Blue Man Group Teams with Autism Speaks for 3rd Annual Autism-Friendly Performance

The critically hailed Blue Man Group and world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, Autism Speaks, have teamed up to announce their third annual collaborative Blue Man Group performance Sunday, October 2 at 4 p.m. Slight modifications will be made to the performance at the Briar Street Theatre (3133 N. Halsted) in order to better accommodate individuals with autism.

"Our team looks forward to the Autism Speaks performance every year," said Mary Grisolano, General Manager of Blue Man Group Chicago. "It is an incredibly rewarding experience to see families affected by autism having a remarkable and entertaining experience together."

As guests enter the theater, Blue Man Group will create a calming environment for them to enjoy, complete with bean bags, dim lighting and quiet corners for anyone seeking a sensory break from the excitement of the show. Sound levels during the performance will be reduced at select moments and noise isolating headphones will be available for individuals upon request.

"This performance allows individuals within the autism community to experience something incredible that others may take for granted," said Mary Rios, Director of the Chicagoland Chapter of Autism Speaks. "Our collaboration with Blue Man Group has developed into an amazing tradition over the past three years and we are grateful for their generous support."

Tickets to this performance are available for $49, with $5 from every ticket purchased donated to Autism Speaks. The Chicago Autism Speaks performance is part of a national partnership between Blue Man Group and Autism Speaks, in which Blue Man Group pledges to give a minimum donation of $25,000 to the cause as well as host sensory-friendly shows suitable for children with autism in Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, New York City and Orlando. For more information and tickets, visit www.blueman.com/autismspeaks.

In 2016, global entertainment phenomenon Blue Man Group celebrates 25 years of living in full color with a series of new projects and appearances. The company is best known for the award-winning Blue Man Group show, performed in more than 20 countries and seen by more than 35 million people worldwide since 1991. A dynamic combination of music, comedy and technology, the show appeals to a broad range of age groups and cultural backgrounds. It is continually refreshed with new music, fresh stories, custom instruments and state-of-the-art technology.

The company developed through a creative collaboration among three close friends, Chris Wink, Phil Stanton and Matt Goldman on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Blue Man Group now has permanent theatrical productions in Las Vegas, Orlando, Boston, Chicago, New York and Berlin, a North American tour and a World Tour.

This creative collective is part of the pop culture zeitgeist. Beyond the stage show, they have toured the globe with the "Megastar World Tour" rock concert parody, released multiple albums, including the Grammy-nominated Audio, and the recently released, THREE, and contributed to numerous film and TV scores. They've served as the face of branding campaigns for Intel and TIM/Brasil and appeared countless times on hit shows like "The Tonight Show", "Arrested Development", "Ellen", "Schlag den Raab" (Germany), "WOWOW" (Japan), and "Caldeirão do Huck" (Brasil). The group's first-ever book, "Blue Man World," will be released by Black Dog & Leventhal, available October 4.

Based in New York City, Blue Man Productions has extensive production facilities, recording studios and a 6,000 square foot Research & Development Lab with numerous new creative projects in the pipeline.

Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders - autism spectrum disorders - caused by a combination of genes and environmental influences. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by communication difficulties, social and behavioral challenges, and repetitive behaviors. An estimated 1 in 68 children in the U.S. is on the autism spectrum.

Autism Speaks is the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization. It is dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. Autism Speaks was founded in February 2005 by Suzanne and Bob Wright, the grandparents of a child with autism. Mr. Wright is the former vice chairman of General Electric and chief executive officer of NBC and NBC Universal. Since its inception, Autism Speaks has committed more than $525 million to its mission, the majority in science and medical research. Each year Walk Now for Autism Speaks events are held in more than 100 cities across North America. On the global front, Autism Speaks has established partnerships in more than 60 countries on five continents to foster international research, services and awareness. To learn more about Autism Speaks, visit AutismSpeaks.org.

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