Blue Man Group and ToyQuest Announce the Launch of Musical Instruments

Blue Man Group and ToyQuest Announce the Launch of Musical Instruments

NEW YORK, July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Man Group and ToyQuest, a LA-based toy company, have collaborated to create a line of state-of-the-art Blue Man Group-inspired musical instruments. The instruments are available exclusively at FAO Schwarz through mid August, and will then be available at major retail outlets everywhere.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060713/NYTH010 )

The Keyboard Experience and Percussion Tubes both feature proximity sensor technology, pre-programmed songs, interchangeable instrument sounds, and iPod or MP3 player compatibility, so kids can create, record, and play back their own musical creations.

"We were extremely excited by the opportunity to collaborate with ToyQuest. Their commitment to creating a quality experience for the child was paramount, and we couldn't be happier with the end result," said Chris Wink, co-founder and original Blue Man. Matt Goldman, co-founder and original Blue Man added, "We've been so fortunate to be expressing ourselves creatively on stage for many years, it feels important to create projects and products which encourage creative self-expression for others as well, children and their parents in particular."

"Our goal was to harness the energy, excitement, and creativity of Blue Man Group while completely reinventing the way kids approach and interact with music," states Bob Del Principe, ToyQuest Vice President of R&D. Del Principe adds, "Anyone who has seen a Blue Man Group performance is amazed at the bizarre and clever musical instruments they use in their shows. Working with their creative team, we were able to capture that feel, sound, and look. These instruments are like nothing you've ever seen before."

The instruments feature multiple technologies that enable kids to mix and layer music with a simple wave of their hands resulting in an all new music making experience. They also come with original Blue Man Group music and a pre-installed library of instruments and sounds. Instrument sounds include Blue Man Piano Smasher, Blue Man Tubes, as well as traditional sounds such as piano, trumpet, xylophone, and more. Prices range from $69.99 to $79.99 and are designed for children ages eight and older.

Josh Weichbrodt, Marketing Manager at ToyQuest adds, "The music market is evolving. Kids today own iPods and MP3 players filled with their favorite music. We wanted to take that music and bring it to a new level of enjoyment." Weichbrodt continues, "We developed technologies that make our Blue Man Group instruments compatible with any MP3 player. Kids can just plug it in and jam along with their favorite band. Now they can explore their own musical creativity while listening to their favorite tunes."

About ToyQuest

ToyQuest develops, manufactures and markets high quality proprietary toys and toys licensed from popular intellectual properties worldwide, including Disney, Nickelodeon, Warner Brothers, Star Wars, Sesame Street, Little Tikes and Six Flags. ToyQuest uses innovative technology to design products that are fun for children and build on their natural creativity. For more information, visit http://www.toyquest.com/.

About Blue Man Group

Blue Man Group is best known for their wildly popular theatrical shows which combine music, comedy and multimedia theatrics to create a form of entertainment that is totally unique. The blissful party atmosphere created at their live events has become the trademark of a Blue Man experience. The company's appeal to a broad range of age groups and cultural backgrounds is a quality that distinguishes all of their endeavors, which also include scoring projects (most recently the animated feature Robots), commercial projects (such as Intel), and television programs (such as the recurring storyline of Blue Man Group in Arrested Development).

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060713/NYTH010
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN1
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Blue Man Group

CONTACT: Nancy Hirsch, +1-212-967-3805, nancy@hirschgroup.com, or Lon
Bouldin, +1-646-319-1007, lon@venturespr.com

Web site: http://www.toyquest.com/

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