Talking to Arizona's Adam Zuick about Living the Blue Man Dream

Adam Zuick (holding target) and his fellow Blue Men
photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

by Gil Benbrook

Adam Zuick may have grown up in Arizona but ever since 2013 he's been living the dream of being a Blue Man in the highly successful theatrical event Blue Man Group, which comes to ASU Gammage this weekend, running November 15-17.

In Phoenix, Zuick attended the Arizona Conservatory for Arts and Academics and Paradise Valley Community College, appearing in shows at both, and had his first professional job in Grease at the Arizona Broadway Theater. He's also performed at shows at Fort Peck Summer Theater and the Virginia City Follies, both in Montana, and has now appeared in Blue Man Group companies in Orlando, the company’s first North American tour, Chicago and New York.

In between tour stops, Zuick sat down to answer some questions about his experience with the group.

While the Blue Men Group have been around for almost 30 years, for someone who has never heard of them what can you tell them about the show and the Blue Men Group experience?

"Blue Man Group is unlike any other live theater event, because of this it is actually very hard to describe. It is a fun, high energy, experience where hopefully you are inspired to connect with people, dance, and enjoy even the smaller things in life. The music will make you groove, the characters will make you laugh, and hopefully the show will bring out a childlike side of you that you have been missing or holding in!"

I believe this is a new tour so do you know what is new for this production or how this show differs from the last time the Blue Men Group were at Gammage five years ago?

"This is a brand new show that we are touring. It is unlike any other Blue Man Group show that you can see. All new instruments and music. A completely new set. The same wonderful, curious, innocent, playful character. The main difference is the setting. In the previous Blue Man Group show, the Blue Men are dropped into the humans space. It is a place they know nothing about. Everything is brand new to them and they are very experiencing everything for the first time. While some of that is true with our new show, the main difference is that the audience is dropped into our space. They are suddenly transported to the workshop of the Blue men. This is where they create all of their instruments and music. It is where they jam with the band members. It is their home. This creates a very different space for the Blue men  to play in and the entire environment is much more involved in the show."

Adam Zuick

What drew you to audition for the Blue Men?

"Truthfully I didn't know much about Blue Man Group when I went in for the audition. I knew that there was drumming involved and a fun character to portray. I have always loved character acting and have a passion for music, so these two elements of Blue Man seemed to fit right in with that. Once I saw the show for the first time, I was blown away. I really didn't think I was going to be able to do it, but I was very excited to try!"

The Blue Men Group are so unique and aren’t like any other show, how has your experience in other musical theatre productions prepared you for this endeavor?

"There are many shows that I did in the past that I know helped with the whole Blue Man process. I played keyboard 2 in the orchestra for three main stage ABT musicals. This helped a lot with being able to play music with an ensemble. The show I did in Virginia City, MT was a very improve based show. It kept you on your toes and you never really knew how the audience was going to respond. This really set me up for the very live nature of Blue Man group and how interactive it is with the audience."

How has your experience working with them in various productions over the past few years changed?

"I auditioned for Blue Man Group in NYC. I did about a month of training in NYC before they sent me to Chicago to finish off my training. I was then signed off as a Blue Man and assigned to a 1 year spot in Chicago. After Chicago, I went on the North American Tour from 2014-2015. Once that year ended, I moved to Orlando where I have been a full-time member of the cast for the past 4 years. Now I'm back on tour and I'm loving seeing more of the country!"

The Blue Men Group use a lot of outlandish props and gags throughout their shows, what is your most favorite one of these bits you’ve been involved with?

"I think the one that immediately blew my mind, and is still one of my favorite parts of the show, would be the gumballs and marshmallows number. This has been in the show probably since the beginning, but it is still one of the coolest, most WOW inducing numbers in the show. The first time I saw it I thought there was no way I would be able to accomplish it. Luckily there was a lot of time to practice!"

Have you had any memorable on stage mishaps?

"Every night. This show has so much audience participation in it, that we have funny/crazy things happen almost every night. I guess you'll have to come see the show to see what I'm talking about!"

Since you grew up in the Phoenix area, what do you expect the experience of being on the Gammage stage for the first time will be like?

"I am super excited to be playing at Gammage. I've seen multiple touring shows come through there and I can't wait to see it from the other perspective. It will be a lot of fun to be up on that stage."

What do you hope audiences will take away from seeing Blue Men Group at Gammage?

"I hope they leave the theater with a big smile on their face. I hope they experience something that brings out joy and fun, and makes them forget about any drama in their lives. That's really what theater is for, right? I think it will be a night to remember and will be a brand new experience for new and long time Blue Man viewers. See you there!"

CLICK HERE for more information about Blue Men Group, which plays ASU Gammage November 15-17