, very exciting technical elements that really have never been tried before. I know that that is kind of trite to say, but truly, we are doing stuff where these systems had to be designed to do exactly what we wanted them to do, so it’s not just lights. We’re using video and lighting as well and the video screens are interactive with…the whole stage is part of what we are calling 2.5 D (two and a half dimensional).” Explaining further, Frankel said, “It’s a 3D show interacting with two dimensional video and we are kind of jumping between those two worlds a lot. Again, we are dealing with these two different worlds all the time and I think the lines are starting to blur. I don’t know if that is a good thing or a bad thing.”

Sometimes, hiding in plain sight was the best way to show your true self, your actual nature. I wondered if Frankel had found this to be true from becoming his character.

“Yeah, that’s a very true part of this character…a truism, if you will. By putting on this mask, we’re actually able to be more honest. It’s not unlike, and I’m sure we’ve all had this experience, when you meet somebody and you know that this relationship is going to be finite and you know that you’ll probably never see this person again, you’re way more honest with them than someone with whom you would see again and who you’ll have consequences with. So, by the same stroke, with this mask, they don’t know who we are and they shouldn’t really care who we are: they’re just looking at this character and I can be totally myself with them. In fact, in a way, some people have said that with this character, that by putting on this mask, we’re not really putting on a mask, but that we’re taking away the normal mask that we wear and what you’re seeing with the Blue Man character is the layer beneath…maybe even several layers beneath.”

Frankel went deeper with his explanation of the Blue Man character by putting it in terms of everyday life.

“We all put on masks every day. You go to your job and we have to put on that smiling face for your boss and your co-workers and you go home and you have to pretend that the day hasn’t driven you nuts and you have to be a good dad or a good partner or whatever.” Frankel went on to say that, “These things, if you were really, really stripping them down and really being honest. The Blue Man is essentially taking the human condition and bringing it down to its basic elements: wonder, love, caring, humor, the hero, the shaman, anger happiness. All these things are arc of the show that the Blue Man is experiencing in a very open and a very clear way.”

The piercing lights and percussive sounds emanate from the stage, with frenetically moving figures silhouetted against a backdrop of flashing video screens as knurled and curled PVC instruments wend their way this way and that. This is the performance. This is the routine…but not the reality. The Blue Man Group, while being an entertaining and creative force, also serve as a microscope by which we can view our own relative existence from a very safe distance, allowing these blue mutants the luxury of exploring the outer fringes and base realities of the human condition.

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Tangled Up In Blue

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Following The Bliss Of A Blue Man

The Blue Man Group’s How To Be A Megastar Tour 2.1 can be most easily described as Dr. Suess meets Sousa. What better way to articulate the primitive rhythms that course their way through contorted PVC pipes and other instruments with such eccentric names as the Tubulum, the Drumbone and the Piano Smasher, all the while being played by three earless, cobalt mutes.

The Blue Man Group began as an expressive idea that sprung from the minds of Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton (collectively known as CMP) while they were working as caterers at Glorious Foods in Manhattan, New York. They donned the now familiar blue grease paint, latex bald caps and black clothing in the late eighties, appearing on the streets in full regalia. Sometimes they meandered sporadically through the city, astoundingly innocent in their observations of their surrounding and the myriad masses of people that walked past, equally astounded by their appearance. Other times were spent mimicking dance moves across the street from hot nightspots sans music. They held a funeral for the Eighties, which prompted a modicum of media exposure.

Eventually, they began performing small routines in The CLUB at LaMama Experimental Theater Club, garnering them a review in the New York Times, by critic Stephen Holden hailing the show as a “deliriously antic blend of music, painting and clowning.” Their short  performances led to The CLUB’s owner, Meryl Vladimer, commissioning the group to create a full length show, which resulted in TUBES. The Blue Man Group’s popularity quickly soared and the show garnered them a Obie Award as well as a Lucille Lortel Award which led the show to be taken to the Astor Place Theater off Broadway in 1991.

Since those early days, the Blue Man Group has become and empire unto itself, breaking through in advertisements, the music industry, stage, theater and movies as well as toy development, a traveling museum exhibit and even a school for children with an emphasis on creative learning processes. Their shows are staples in New York, Chicago, Boston, Orlando and Las Vegas with tours across North America and an international tour that has stops in Stuttgart, Switzerland, Spain, France and Austria. These overlapping shows and venues have compelled the original group to hold massive auditions for talented individuals to become second generation Blue Men (which I will term The Blue Brood 2.0). I set out to speak with one or more of this new Blue Brood 2.0 to see what the whole BMG experience was like.

