We wanted him to be around for decades, not for months or even years. A Japanese promoter wanted to mount an international tour. Blue Man Group could have been the symbol of the American Express Blue card. Some suitors thought they'd win over the group by pointing out that its 15 minutes of fame were ticking away so the three had better grab what they could. No scenario could have been less appealing, and their conversation with Hoffman reinforced their thinking.
Nothing kills originality faster than packaging it.
What they were being offered was to repeat what they'd done, and by repeating it, they'd be killing it. Even that expansion wasn't enough to support the future the founders envisioned. The plan to open outside New York was borne of necessity. It wasn't that the success of the first show made opening in a second city possible. Revenues from a Boston company were needed to sustain more growth, and all growth supported Blue Man Group's autonomy.