ROBIN'S SHOW REVIEW: TRACES

Fox Theatricals (Kristin Caskey and Mike Isaacson), Tom Gabbard, Amanda Dubois, The Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Nassib El-Husseini, and Thomas Lightburn have brought TRACES, the acclaimed show by the Montreal-based troupe 7 Fingers, to New York’s Union Square Theatre (100 East 17th Street) for 10 weeks this summer, and if you enjoy exhilarating dance and jaw dropping acrobatics, don't miss it.

In TRACES, the human body is pushed to its limits as a group of hard-bodied friends leave their mark in a run-down warehouse through acrobatics, music, and dance. Fusing the traditions of circus with the energy of street performance, TRACES is an explosive display of raw emotion and astounding physicality in an intimate urban setting.

TRACES features Creative Direction by 7 Fingers (Les 7 Doigts de la Main) and Direction and Choreography by Shana Carroll and Gypsy Snider. TRACES is performed by Mason Ames, Valérie Benôit-Charbonneau, Mathieu Cloutier, Bradley Henderson, Phillipe Normand-Jenny, Xia Zhengqi, and Florian Zumkehr with alternate cast members Héloïse Bourgeois, Sen Lin, and William Underwood.

Les 7 Doigts de la Main translates literally as “the 7 fingers of the hand.” It is a twist on a French idiom (“the five fingers of the hand”) used to describe distinct parts united tightly, moving in coordination towards one common goal. Here it refers to the seven founding directors of the company (Shana Carroll, Isabelle Chasse, Patrick Léonard, Faon Shane, Gypsy Snider, Sébastien Soldevila and Samuel Tétreault) who, by combining their distinct talents and experiences, work towards their common artistic goals with the beautifully awkward dexterity of a 7-fingered hand.

With pulsating music, lights, and even some comedic moment thrown in, kids will enjoy as well.  My son, age 8, thought it was super cool.  I was awestruck by a particularly impressive sequence performed by one troupe member with a large metal hula hoop. You could hear the oohs and aahs from the audience.  Another unique sequence was adeptly performed with a Chinese Yo-Yo.

It's 90 minutes of non-stop, pure heart-pumping energy that will entertain and amaze people of all ages.

DISCOUNT OFFER -

TRACES (http://www.tracesusa.com/)

Circus on a Human Scale.

No Safety Net - No Strings Attached - NO LIMITS.

Tickets Only $49 (reg. $79)

Featured Guests on “America’s Got Talent”  - watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArXRyWIpC4c

3 Easy Ways to buy your $49 Tickets:

Visit TicketMaster.com and enter code TRGEN1

Call 800-982-2787 and mention code TRGEN1

Visit the Box Office at The Union Square Theatre, 100 E. 17th Street, between Park and Lexington Aves.
Performance Schedule:

Monday and Friday at 8, Saturday at 3 and 8, Sunday at 3 and 7:30

Additional performances: September 8, 22, 29, October 6 at 8
*There is a $1.00 Facilities fee included in the price of each ticket. Producers reserve the right to change or revoke the offer at anytime. Offer expires October 9, 2011. Subject to availability and prior sale. May not be combined with any other offers or discounts. $49 tickets regularly priced $79. All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges. Limit 8 tickets per order. Internet and phone orders are subject to standard service fees. Black-out dates may apply.

ROBIN'S SHOW RECOMMENDATION - Blue Man Group (New York)

Even though Blue Man Group has been playing for quite some time in New York, we hadn't yet gotten around to taking in the show.  My family and I saw them recently in Las Vegas and loved the show so much that we decided it was time to experience them in Manhattan.  They did not disappoint.  The theatre is much more intimate than the Vegas venue, allowing you to get up close to the Blue Men as they make their way into the audience, toss things out, etc. A teenage girl in the crowd was celebrating her birthday with a bunch of friends, and they made a point of acknowledging her presence.  The audience got a kick out of it!

Continuously renewing its productions to best resonate with audiences, Blue Man Group has added new material to its long-running production at New York’s Astor Place Theatre, 434 Lafayette Street.

The Blue Men find themselves in a variety of new environments to discover, engage with and explore of-the-moment situations and cutting-edge technology. Much of the ontent is from the company’s larger-scale productions, adapted for use in the intimate venues. Several of the signature scenes that have made Blue Man Group such a hit remain in the production, though in most cases have also been updated.

“As Blue Man Group has evolved, we have taken our productions to an enormous array of venues, from 200-seat theatres to arenas and even amphitheatres across the globe. As artists, we have grown and the world around us has transformed, so our new material is curated to reflect this. We’ve taken our most dynamic audience interactions and specifically put them in the venues with the most direct interaction with the Blue Men” said Chris Wink, who co-founded Blue Man Group with Phil Stanton and Matt Goldman. “We like to call it ‘alternative Broadway’ – a synthesis of our intimate Off-Broadway roots with the spectacle we created for our larger shows.”

New passages include Blue Men interacting with “GiPads;” a funny and perceptive look at contemporary communication vehicles; and a pulsating new finale featuring an original Blue Man Group music score. As always, the production fuses innovative theatrical spectacle with improvisation and vaudeville-inspired comedy, art, science and irresistible original music performed by the Blue Man Group band.

“Many of our audience’s favorite passages, including ‘Paint Drumming’ and ‘Gum Balls/Marshmallows’  continue to be a part of the production,” added Stanton. “And, yes, the first few rows still will need to wear ponchos. But we have developed some brand new elements of the show that provide a larger-than-life, rousing, interactive experience that I hope will really speak to all cultures and give some of our most devoted fans a new reason to check us out again.”

“The heart of our show is, and always has been, the Blue Man, and his inquisitive, wide-eyed take on the world,” said Wink.

About Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group is best known for its wildly popular theatrical shows and concerts that combine music, comedy and multimedia theatrics to produce a totally unique form of entertainment. The blissful party atmosphere created at the live events has become the trademark of a Blue Man Group experience. Currently, Blue Man Group theatrical shows can be seen in New York, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Orlando, Berlin, Tokyo, and on tour throughout the U.S. Blue Man Group can also be seen onboard the new Norwegian Epic by Norwegian Cruise Line – the Official Cruise Line of Blue Man Group.

Blue Man Group’s appeal is multi-generational, with several projects specifically designed for young people, including “Making Waves,” a popular touring exhibit for children, and the recently launched national “Invent an Instrument” competition. The company’s music, featuring custom made instruments and signature, percussive sound, can be heard on five albums, including the Grammy-nominated “Audio,” as well as various film and television projects. As the company grows, it remains true to its vision of providing exciting experiences in a variety of media, appealing to a broad range of age groups and cultural backgrounds. Learn more at http://www.blueman.com/.

My son, age 8, really enjoyed the show.  It's a good time for kids and adults, and they've become a "New York institution" for good reason.  The interactive show is innovative, witty, engaging, clever, memorable....I could go on 'n on.  Suffice it to say, Blue Man Group is a true original and worthy of being on your "must see" list in NYC.


BLUE MAN GROUP NEW YORK TICKET INFORMATION
Ticket prices are $85 for main floor and mezzanine. Blue Man Group also offers $99 premium seats in the center orchestra and $95 “poncho” seats for those who want to be close to all the action. Select limited-view seats are $75.

Tickets may be purchased at the Astor Place Theatre at 434 Lafayette Street or by calling (800) BLUEMAN; by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 982-2787; at all Ticketmaster ticket centers or via the Internet at http://www.ticketmaster.com/. For group of 15 or more, call Astor Place Theatre Group Sales at 212.260.8993. For more information, visit http://www.blueman.com/.