My first attempt at an interview with the Blue Man Group did not go well at all. The only sounds to be heard on the recording of our “conversation” was my own voice asking astoundingly interesting questions, only to be pelted with marshmallows. Halfway through the tape, one can hear my surprised cries as the trio experimented with the acoustics of my balding pate with a large mallet. They were very courteous hosts, however, as illustrated towards the end of the interview when many Twinkie wrappers can be heard crinkling as they offered me their sole source of sustenance in an act of mute hospitality.

            It was my mistake to attempt to speak with them while they were still in character, so I decided on a different course of action. I contacted BMG’s agent and he set up an interview with Marc Roberts, who was once a criminal justice major before quickly switching to theater performance after seeing the Blue Man Group live. Roberts spent over two years auditioning for the group, eventually being selected from an original open casting of over twenty-five hundred applicants.

J.T.: With a casting call of something like 2,500 other people auditioning, what set you apart from the others and what was the process of getting in there?

Oh my gosh! Well, you know, it was just one of those things where I just went in and I was myself and sometimes the stars align. You just happen to be more you than anyone else, I guess. It’s just one of those things. It’s such an indescribable process, the whole audition process. When people asked me what happened, I have to just tell them what specific events happened, like how it happened. I guess I just kept cool under pressure better than the next guy…I don’t know to tell you the truth. They could have just drawn a name out of a hat.  Either way, I’m happy I’m happy I’m here.

 

J.T.: In your opinion, what’s the biggest difference between the theater shows and the arena tours?

Roberts: The challenge is to try and keep the characters as natural as possible. You know, you want to get out here…I mean, I even had that problem going from off-Broadway, which is only about three hundred seats to Vegas, and then from Vegas to a big arena. There’s an intensity that you want to up just because you want to raise the stakes, but at the same time, you want to keep the integrity true. You don’t want to start “miming”. You don’t want to start indicating to people that, “Hmmm! I’m thinking!” as you’re grabbing your chin or holding your head, because, for the most part, if something’s done honestly, it’s read well. We have a huge advantage with the tour because we have a camera and we have three high def screens behind us, so the subtleties like the eyes and stuff that usually wouldn’t transfer, they will now. I would say the biggest challenge for me, to be completely honest with you, is endurance. It is a tiring show. I mean, I’m out of breath, crying by the end of the show, hawking up paint, grabbing for someone while I’m walking off stage because of cramps. It’s embarrassing. That’s my big challenge right now.

J.T.: How hard is it with the arena shows is it to break through “the fourth wall”: to connect with the audience and bring them into the performance?

Roberts: You know, I think with a rock show, it’s a bit easier because people tend to view a rock show with more involvement. There’s more give and take at a rock concert then there would be at a theater performance. When I was at the Astor in New York, it was pretty ridiculous, because you would get a lot of people that wouldn’t know what to expect and they’d be a bit more apprehensive. They wouldn’t want to be looked at. They wouldn’t want to be touched because they want to go to an evening at the theater. I think here, they’re just begging to be involved. I mean, people just run up to the edge of the stage when I break a stick or (when I drop) a stick into the audience, there’s a mad dash to grab it. There’s people running up, grabbing us, taking photos. If anything, it’s kind of scary! You know, there are still only three of us, no matter how big the audience gets, there’s still just the three of us.

J.T.: Well, I know in the beginning, when Chris, Matt and Phil would have meet and greets after the show, they would break character and actually talk, it kind of freaked people out and kind of blew the illusion.

Marc: Well, they’ve never said that we had to stay in character. They’re huge fans of talking about the show. It’s kind of something that we’ve all agreed upon to not talk because for selfish reasons because the instant you talk, you’re going to get people who just want to quiz you like, “How can I do what you do?” “Where does the paint come from?” tell them secrets about the show, you know, “What’s your real name? What’s your phone number?”…that kind of stuff. Then, it’s always like the one person, I feel the one person that I’m going to make really happy by talking is going to be totally counteracted by the fifty other people in line behind them who just want that magic to keep going. They want to believe, with all of their heart, that I’m a “Blue Man”. They know I’m a person, but for the last two hours, they’ve escaped and they just think that there’s this innocent creature out there who just looks at life differently and it just makes them happy and I just want to keep that going. I just want to say that I’m so happy that you’ve…you know, I get a lot of interviews where people just ask me, “Why blue?” or “How long does the make up take?” This is awesome! You know what you’re talking about and I have to say that I really appreciate this.

