Sketches Strung ‘Blue’

Moving from the subterranean sublime to the ridiculously over-the-top in the space of one week, the Broadway in Santa Barbara Series closes out its 2025-26 season at the Granada this week. Hot on the heels of the regional professional debut of Hadestown – the mesmerizing folk opera musical that reimagines the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in 1900s industrial America – comes the return in short order of the Blue Man Group, the long-running performance art troupe who always appear on stage in groups of three with their skin painted blue. 

Where Hadestown incorporates the clever use of language, Blue Man’s buffet is delivered wordlessly. The men remain mute on stage while employing ever-evolving state-of-the-art technology to elevate the art, music and comedic touches. The mission is to dig more deeply into our consciousness, to celebrate our human curiosity and creativity, and to reconsider our cultural norms and quirks from a new and often wondrous perspective. 

First founded nearly 40 years ago in New York City, Blue Man Group became part of the Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group in 2017. The show ended its run at the off-Broadway Astor Place Theatre in 2025, after almost 34 years and more than 17,000 performances. Fortunately, the touring company is still on the road, integrating its iconic drumming, paint, comedy and audience interaction with new music, fresh stories, custom instruments – and, for the first time, a brand-new character. The Rockstar is a dynamic female DJ and drummer who performs live onstage.

Visit www.granadasb.org for tickets to the May 5 & 6 shows.

Visit www.theaterdance.ucsb.edu