Blue Man Group to Release Holiday EP 'Overjoy to the World'
The first-ever holiday-themed project from the group is set for release on October 27 via Rhino Records.
By: Michael Major Oct. 12, 2023
The iconic, world-renowned performance collective Blue Man Group announced their new EP, Overjoy to the World. The first-ever holiday-themed project from the group is set for release on October 27 via Rhino Records.
Across the EP’s nine tracks, BMG creatively reconfigure holiday classics like they’ve never been heard before – with wide-eyed artistic exploration, humor, and the eccentric heart that’s defined Blue Man Group.
Composed and arranged by longtime Blue Man Group contributing director and music composer Jeff Turlik, the project not only satisfies longtime fans with the time-honored classics, but also pushes the boundaries of the collective’s creativity.
“We’ve always gotten a big response from fans when Blue Man Group has done holiday-themed things,” Turlik explains. “It was exciting to figure out how this music would fit into our artistic structure, as well as what unique ways we can make it sound recognizable, fun, and original—the Blue Man Group take on things, if you will.”
Alongside the announcement, Blue Man Group shared the first peek into the project with the rocking single + video, “Jingle Bones.” A punk-spiked rendition of the holiday classic “Jingle Bells,” the track was arranged for BMG’s iconic “drumbone” instrument. The vibrant and wonderfully chaotic video showcases the trio prepping for the holiday season while demonstrating the drumbone in action – requiring multiple to be played at once to complete the song’s basic melody.
“Drumbone is the least efficient instrument ever invented,” says Turlik. “It’s very difficult to jump around the scale, and ‘Jingle Bells’ goes all over the place. There’s no real way to cover the tune with one drumbone. You have to see it to believe how they actually manage playing this song.”
For an impressive 32 years, Blue Man Group have wowed audiences all over the world with their distinctive live approach and utterly unique methods of performing music. They’ve won awards and have appeared in countless TV shows and films, yet they’ve somehow never released any holiday music…until now. Overjoy to the World is the first official recorded release from Blue Man Group since 2016’s Three. The project gives fresh spins with the use of PVC-constructed instruments on familiar holiday classics like “Feliz Navidad,” “Jingle Bells,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Joy to the World,” and beyond.
The mission of the project extends beyond delivering the group’s wow factor, with an overall goal of connecting people this holiday season remaining at the forefront. Bhurin Sead, the NYC captain of Blue Man Group who contributed extensively to the staging and performance-based elements that accompany Overjoy to the World, says, “Our purpose is seeing how we’re all connected—through music, and as people and performers. These songs are a huge part of culture, and they bring people together. We want to celebrate that.”
About Blue Man Group:
Blue Man Group is a global entertainment phenomenon, known for its award-winning theatrical productions, iconic characters and multiple creative explorations. Blue Man Group performances are euphoric celebrations of human connection through art, music, comedy and non-verbal communication.
Since debuting at New York’s Astor Place Theatre in 1991, the live show has expanded to additional domestic residencies in Boston, Chicago, and Las Vegas, an international residency in Berlin, and multiple North American and World tours, reaching more than 50 million people worldwide.
Blue Man Group is universally appealing to a broad range of age groups and cultural backgrounds, and continually injected with new music, fresh stories, custom instruments and sensory stimulating graphics. Blue Man Group is owned and operated by Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group.
Photo Credit: Blue Man Group Holdings Newco, LLC
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