Stomp is still making noise 25 years later

STOMP

There aren’t many touring shows that can boast of a twenty-five year longevity, but the smash percussive/dance/comedy show Stomp has been at it since 1995 in the US alone. The show is currently taking up a short residence at Washington DC’s National Theatre through April 28 before hitting the road once again. But, you may ask, what exactly is Stomp?

To be honest, I had no idea what to expect outside of a bunch of people banging on every day objects to create their own particular brand of music. And, of course, that is just where it starts with the cast of eight performers making their entrances on stage with brooms, using the sweeping sounds, and the broom itself as an instrument. Anyone can bang a broom on the floor, but it takes a special talent to use the brooms so rhythmically to create music. It’s also interesting to note that these aren’t special brooms, as they have a tendency to break during the performance but there’s always another one in the wings waiting to be tossed to the performer in need.

Stomp moves to a quieter note when the performers use such mundane things as matchboxes, corrugated tubing and lighters to create an aural and visual cacophony that is mesmerizing and thrilling. They then move on to kitchen sinks, plastic buckets, metal trash cans and lids, newspapers, large plastic barrels and large metal drums (attached to ski boots!) to create amazing percussive sounds that, at their loudest, you can feel beating in your chest.

But it’s not just all about the ‘instruments’. The performers also make music with their feet in some amazingly choreographed numbers that also require them to keep rhythm with their wooden poles and trash can lids and with each other as they often use each others’ ‘instruments’ to make their music. One number that may make you hold your breath involves the cast tapping on and tossing small metal cans to one another sometime in a circle, sometimes back and forth, with multiple cans crossing in mid-air. It’s a miracle (and lots of skill) that none of the cans collided and not a single one was dropped.

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And with the dance and music, there is also comedy with one cast member in particular(here played by Cade Slattery) bringing a lot of comic relief to the show, and quickly becoming the audience favorite with his antics. What’s great about the show is that while none of the cast members ever speaks, you know what’s going on when they are communicating with each other and with the audience. And if you love an audience participation show, you will love Stomp. Practice your rhythmic clapping now!

In addition to Slattery, the rest of the cast members (at this particular show) include Artis Olds (who seems to be sort of the show’s ringleader), Jeremy Price, Kayla Cowart, Cary Lamb Jr., Krystal Renée, Steve Weiss and Joe White. Other performers include Jonathon Elkins, Alexis Juliano, Guido Mandozzi and Ivan Salazar. All of them are rhythmically and physically talented beyond comprehension and earn a well-deserved standing ovations at the end of the show.

If you’re unsure if Stomp is the kind of show you’d enjoy, let me be the one to tell you — since I was unsure myself — that you will be awed by what these people can do. Stomp is a vibrant, kinetic stage experience that you won’t forget. And you may just find yourself making your own beautiful music the next time you’re washing dishes.

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Future stops for Stomp include Wilmington, NC; Asheville, NC; Oxford, AL; Macon, GA; Mobile, AL; and Huntsville, You can find the tour dates on the show’s website, or check our Ticketmaster link below for ticket availability in your city.