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Feeling Funke? Then get blue with the Blue Man Group, now in Israel.

By DAVID BRINN
Published: JUNE 4, 2009 11:56
blue man group 2 88 248 (photo credit: Courtesy)
blue man group 2 88 248
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Is it an overblown rock concert, a satire on the modern world's obsession with technology or a multi-media audience-participatory theater experience? With Blue Man Group, it's impossible to differentiate the various elements, but local audiences will have fun trying to figure it out, as the celebrated American touring spectacle takes over the Tel Aviv Exhibition Grounds with its show MEGASTAR World Tour. On the surface, Blue Man Group is a trio of mute performers who present themselves in blue grease paint over latex bald caps and black clothing while playing a mixture of idiosyncratic instruments, while backed by a thunderous rock band. But according to actor/musician/Blue Man Brian Scott, there's a lot more going on in the show, which was founded back in the early 1990s and made its way to Broadway soon after. "To me, the unique thing about the characters is that there's a fair amount of subtlety involved with what we do that conveys a lot of emotions without having to do a lot," explained Scott. "The characters have this childlike quality. You wouldn't expect to identify with them when you see them, but they possess qualities we all have. If you think of a combination of a child and at the same time a super hero - because if you think about it, most super heroes have this awkwardness about them when they're not being super heroes - and of course, mix in a scientist, because a Blue Man is curious about everything. He's also a trickster and there's a fair amount of Shaman-like qualities." While Blue Man Group performances used to include a fair share of liquids being sprayed onto the audience, these days most of the colorful substances bursting out of weird looking props stay on the stage. Still, the rule for any Blue Man Group show remains to expect the unexpected. BMG appears through June 12. For tickets (NIS 290-590) call *8965. And, for more information, visit blueman.com