BWW Interviews: Kalen Allmandinger, one of the "Blue Men" in Blue Man Group at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, January 18 - 23.

If you have heard of Blue Man Group or experienced one of their previous productions or tours, you know how unique and exciting their world famous productions can be. Filled with experiences that defy categorization, Blue Man Group is best known for multi-media performances that feature three bald and blue characters who take the audience on a journey that is funny, intelligent and visually stunning. When the latest tour arrives at the Fabulous Fox Theatre January 18 - 23, however, Atlanta audiences, even those who have experienced the Blue phenomenon, are in for something new and exciting. Featuring classic moments and brand new content, this first theatrical production to tour North America is sure to please. The "Blue Men" are usually men of few (or more accurately, no) words, but I got one of them, Kalen Allmandinger, a veteran Blue Man, to speak long enough to tell me a little about himself, this exciting new production and why audiences of all ages are in for a real treat. 

BWW: Kalen, thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me today. I am excited to hear about the show and I know our readers will be too. We are really looking forward to Blue Man Group in Atlanta!

Kalen Allmandinger: Cool!

Let's start by having you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background and career.

Well, I guess the two main skills required to be a Blue Man are some kind of general musicianship, drumming in particular, and acting. I played drums my whole life and studied acting in college in Chicago at Roosevelt University. While I was there, a friend of mine who had seen the show in New York saw an audition notice for the Chicago production and told me that he thought that I fit the part and encouraged me to audition. They encouraged me to finish school and give them a call when I was done if I was still interested, which I did. In the meantime, I saw the show when it opened in Chicago and was really into it and thought that it was definitely something that I wanted to pursue. So I called them back and that is when I was hired.

So have you been part of Blue Man Group in some way since then?

Yes, pretty much, on and off. That was ten years ago and I have been doing it for the better part of those ten years. First in Boston, then the "Complex Tour" in the U.S. and Canada. Then I opened the show in Berlin and then London, and played those places for a year. Then I came back to New York, opened the show in Tokyo, took some time off and now I am doing this tour.

And the Blue Man show adjusts and changes depending on the space and environment, correct? So even though you have been a part of it for awhile has it evolved and changed over the years?

Yes, absolutely. Anytime we open in a new space they try to customize it for that particular space and the city as much as possible. Beyond that, if none of that happens for awhile, they do try to stay relevant and continue to write new material. So, even if it is sitting down for awhile in one spot it eventually gets new pieces coming in and out, so it has been a constantly evolving process.

So, if someone has seen the show elsewhere, this production itself will be different enough where they should experience something new?

Yes, this is the first tour based on our theatrical production. The ones in the past have all been based on the "Complex" record and were kind of a send up of a rock concert. This one is a lot more character driven and there are pieces that don't involve the band at all. There are a lot of pieces that, if you have seen the show before, will be familiar, sort of the greatest hits. But then on top of that they have added a considerable amount of new material. That all came about because they knew they were going to tour the theatrical version and the version as it existed would have been almost impossible to break down and set up. What they came up with uses a lot of video and they wrote a lot of new material based on that.

You refer to this as the theatrical production, can you share a little bit more about what that encompasses? What specifically about this production redefines it in that way?

Well, I guess I am just referencing the fact that all the shows we are doing are in theatres and the tours in the past have played in arenas and big auditoriums. So, it is a slightly smaller scale for one thing. The houses we play vary from city to city, but in general they are under 4,000 seats.

But the content itself is similar in scope to past productions?

Exactly. I guess you could say that it's a little more theatrical as well because it's more intimate and the rock concert tours were pretty much one song leading to the next, without any stand alone pieces with the character exploring something without the music. This one is much more character driven with more of an arc throughout the show.

Does not having any dialogue create a challenge for you as an actor or is it fulfilling to be creating a character without words?

I find it more of an opportunity than a challenge. For one thing, it is set up that way, so it is not like the character ever spoke before and that was taken away from him. From the very beginning it allows for all these opportunities to explore other ways to represent emotional truths on stage.

I am curious, you refer to "the character", so are you all ultimately playing the same individual or is that left up to the audiences interpretation?

