Some years back, I went to a showing of Grease at Oak Brookís Drury Lane Theater. The theater was warm, it was the end of a long week, and I was feeling slightly under the weather. Now is probably good a time as any to also mention that I was slightly jet-lagged and had also experienced the hell of a 6:00 am college basketball practice earlier that morning. Whatever the case, I fell asleep for a good hour during the middle of the play. Worse yet, was the fact that I enjoyed my sleep more than I did the action I did see on stage. Thus, despite the intriguing nature of the TV ads and radio spots, it was with slight trepidation that I approached watching Blue Man Group as a critic who, on the day of the performance, had been up since the ungodly hour of 5:30 am, and was feeling the effects of my onsetting cold. However, it became obvious as I settled into my seat at the Briar Street Theatre, already having been amused at the industrial tubing style of decoration in the theatreís lobby (designed by Blue Man Groupís creators Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton, and Chris Wink) and the opening jokes included on the electonic message boards mounted on the walls of the theatre, that my uneasiness towards the show couldnít have been more unneccessary. The other worldly creativity and near overload of sensory perceptions of Blue Man Group made watching this performance one of the most pleasureable experiences Iíve had while still, technically, working.

With the utter lack of new ideas in movies and plays across America, Blue Man Group stands out as being a beacon of hope that, profits willing, more entertainingly diverse acts will be seeing the light of the marquee.

The true beauty of Blue Man Group came from the most diverse nature of their act. While Blue Man Group is a live performance, yes, it defies any one conglomerate description as a play, concert, or sketch routine, choosing instead to take elements from all three mediums and combining them with other elements, art appreciation, and a humorous look at our own human foibles, to produce one hell of an interactive show.

Despite never actually speaking themselves, and possessing a stunning sense of audio and visual images, ultimately combined when the blue men pour different colored paints onto drums and play them, it was the comedic side of Blue Man Group that I most favored. There were certain segments of the show where the blue men ate Captain Crunch, or threw marshmellows at one another that were funny, but the high point of the performance, and off beat comedy I have come to associate with Blue Man Group, involved the eating of Twinkies with one reluctantly selected member of the audience.

The three blue men and ëvolunteerí take their positions, sitting at a long table on stage, Twinkies and plates before them. After making an elaborate production out of opening the wrappers, the blue men take out forks and knives, and slowly begin to eat the Twinkies, with the volunteer left behind, following blindly the actions of the group. This enables the blue men, all of whom are quite capable actors, to play off the volunteerís naivete and desire not to stand out as the odd man out to produce a setting for a comedy performance that wonít be found, or duplicated anywhere else in AmericaÖ with the exception of the two other theatres where Blue Man Group is performing. With different volunteers for each performance, the reactions to the blue men are also different each night, making repeat viewings of Blue Man Group more of a treat than a repetitive bore.

There were a few elements of the performance that seemed to run a little long, namely when the blue men are playing a complicated, maze of pipes with their shoes, but this was quite negligible in the long run.

Viewing Blue Man Group is one of those truly enjoyable experiences that only comes around once in a great while. I stepped outside the theatre after the performance and simply could not wipe the smile off my face for the remainder of the evening, or during the next day at work either. No matter who you are, or what you enjoy, I donít foresee anyone going to see Blue Man Group and coming out disappointed. Blue Man Groupís use of props, the Briar Street Theatre, audio/visual images, and comedy will be surpassed by no one in live theatre for years to come.

Blue Man Group is performing an open ended run at the Briar Street Theatre, 3133 North Halsted. Call 773-348-4000 or TicketMaster for ticket information.