A Libertyville Blue Man tells his tale

When I first saw Tim Heck, I was doubtful. He can't be a Blue Man, I thought.

I mean, the guy had hair. A lot of hair. Blue Men do not have hair.

"How come you have hair?" I asked.

That's when Heck, 26, a 2000 graduate of Libertyville High School, laughed and answered the same question he has heard many, many times since being hired by Blue Man Inc. in 2007.

"We wear a latex cap that covers our head and ears," he said. "People are always shocked when I show up with a head of hair."

The Blue Man Group, for those not in the know, is a live theatrical show that features music, comedy and three men in black suits and bright blue faces. Crazy theatrics, wild music and audience involvement are all part of the show.

Live shows can be seen in Chicago, Boston, New York, Las Vegas, Orlando and at venues in Germany and Tokyo.

The Chicago show is currently running at the Briar Street Theatre.

Are you nervous?

I met up with Tim at the theater while he was busy applying heaping handfuls of blue greasepaint and glue called "Pax" to his latex mask. Pax is used because regular makeup smudges and flakes off. The greasepaint stays on and always looks wet.

It was 5:30 p.m. when Heck and I had our 30-minute "sit-down" interview.

Though, in retrospect, it wasn't really a "sit down." While we may have been on seats in the balcony, Heck was a bundle of energy - twitchy, constantly moving, nervous and, most importantly, seriously looking for a cup of coffee.

"You nervous?" I asked.

"No, I'm just always like this," he said with a smile.

It seemed to me that being diagnosed with attention deficit disorder might be a virtue for a Blue Man. He doesn't have it, by the way. He's just energetic, waiting for sound check and rehearsals to begin.

The irony is his twitchy demeanor is in direct contrast to the Blue Man he transforms into on stage. Blue Men are without laughter, smiles, or any facial expressions at all.

They never speak during a performance, they just control the sound and space around them with simple looks and gestures and impeccable comedic timing.

And, they have the extraordinary ability to take everyday household items and use them to make people stare in amazement and cheer.

They are masterminds of Cap'n Crunch chewing, Stay Puff marshmallows tossing, and drumming on PVC pipe.

And, yeah, for those of you wondering, that sound coming out of those pipes in the middle of the stage is from the three Blue Men. It's not prerecorded and played over loud speakers as some people tend to believe.

It was proved to me when sitting in awe as Heck and two other Blue Men ripped out their rendition of Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" on PVC pipe.

Which one are you?

Heck is either Blue Man right or left, depending on what part of the call sheet he is on that day. He said he was trained to be Blue Men Left, a tosser during the marshmallow tossing act, but has since learned the role of Blue Man Right over the last eight months.

By the way, that's how they describe themselves. Blue Men are not names or characters on the stage, they simply go by their location: left, middle or right.

They also are not officially considered human on stage, but rather are "something else" that is attracted to the audience in front of them. They react to the sounds and cheers, but only with curiosity on why a cheer took place.

The reason there are three Blue Men for each performance is because three is the smallest number allowed to be considered a group. And, for one to feel out of place in a group, it takes three individuals. Yes, that is the basis behind the group. There is always a Blue Man out of place.

Heck described the Blue Men as a "mystery" and that guessing who or what Blue Men are "lends to the wonderment of the play."

"It really is just one of the coolest things I have ever done," he said. "It's just exciting and odd enough for me to enjoy so much that I would do it just for fun," he said. "But the fact that it pays me enough to make a living, it's a great combination."

Banging on drums

Heck said he never took a drum lesson before joining Blue Man, but that his percussion prowess comes naturally.

He said he spent his whole life banging on instruments - like bongos - with his hands. He said his dance background - which he majored in at Hope College in Michigan - also helped him with his natural rhythmic timing.

He has, however, been drumming on his own since high school, and has always found ways to make percussion sounds out of things that weren't really drums.

"In high school, we started our own rendition of the musical 'Stomp,' " he said. "I just always liked that. I liked making music out of things that weren't really designed for music."

Heck said his stepmother pushed him to audition for Blue Man after graduating college.

He said there was a huge line for the tryouts and his individual audition lasted 15 minutes. He was asked to play some music and do some drumming and performance art.

To Blue Man school

He received a call back, did some more interviews and played some more music. He got the call that they wanted him, and sent him off to "Blue Man Training."

It was there that he learned how to throw marshmallows, handle the Drum-bone, and learn the tricks of the trade.

"We started with five blue men in camp and only three made it through the training," he said. "It's a tough project, but the pay off is amazing."

Seven Blue Men perform at the Briar Street, while there are about 10 different Blue Men shows around the globe.

He said he still gets back to Libertyville to visit his mother and grandfather often. And, manages to listen to bands he used to play for or hang out with friends he still talks with.

"I love Libertyville and get back there as much as possible," he said. "But, I'm content here. It's really the best job I've ever had."