Blue Man Group Collaborates With Composer John Powell on the Score for the 20th Century Fox Animated Motion Picture Robots

Blue Man Group Collaborates With Composer John Powell on the Score for the 20th Century Fox Animated Motion Picture Robots

Blue Man Group to perform at world premiere in Los Angeles on March 6

NEW YORK, Feb. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Man Group, the multi-media entertainment phenomenon, and acclaimed composer John Powell have collaborated on his score for the upcoming 20th Century Fox feature film, Robots. In a timeless tale, with an all-star, award-winning cast, personifying a visually spectacular, 3-dimensional world, the animated setting of Robots is a wondrously clanking universe populated solely by mechanical beings. Blue Man Group, through its stylized percussion, brings the metal world of "Robot City" to life by creating over twenty-five new metal percussion instruments specifically to accent the score. Robots will receive its world premiere in Los Angeles on March 6, featuring a special performance by Blue Man Group. The Robots soundtrack will be released on March 1 on Virgin Records and the original motion picture score will be released by Varese Sarabande on March 15. Robots opens nationwide on March 11.

The collective efforts of these celebrated musicians result in a warm and soulful composition highlighted with the primal edge for which Blue Man Group is known; the album track entitled "Robot City," a mixture of selections from the score, is included on the Robots soundtrack. "We love the fact that John Powell is using Blue Man Group drumming to speak not only of the metal world of Robot City, but also to create a tribal, soulful undercurrent throughout the movie," said Blue Man Group co-founder Chris Wink.

"I enjoyed working with Blue Man Group to discover intriguing percussive sounds for the score of Robots," said composer John Powell. "During the scoring process, their driving tribal rhythms provided excitement for the entire orchestra."

"Through our music, we are hoping to provide the kind of energy and life force that Blue Man represents -- a sense of willingness to connect," added Blue Man Group co-founder Phil Stanton.

Robots Music Supervisor Becky Mancuso-Winding commented, "Chris Wedge (Director of Robots) had been searching for a distinguishing sound for the "Robot City Symphony Orchestra." He knew that percussion would play an important role and needed the right partner. The union of Blue Man Group's signature sound and John Powell's inventive score results in a magical music experience that audiences of all ages will enjoy."

Robots, produced by the same team that transported audiences back in history with their box office sensation and Oscar nominated animated hit Ice Age, bring together a stellar cast that encompasses no less than five Oscar winners, as well as Emmy and Tony honorees; including the voices of Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, Greg Kinnear, Mel Brooks, as well as, Robin Williams and Amanda Bynes. The all-star supporting cast also includes Drew Carey, Jim Broadbent, Paul Giamatti, Jay Leno, Dianne Wiest, Stanley Tucci, and Jamie Kennedy.

John Powell, a sought-after film composer in Hollywood since his 1997 action hit Face Off, is a native of London best known for his collaborations with Harry Gregson-Williams on Antz, Chicken Run, and Shrek. Most recently, Powell received critical acclaim for his compositions for The Bourne Supremacy and The Italian Job.

Founded by long-time friends Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton and Chris Wink in 1987, the critically acclaimed Blue Man Group creates experiences that defy categorization. They are best known for multimedia performances featuring three bald and blue characters who take the audience on a journey that is funny, intelligent and visually stunning. Blue Man Group is accompanied by a live band whose haunting tribal rhythms help drive the show to its unforgettable climax.

Blue Man Group's theatrical productions run concurrently in New York, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, and Berlin. A new production will begin in Toronto in June 2005, opening at the newly renovated Panasonic Theatre. Blue Man Group's debut album, Audio, was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Pop Instrumental category in 2001 and has subsequently been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. The Complex, Blue Man Group's full fledged rock album was released in 2003 and features collaborations with Dan the Automator, Tracy Bonham, Esthero, Josh Haden, Dave Matthews, and others. Blue Man Group's The Complex Rock Tour reached nearly 100 cities across the United States and Canada in 2003. In 2004, Blue Man Group won critical praise for its first television score, providing the dramatic sound for Fox's "The Jury," produced by Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana.

One of the world's largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, Fox Film Entertainment produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of FFE: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox Animation. Robots was created by Twentieth Century Fox, Blue Sky Studios, and Academy Award winning director Chris Wedge.

CAST
Ewan McGregor as Rodney Copperbottom
Halle Berry as Cappy
Greg Kinnear as Ratchet
Mel Brooks as Bigweld
Drew Carey as Crank Casey
Jim Broadbent as Madame Gasket
Amanda Bynes as Piper Pinwheeler
Robin Williams as Fender

CREW
Chris Wedge - Director
Carlos Saldanha - Co-Director
Bill Joyce - Executive Producer
Jerry Davis - Co-Producer
John C. Donkin - Co-Producer
John Powell - Music
Blue Man Group - Music Collaborators
Becky Mancuso-Winding - Music Supervisor



Source: Blue Man Group

CONTACT: Nancy Hirsch of Nancy Hirsch Group, +1-212-404-3424,
nancy@hirschgroup.com; Lon Bouldin, +1-646-319-1007, lon@venturespr.com, both
for Blue Man Group


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