Blue Man Group: We haven't sold out

LOS ANGELES — The original members of the Blue Man Group say they haven't sold out, despite the TV commercials.

Sure, there are the Intel commercials for the Pentium computer chip and a performance at this year's Grammy Awards.

But Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton, and Chris Wink say their artistic vision hasn't changed since starting as a guerrilla theater troupe in New York 13 years ago.

They still cover their heads and faces with shiny blue makeup. Shows can still involve splattering paint, using homemade percussion instruments and tossing food.

Actor Dustin Hoffman described one show to the Los Angeles Times as "like an acid trip in first grade that happens when the teacher leaves the room.''

Nowadays Blue Man Group Productions operates on a $28 million annual budget, and 33 Blue Men (one actually is a woman) perform from Boston to Las Vegas.

Still, the company has turned down offers to perform rap music and hawk theme park rides and a slew of blue products.

And despite critical success, Wink says Blue Man doesn't take itself too seriously.

"If, by art, you mean something simple and available to everybody that's not a big deal, then yes, we're art,'' he said. "But if you mean is it important and elitist, we'd rather be known as comedians."

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