When the pandemic hit in 2020, it had a devastating effect on Orlando’s tourist business, and a number of elements never fully recovered. One of those was the famed Blue Man Group at Universal Orlando’s CityWalk entertainment district.
The oddball entertainers closed their Sharp Aquos Theatre, along with the rest of the resort, in March 2020 and, when Universal clicked back into gear a few months later, there was no sign of those quirky men in blue. Then, in February 2021, they announced the end of their CityWalk residency, and we all lamented the end of an iconic show.
Happily for Orlando, and all our future visitors, the four-year break was only a hiatus and not a permanent measure. The Blue Men will be back, and this year, too.
In a hilarious – and paint-splattered – press conference earlier this month, their full return was announced amid news of an all-new venue at the big ICON Park entertainment centre on International Drive. It is a real coup for ICON Park and a welcome comeback for Blue Man Group, who, like their Cirque Du Soleil company partners, offer a truly original and creative show that often defies description.
Part concert and part wacky game show, the Blue Men – who do not speak at all and are, truly, painted bright blue – perform all manner of oddball antics, using weird percussion instruments in some sketches and even Cap’n Crunch cereal in others (yes, really!).
They are accompanied by a live band, which provides the genuine concert vibe of the show, and there are elements of audience participation, often with comical results. We have been singled out in the past to be the subject of the Blue Man joke about late arrivals in the theatre, and it is all done with great humour.
This month’s press conference was staged in front of the Orlando Eye observation wheel, next to the site where the new theatre will be, on the Universal Boulevard side of ICON Park. Company executives from the global entertainment phenomenon initially took the stage to kick off the new development and share the full details of their big Orlando return.
And, true to form, three Blue Men promptly crashed the groundbreaking event in their uniquely energetic and colourful style to announce their return, in front of Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, local tourism officials, invited guests and media. The essential news is that Blue Man Group is adding not one but TWO experiences to ICON Park, the main one for the new entertainment but also one for retail, to welcome visitors on the opposite side of the 20-acre centre.
Blue Man Theater: Blue Man Group’s new and custom-built 580-seat theatre will be constructed in its entirety, from the ground up, and located at ICON Park’s Universal Boulevard entrance. The theatre will be specially designed for their multi-sensory performances through state-of-the-art audio, lighting, video and technology.
New Orlando show: Fans of the group will be thrilled to hear their return will also be marked by an all-new show that will feature both new scenes and classic favourites. The unique blend of high-energy live music, creative art and comedic audience interactions promises to leave guests surprised, awed and connected. The new theatre is now in full construction mode with an anticipated opening at the end of the year.
Blue Man Store: Now open on the I-Drive side of ICON Park is the vibrantly themed retail shop. Adorned with colourful props and musical instruments from other Blue Man Group shows, this is the perfect spot for selfies and Instagram fans while shopping for exclusive merchandise and souvenirs. The new store is located between Blake Shelton’s Ole Red music-restaurant venue and Brother Jimmy’s BBQ.
Jack Kenn, Blue Man Group’s managing director, explained: “We could not be more excited about our new show in Orlando and our custom-built theatre here at ICON Park. This is the perfect fit for our new home since we both share a passion for creating world-class entertainment, unique experiences and bringing people together.
“It is Blue Man Group’s first opportunity to design our own building, so we can start from scratch. How does it look, how does it feel, how does it sound, what do the seat covers look like? And the Blue Men were involved in that, with their creative team and the operations team. So, when we looked at this space we thought yeah, it’s small, but we’re small, because a Blue Man experience is always better in a more intimate space.
“The 580-seat capacity is ideal for us because it will give a really great feeling for the audience. The show is all about connection. In the beginning, the Blue Men connect with each other; in the middle of the show the Blue Men connect with the audience; and, my favourite part at the end, the audience members all connect with each other.”
ICON Park president and CEO Chris Jaskiewicz is in charge of the centre’s growth strategy of recruiting quality live entertainment, attractions and restaurant experiences, and he added: “We have great attractions, restaurants and bars, live music, and we are thrilled that our first live show will be Blue Man Group, which is globally known and loved because it engages guests of all ages and nationalities with high-energy entertainment with no language barrier.”
With the official announcements completed, the trio in Blue took over the stage and launched into some of their typically wacky antics, recruiting both Jack Kenn and Mayor Demings for some paint-fuelled stunts to complete the press conference. First, Kenn was dressed in an all-white suit and driver’s helmet before being the target for a variety of paint guns, and then he was given an all-white board to hold, which revealed the message ‘Blue Is Back’ when splattered by the Blue Men. Finally, the audience was treated to a typical show finale, with the Blue Men wielding their patent “streamer-guns” to fire rolls of white, yellow and pink streamers over the gathering.
To us, a 2024 opening still seems a bit ambitious, but the group insist the first tickets will go on sale fairly shortly, so they must be confident in their construction timetable. We will certainly be delighted to see them back, and you can sure we will write more about them when we do!
Did you get to see Blue Man Group at their Universal Orlando venue, or one of their venues elsewhere in the world? Tell us about your experience on the friendly AttractionTickets.com Community Facebook page, on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram.
