After 30 years, the Chicago franchise of the world-renowned Blue Man Group has darkened its stage for the very last time.
But after the group's final official performance, the men in Blue reconvened outside of the theatre to hold both a funeral — and a protest. Here's how Block Club Chicago contextualized the happening:
In a statement, a group associated with the funeral performance claimed the protest was directed at "the corporatization of the art we have made leading to the kind of intellectual property management that lead to a closure, not handled well, of the second longest running show in Chicago theater history."
According to Blue Man Group staffer Lili Mac, audiences were sold out for nearly every show in the final week and a half of performances.
"I think it's a huge shame," they told Block Club; the closure will mean the loss of jobs for many Chicago artisans, many of whom are queer, women and/or people of color, who've worked on the show for decades.
"There are people here who haven't updated their resumes in twenty, twenty-five years," they added. "It's a legacy I can barely comprehend but only try to appreciate."
A local Fox News affiliate added that Blue Man corporate ownership has also announced plans for a new franchise location in Florida — much to the chagrin of the Chicago performers, who fear that that move is intended to cut labor costs and will threaten the many queer members of the company. The Blue Man Group franchise is currently owned by the Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil group; the Chicago Sun Times noted that Cirque declined to provide any reason or comment on the abrupt closure of the Chicago performance.
As a former Blue Man Group employee myself, I can affirm that I absolutely back these particular boys in blue.
Show of solidarity in Chicago as Blue Man Group protesters decry abrupt closing of the show [Stefano Esposito / Chicago Sun-Times]
A Funeral For The Blue Man Group: Chicago Says Farewell To Iconic Performance Troupe [Clint Worthington / Block Club Chicago]
