If it’s edge you’re after, Blue Man Group is the ticket. Having run for 14 seasons, Blue Man Group recently retooled its show at Chicago’s Briar Street Theatre. New high-tech twists ramp up its message about the importance of making human connections and embracing differences among people you meet.
If you’ve seen it before, it’s worth knowing the crowd-rousing core remains. You’ll still see the PVC-pipe percussion sets, mouth-molded marshmallow sculptures and body-slamming portrait painting. But in the new show, the bald blue guys encounter GiPads (gigantic smartphones). Their virginal exposure to apps reveals a strong, satiric commentary on how our ever-shorter attention spans have cost us face-to-face conversational social skills. But the show’s signature dance-party finale, complete with unfurled toilet paper over the audience, feels more fun than finger-shaking.
A word of warning: Guests in the first few rows wear rain ponchos to protect them from paint splatters and spit-out food. Tickets from $49. (773) 348-4000; blueman.com/chicago
