The iconic show Blue Man Group is gearing up for a new tour, Speechless, which kick off this fall.
The new show focuses on the Blue Man Group’s “workshop” and combines new songs, new technology and new instruments with large-scale audience participation, according to Speechless director Jenny Koons. The production gave Metro an exclusive sneak peek of “Speechless” and the creation process behind the new show.
For Speechless director Jenny Koons, one of the things that stood out most to her was that “there was an openness from the beginning of this is where we’re starting but finding the show together.”
When asked where the show’s name came from, Koons shared that, “For me, the first thing it makes me think of is those moments in our lives, small moments and large moments that go beyond words.” She hopes that the show will help theatergoers share and create special one of kind moments together.
Metro also spoke with Creative Director Jon Knight, who describes working with Blue Man Group as a collective effort.
“One of the most important parts of keeping that collective vibrant is the introduction of new voices to the group. For this show, we felt that bringing in a new director [Koons] would add a creative eye that could see potential moves for the character and the show that we might not see ourselves.”
Additionally, he added, “Working with Jenny has been absolutely inspiring. It’s an exciting change of energy, and she is brimming with new ideas.”
Speechless took its creators more than a year of “writing and rewriting and rewriting again,” according to Knight.
Additionally, he said that “Speechless is a new show for us. We’ve created a different environment for the Blue Men—a peek into their working space, a workshop where they create and build and collaborate.”
Koons is thrilled to introduce some new instruments for the show as well an entirely new set, which helps viewers become transported in the world of the Blue Man group. Some new instruments that will be featured include the “tonemill,” which is a spinning instrument with spokes and two different versions of something called “trigger trees.” Each Blue Man will have his own “trigger tree.”
Although the show is entirely new, there will still be some legacy elements such as classic Blue Man instruments, large audience interaction, and engagement, so everyone attending will feel included. Knight said, “We’ve been working with a lot of live sampling and audience interactions, so the show itself changes night to night. Audience interaction is a big part of the Blue Man experience and is a part of every show we make. We’ve really tried to take that to a new level here.”
On a final note, Koons wanted this show to remind everyone that “anything ordinary can be made into something extraordinary, but also artful, or joyful or messy. And in the mess, you can find something beautiful.”
Speechless will begin touring on September 24 at Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles. The tour will continue across more than 50 cities throughout the United States.