J.T.: No problem at all. Actually, I wanted to get into some topics, I guess for my own personal interests, that were a little bit deeper. I’ve always been amazed with the group because they are like the perfect outsiders and there’s a duality within the group that these perfect outsiders have somehow connected with the outsider within all of us and have become so popular, so now, the outsiders are popular.

Marc: Yeah, yeah! It’s kind of like the outsiders become the majority and they’ve now become this paradox of the inside. I totally see that. I was definitely drawn to the first show by the fact that there was absolutely no ego. There was the hero aspect of…I mean…I didn’t know what this was, but I was going to go straight towards this and there’s no fear of failure, no fear of looking like a fool and in that aspect, no matter how ridiculous they look, people will just love it, you know?

J.T.: The groups ability to be funny in such a minimalist way with just eye expressions and slight gestures is just amazing.

Roberts: Oh my gosh, yeah. That’s something they teach us. You let the audience write the funniest story. You know, the more you guide them, the more you tell them what’s funny, the less it will be. You try to set up the framework for the joke and they will write the funny punch line for themselves. When they taught me that, and it made my job so much better.

J.T.: What’s new on the How To Be A The Mega Star Tour 2.1 and what is the set list?

Roberts: The How To Be A Mega Star Tour is like an adapted set list from The Complex Tour. It has the music with the vocals. It has some new stuff and it has a few pieces from the original show that are adapted. I would say, compared to the Vegas show, like 85% to 90% of it’s all new. Don’t be expecting to see too much from the “sit down” shows. One of the great things about being on tour is that it’s an organic experience. With the “sit down” shows, we bring in new stuff every couple of months or every year or so, but the tour is one of those things that they just keep constantly fine-tuning. It’s such an amazing experience to get to be at the front end of all this. You know, you go in and they’re like, “No, no! We’re working on this! We re-wrote this style!”

J.T.: In the beginning, when Chris, Matt and Phil (the creators of BMG) would have meet and greets after the show, they would break character and actually talk, it kind of freaked people out and sort of blew the illusion.

Roberts: Well, they’ve never said that we had to stay in character. They’re huge fans of talking about the show. It’s kind of something that we’ve all agreed upon to not talk because for selfish reasons. I feel the one person that I’m going to make really happy by talking is going to be totally counteracted by the fifty other people in line behind them who just want that magic to keep going. They want to believe, with all of their heart, that I’m a “Blue Man”. They know I’m a person, but for the last two hours, they’ve escaped and they just think that there’s this innocent creature out there who just looks at life differently and it just makes them happy and I just want to keep that going.

J.T.: Is there a fun aspect to the anonymity to it?

Roberts: Oh my gosh! I absolutely love…one of my favorite things stories is, I did this show in Vegas and afterward, I was cleaned up and left, and usually it takes about thirty to forty-five minutes to take the make-up off and take a shower and we talk about the show every single night. So, I’m leaving, walking through the casino this time, and I see a girl that was in the show with me (who was) a featured guest. In the meet and greet, we sign (autographs) by giving kisses and she happened to ask for one on the cheek. I never say no and I’m always willing to go with it on genuine emotion, so I give her a peck on the cheek. Well, I saw her afterward with all her friends and I just wanted to hear what she would say, so I stop and was eavesdropping and she caught me! She gave me this look, like, “Get away from me you weirdo!” and I’m laughing to myself because part of me wanted to be like, “You do realize that I was with you.” but I didn’t want to ruin it. I didn’t want to make her experience become real, as much as it was a fantasy. As much as it was that experience, I didn’t want to then put my face with it and get her weirded out, you know. So, I absolutely love that aspect. I get to put the mask of a “super star” on. I get to put that mask on, but I’m not that…I’m still just Marc Roberts.

There is an idiosyncratic, paradoxical dualism to the Blue Man Group. These utilitarian homologues are the perfect outsiders that, through their naïve view of the world and their use of subtle gestures and bombastic rhythms, reveal to us the underlying complexities that make us truly human, thereby making the perfect outsiders one of the most wildly popular acts in the world. Even within their own small group of three, one of the members can, from time to time, become an outsider themselves by reacting differently then their abnormal norm.

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