Blue Man Group

TASK

The goal of the Stage Bluemaxx Theater was to establish a flexible playout system for the Blue Man Group that could play out video at different locations via many different output devices in the theater.

In 2016, the technical management of the Blue Max Theater in Berlin, which is the sole venue for the world-famous Blue Man Group, chose MXWendler's FXServer.

The special feature of the Blue Man Group show is the interaction with the audience. Therefore, the audience in the hall as well as in the foyer should be entertained with videos via different output devices during the performance and in the breaks.

In the hall, from the audience's perspective, four monitors hang at the top left and right of the stage. Three narrow LED panels hang above the center of the stage. In the foyer, there are six monitors on one wall, and another four in the merchandise store. For all the different output devices and locations, a flexibly changeable and permanent system had to be installed.

SOLUTION

With three FXServers, feed systems were installed in the hall and foyer, which have been in use day after day since then and can be flexibly adapted to infrastructure changes in the long term.

The interaction between the Blue Man Group performers and the audience begins during the show. The three LED panels hovering in the center of the stage give out lyrics and commands to encourage the audience to sing along. Each of the three audience areas (right, center, left) is assigned to a panel, as each area is supposed to use different vocals.

With the help of the StageDesigner software, this sequence can be easily and logically mapped in the tabular playlist system. With the help of the text editor, which can be freely formatted, the lyrics could be used as text cues.

Since the playlist is to be started via a GrandMA lighting console, individual cues are triggered via DMX. The further playbacks of the lyrics cues are automated via timelines and auto-steps.

Before and during the breaks, videos are played via the 4 monitors hanging in the upper corner left and right of the stage respectively. The content of the videos is meant to confuse the audience, as they are supposedly live recordings from surveillance cameras.

In the foyer, the interaction with the audience continues. The ten wall-mounted screens are controlled by two additional FXServer systems and show a wide variety of videos. A large LED wall above the bar counter plays an animated video.

Applications

FXServer
Multi-Monitor-Konfiguration

StageDesigner-FX
Playlist
DMX

Credits

Wilhelm Müller (Photography)