For the second year in a row, the Blue Man Group is putting on a special show for children with autism and spectrum disorders.
The toned-down performance features reduced light and sound, minimized audience interaction, and quiet zones for families who might need a break.
Jack Kenn is the vice president of Blue Man Group in Las Vegas. He said last year, during the show's first performance, he was nervous about how everything was going to go over.
“I was so pleasantly surprised to watch the kids in particular who had an amazing time,” Kenn said.
During the show, kids are given sunglasses to put on when lights are too bright, and they're allowed to get up and walk around, if that makes them more comfortable.
“They could be themselves and not worry about other people judging them," said Lynda Tache, the founder of Grant a Gift Autism Foundation, which partnered with Blue Man Group for the special performance.
Tache's son, Grant, was diagnosed as high-functioning autistic when he was 6 years old. She said she was nervous when the show was first proposed, wondering "how much can they really tone it down?"
However, after meeting with Blue Man Group producers to decide what parts of the show could be modified, she was excited.
Kenn said Blue Man Group decided to get involved with Autism Speaks nationally and the Grant a Gift Autism Foundation locally, after getting several letters from families that said their autistic child really connected to the Blue Men.
Anyone who has seen the show knows, the Blue Men interact non-verbally with their surroundings. The Blue Men seem odd and out of place, which Kenn said many of the autistic children related to.
Tache agreed. She said some of the autistic children at last year's performance asked if the Blue Men were autistic too because they didn't speak.
The show takes place June 12 at the Luxor Hotel and Casino, and proceeds benefit Grant A Gift, a Las Vegas-based autism foundation.
Tickets are available on the Luxor's website. More information can be found at Grant a Gift Autism Foundation.
Jack Kenn, vice president, Blue Man Group Las Vegas; Lynda Tache, founder, Grant a Gift Autism Foundation