A little background on the blue men

Blue men entertain fans with balloons during a promotional event in the Guangzhou Opera House. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Why are the characters blue?

Blue is the color of the ocean and the color of the sky in all cultures. It is a natural and neutral color. When people look at a blue man, they won't have a preconception of who this being is. Plus blue looks cool.

What does it take to become a blue man? What is the casting process like?

To be a blue man, you need to strip away your ego and have the desire to connect with the audience. To spread the happy virus to the audience, a blue man should be a person that celebrates life and is creative.

During the casting, performers are told to tell a story without words. They will spend about a week having workshops and doing exercises to delve into the character. At the end, they will wear the blue makeup and perform a piece of the show. And a blue man also has to be able to drum.

Why does the Blue Man Group choose drumming as the main musical element for the show?

Drumming has the element of being tribal and primeval and is a great way to convey energy to the audience in any culture.

What are some of the craziest musical instruments that the Blue Man Group creates?

We've created a PVC "piano" that needs all the three blue men to play together. The shorter the PVC tube is, the higher the note in pitch. People can try to make a simpler version by themselves. We have a 700-square-meter lab in New York that comes up with the technology for the show.