Blue Man Group concludes its 34-year run in NYC

If you see a sad, blue-painted man who answers to “Tobias” wandering aimlessly around New York City, maybe give him a hug.

Yesterday – after 17,000+ shows and 82,000+ gallons of paint – the Blue Man Group played its final show in the Big Apple, where it’s been celebrating weirdness and inspiring sitcom writers with its antic-filled performances since 1991.

Where it all started: The group originated in NYC’s experimental art scene in the 1980s, and was vaulted into the mainstream by appearances on MTV and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (where they ultimately appeared 17 times, including once to string Robin Williams upside down and use him as a human paintbrush), the NY Times reports.

Where it’s continuing: The long-running Chicago production shuttered last month, but audiences can still see the group’s PVC pipe-centric shows in Boston, Vegas, and Berlin. There’s also an Orlando reboot in the works, per the NYT.

In the know: Blue Man Group was purchased by Cirque De Soleil in 2017, which filed for bankruptcy in 2020. The Montreal-based circus, currently owned by private equity investors, cited the difficulty of filling theaters as its reason for closing the curtain on the NYC and Chicago productions.

🎭 Post-Covid…Live theater has been dealing with ballooning production costs, and is struggling to get butts back in seats.