MythBusters: Behind the Myths

It’s taken years to figure out how to take the MythBusters show on the road. Apparently, a television hit filled with bombs, guns, and explosives doesn’t translate very easily to live theater. The big question, of course, is how to meet fans’ expectations for gonzo science while still maintaining safety. “It did take a while to figure it out,” admits co-host Jaime Hyneman of the brand-new stage show. “But what we finally came up with is a series of experiments where we know roughly what will happen each time and still have a reasonable expectation that it will be interesting.” That’s the meat of the MythBusters Behind the Myths Tour, a 31-city odyssey that lands tonight on Playhouse Square. As a bonus, more than a dozen fans are picked from the audience nightly to serve as assistants. “That’s the biggest crowd pleaser,” says co-host Adam Savage. “The fervor with which those kids wave their (liability) waivers is inspiring!” As for how the experiments were chosen, Savage says they picked ones that told the most interesting stories. “The underlying theme is perception,” adds Hyneman. “What you think you see is not necessarily what is really happening.” As their nine-year run on the Emmy-nominated Discovery Channel show continues, do the guys ever worry they’ll run out of myths to bust, we wondered? Savage just laughs. “As long as people believe in crazy things, we will always have work!” Tonight’s show is at 7:30 p.m. at the State Theatre. Tickets are $11.50 to $101.50 by phone, online, or at the Playhouse Square box office.