We don't spell it out in this show, but the way that we approach it is that there is something "other" about this character. He is not an alien but he doesn't have the same experiences as most humans. When you learn the character initially you learn the parameters in which he lives and behaves. Within that there are three very distinct roles, based on the original three guys who did the show, so a lot of their personalities came out in those characters. One of them is always behind trying to catch up while another is more of a leader, so there are small things that differentiate them. That may or may not be clear to the audience but it really helps as an actor. I play all three characters on this tour so it helps me to have something to keep them distinct and unique from each other. If all three characters were the same it might stagnate the forward momentum of this show if each one had to ask permission each time they did something.

So, what is it about being a Blue Man that originally drew you to the show?

I think a lot of it had to do with that I hadn't seen anything like it before. I had seen Stomp, and a lot of people will put Blue Man Group and Stomp and maybe even Cirque du Soleil in the same sentence. I think there is something to that because a lot of the show is based on the audiences' experience unlike a traditional play with a plot and a fourth wall. There is always this sense that you might be pulled up on stage because they do involve people in the audience and they do come out and walk among the audience, so that makes it a little more exciting and dangerous. But, I think the fact that the character is silent and you are not exactly sure where he is coming from, I found something very compelling about that. There were also all the elements that were right up my alley, it was very visceral and very moving and it looked like a lot of fun, but beyond that there was something that just drew me to the character. It was so funny and so real. I hear people sometime compare it to silent film, and we do have a little homage to the Marx Brothers in this show. I have always appreciated Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplain and their ability to create pathos without words. The gold is in their relationships and the visual, physical storytelling and that always intrigued me.

For those familiar (or not so familiar) with Blue Man Group, how would you describe this particular production in a few words?

This is the latest version of the show so there is a lot of new material and a lot of it has to do with technology that we surround ourselves with. That being said, we surround ourselves with a lot of technology in this show. It is very colorful and vivid and there is a whole lot of eye candy and at the same time we try to keep the simplicity of what I think keeps people coming back to this show, which is this character navigating through whatever world we put him into. When I look out into the crowd I see young kids and grandparents, so I think there is a little bit of something for everybody.

What part of being in this show do you like the most? What do you look forward to the most each night?

Well, as is usually the case, the people that they have put together to create this show are just fantastic people to work with. There are a lot of really intriguing artists and just good people so I love working with them and that translates on stage really well. We haven't rellly fallen into any monotonous patterns, it can change from night to night. Also, there is a lot of new material and that is really satisfying, just the fact that it does remain fresh, after playing this character for ten years. Specifically, in this show, I would have to say the new finale piece is a highlight. Not to give too much away, but there is an element in it that is a simple idea, but when we introduce it the crowd just melts and everybody smiles and turns into a little kid. I really like how it affects the audience every night.

So, I have to ask about the makeup. How long does it take to become "blue" (and to become yourself again!)

It can be pretty quick. Before each show we have a call where we do a sound check and during that time we slowly get ready, change clothes and put on the base layer of the costume, and sit down to get ready, but altogether I think we could do it easliy in 20 minutes.

And, I am guessing once the makeup is off, it is difficult to pick you out at the stage door!

Yeah, absolutely. That is one of my favorite parts. You are kind of like a superhero, you change out of your costume and you have your disguise. I have been in places before where I will go out to eat after the show and I will see a family that I saw from the audience and they have no idea it's me.

With a tour like this one, you are constantly on the road from city to city. What would you say is the hardest part of that life?

Not having a kitchen. We usually get refrigerators in our rooms, which is nice. My wife and I like to cook and if you eat out all the time it gets old pretty quick, so we try to cook as much as we can.

And do you find the audiences and cities are different wherever you go?

Sometimes, yeah. A lot of times the show will bring out similar types of reactions in the same moment. For example, the first official opening of the show was in Dallas. That crowd was very vocal and rowdy and loud. Right after that we went to Dayton, Ohio for a week and it was the opposite. They had a great time but sat back and quietly took it in. That was a glaring example going from Dallas to Dayton, the noise level was a lot different.

And have you played Atlanta before?

Yes, for the "Complex" tour in 2003, we did a show in Atlanta. I think we were at the Civic Center.

Well, we are excited to have you back!

Thanks, me too!

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Blue Man Group will play the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta from January 18-23, 2011. Performances are Tuesday-Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2 pm & 8 pm, and Sunday at 1:30 pm & 7 pm. Tickets are on sale NOW at Ticketmaster outlets, 800-982-2787 and www.ticketmaster.com.  Ticket prices range from $30-$70.  Special group rates are available through the Fox Theatre Group Sales Department at 404-881-2000. 

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