The "Joe" in "Blue's Clues Live! -- Blue's Birthday Party" -- which is passing through Pittsburgh this weekend -- is no average Joe on this cast of nine. Joe -- owner of Blue, the spunky puppy from the Nick Jr. preschool cartoon "Blue's Clues" -- has the odd honor of being the only human being that appears in character on the traveling show's stage. "Everybody else is an animal or a mailbox or a furniture item," says actor Jacob Kramer, 25, who plays Joe. Kramer, 25, of New York City says the biggest participants in the show are the kids in the audience. They help Joe answer Blue's question of the day by following her clues, which she leaves with her pawprints. "Blue's Clues Live!" brings Blue's best buddies -- including Slippery Soap, Mr. Salt, Mrs. Pepper and Tickety Tock the clock -- from the television show to the stage, where the gang will celebrate Blue's birthday. Audience members, who often see the pawprint clues before Joe does, guide him to find out what Blue wants for her birthday -- the question that forms the play's mystery. "It's different from the television show, because I can really hear them, really see them and really interact with them," says Kramer, a graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York. "They kind of control the show; they let me know what's going on. They're the ones who really solve the puzzle of what Blue wants for her birthday." Nickelodeon and Clear Channel Communications are sponsoring "Blue's Clues Live!" which launched its tour in October and will visit more than 40 North American cities. The show includes much singing and dancing among the characters, whom the audience excitedly joins. The cartoonish set, which shows Blue's house, comes in bright, vivid colors and looks very authentic, Kramer says. "It's really an amazing set," he says. "If the kids are familiar with the show, they'll recognize everything on the stage." Kids attending "Blues Clues Live!" will receive a free notebook and crayon, so they can write down clues and piece them together. Through this process, kids learn new things such as words and shapes, Kramer says. "It's great because it's very educational as well as entertaining," says Kramer, who credits kids in the audience as the main sleuths. "The kids always know before I do. "The kids are very responsive to the show," he continues. "It's nice because every once in a while, you can look out in the audience and see all the kids singing and dancing. They throw that energy at you, the performer, and you just throw it all right back at them." Additional Information:

Details

'Blue's Clues Live! -- Blue's Birthday Party' When: 11 a.m., 2 and 5 p.m. Saturday; 2 and 5 p.m. Sunday Admission: $15, $27 and $39 Where: Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Ave., Downtown Details: (412) 392-4900 or www.pittsburghsymphony.org

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