STEVE BURNS ALIVE
Written by Steve Burns & Matthew Freeman; Directed by Matthew Freeman
The Club at La MaMa | 74A East 4th St, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10003
July 23 - 25
Imagine this: in an alternate universe we can predict the future. We know things are going to happen years, even decades before they actually do. Let’s say, in this alternative reality, we’re granted this ability from birth.
Now picture your toddler-aged self watching your favorite 90’s Nickelodeon television program. In this alternate universe, you knew at 4 years old you’d somehow see the actor of the program in person almost 30 years later, pouring something complex into a live New York City audience’s cup.
That favorite television program was Blue’s Clues. The actor that filled your complex cup is Steve Burns. Steve, yes, Steve: Blue’s best human friend.
In this present universe, we can’t predict the future. I never imagined I would see Steve in person, who was a friend not only to me, but to countless other children, presenting his grown-up one man show. I wish I had the ability to predict the future. It was a night full of connection, thought, laughs, and heart.
When I walked into the theater, I was instantly transported into a space where timelines collide. The intimate theatre at La MaMa on 4th street combined with the simple set, cultivated a welcoming atmosphere that transcended time and generations.
Here I was, a millenial, surrounded by adults of all ages who were just as excited to see the red chair from Blue’s Clues set center stage. I admit, I let out a little squeal as soon as my eyes set upon it.
Behind the chair, a screen housed the Steve Burns: Alive graphic: a faceless Steve Burns wearing a pair of glasses, a baseball cap, and the infamous green striped shirt he wore on the beloved Nickelodeon show.
It represented what Steve Burns: Alive is all about. The fusion of the different versions of S. Burns: Steve on Blue’s Clues, the rumored dead Steve from Blue’s Clues, the depressed Steve, the role-model Steve, Steve the brother, dog owner, and son, and last but certainly not least, the big-hearted and growing Steve.
That’s a lot of Steve’s to keep track of. The graphic summarizes Steve Burns: Alive in one picture. Which one is the real one? What is “real” anyway?
The feelings I was experiencing in the first 5 minutes of entering the theatre were surreal. My childhood stood in front of me while an awesome house playlist of rock/pop songs from the 2000’s filled welcoming vibes through my ears.
The flutters of opening night filled the room. Audience members greeted each other. I overheard conversations about how much Steve’s time on Blue’s Clues meant to them. It was an environment of full-circle moments that seemed to make time feel like it didn’t exist.
Then, the house lights dimmed. The screen behind the chair presented Steve himself, just like we remembered him. He spoke to us, not as a group, but to every single individual in the room like no one else was there, through the power of a camera. Time ceased to exist for the next 59 minutes.
Steve Burns: Alive is beyond what you’d expect. It’s not sunshine and rainbows. It’s not big and bold and full of kid-show energy. It’s complex, and full of words that will have you thinking when you leave your seat. You’ll also leave with new perspectives.
Steve tells us stories both from his time on Blue’s Clues, the context surrounding his run on the show, and personal stories of his experiences with children, family, and his real best dog friend, Mickey.
But most of all, he talks about how everyone thought he was dead. The impact that had on him really pauses your non-stop brain for a second. Steve brings what we all dismiss to the surface: the impact of the internet blurring the lines of truth vs. fact.
Through strategic staging between a screen, a mic, and a chair, we get our question answered.
What is “real” anyway? According to Steve, it’s something he’s been able to do through a camera for years. Connect. Connection is real in a parasocial world full of filters and entertainment, including his own one-man show.
Connection is what we humans all crave, and Steve Burns filled our cup with cold water, waking us up to not only his life, but to our own as a society. And he does it only in the way Steve Burns can.
Steve Burns: Alive is running at The Club at La MaMa from July 23 - 25. Get your tickets for this beautifully connective show here.
Review by Amanda Montoni
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on July 25 2025. All rights reserved.