Tammy Unglesbee, the manager and local producer for the show, gives us all the details
The tagline for Blue Man Group is “Hard to describe, easy to love,” which is quite perfect really. Those who have seen the show know what Blue Man Group is, but how do they describe it? Even for a seasoned entertainment writer that proves difficult.
One could go with the descriptor of a show that features men in royal blue paint who don’t speak as they interact with the audience using everyday items.
Or, a fancier description would be a “non-verbal celebration of human connection through art, music and community.”
One fan is quoted on their website as “I don’t even know what just happened but I loooved it!” The point being, it’s hard to describe.
We wanted to get a behind the scenes look at Blue Man Group. But, well, you can’t exactly interview a non-verbal performer. So, we talked to someone who might actually know more about the Vegas show than anyone. That would be Tammy Unglesbee, the manager and local producer for Blue Man Group Las Vegas. She knows a thing or two about the show after having been with the show for two decades.
“It’s something that you’re not going to see in any other show on the strip,” says Tammy when she talks to OTS. “It’s three people that don’t speak that are backed up by an amazing band and have to communicate without speaking to the audience and still get a reaction out of them,” she says. “You fall in love with them because they take you through a lot of emotion. And, they haven’t even spoken to you,” Tammy says.
And that is part of the key, part of the spark, that makes Blue Man so unique. The performers are nonverbal yet still have to perform an entertaining show, (pause) in Las Vegas. From the outside looking in, it sounds incredibly hard. And it is. Though we must acknowledge that the auditions for Blue Man Group might actually be harder.
“People who want to audition go to ‘Blue Man School,’” says Tammy. She goes on to say that out of hundreds who audition only three to five people move on to the second step in the process. A process that lasts three months, five to six days a week. From there graduates are assigned a city and off they go. It’s a job that is hard to get, says Tammy.
While the gig is hard to get, their appeal isn’t. Loved by kids and adults, the Blue Men don’t even have to speak the same language as you do in order to be understood and applauded. Make no mistake, they are adored and have become incredibly popular.
So much so they have become part of the pop culture zeitgeist since their opening in New York City in 1991.
Since then the show has toured the world.
Since then Blue Man has added international shows and international tours.
Since then they have anchored shows in cities like Chicago, Boston and of course Las Vegas.
For the show based here in Las Vegas, Tammy has been through it all with the show. While the men underneath the blue paint (which has its own name by the way) have changed, The Blue Man Group, “It’s a blue that only Blue Man uses. It is a grease paint, that is already known, and we do order. But, it’s a Blue Man ‘Blue’ that only we get.”
With Tammy in tow, they have appeared on everything from national television shows like “Live with Kelly and Ryan” to local headlining festivals like Life Is Beautiful (LIB).
With Tammy in tow, they have appeared on everything from national television shows like “Live with Kelly and Ryan” to local headlining festivals like Life Is Beautiful (LIB).
It was at this year’s LIB festival that marked the Vegas Blue Man Groups return to gig life and being surrounded by a crowd. The Las Vegas trio hopped onto the stage during the performance from The Drama Duo and Tammy was there.
“It was so loud, and it was so heartwarming. Our shows have been amazing and the crowds have been great. But to get that many people that happy. That stuff is awesome” says Tammy.
The DEETS
WHAT: Blue Man Theater
WHERE: Luxor Hotel and Casino, 3900 South Las Vegas Boulevard
WHEN: Wednesday-Monday 5:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. shows (Dark Tuesdays)
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