STOMP to Play at Ordway Center for One Week Only, 3/29 - 4/3

"STOMP," the international sensation, is making its triumphant return to Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in a one-week-only run. The return of the percussive hit brings new surprises, including the addition of two new full-scale routines utilizing props like tractor-tire inner tubes and paint cans. Fan-favorite sections of the show have also been updated and restructured. "STOMP" will be at the Ordway from March 29 - April 3, 2011.

"After creating new routines for ‘Stomp Out Loud' in [Las] Vegas, [co-creator] Luke Cresswell and I decided it was time to rework elements of our main production, ‘STOMP,'" said co-creator Steve McNicholas. "'STOMP' has evolved a great deal ever since its first incarnation at the Edinburgh Festival. Every reworking has involved losing some pieces and gaining new ones, but has always stayed true to the original premise of the show: to create rhythmic music with instantly recognizable objects, and do it with an eccentric sense of character and humor."

The changes that can now be seen in the tour of "STOMP" are the biggest since the late 1990s. The new piece "Paint Cans" evolved out of the "Boxes" routine in the Las Vegas show, and "Donuts" is a piece that implements huge tractor-tire inner tubes, worn around the waist on a bungee cord. For many years, the creators had looked for a "STOMP" equivalent of the Latin percussion instrument the guiro, a gourd-shaped open-ended instrument with ridges along the side that are rubbed by a wooden stick to create its sound. The climactic trashcan sequence "Bins" has been restructured to include a guiro-like new-found instrument: strip-lighting recycling containers.

"'STOMP' is a ground-breaking event for the Ordway Theater Season, where we strive to bring you the best of touring Broadway, re-imagined stagings of classic theater titles and matchless theatrical special events," says James A. Rocco, Ordway's vice president of theatrical programming and producing artistic director. ‘STOMP' is just that, matchless."

From its beginnings as a street performance in the United Kingdom, "STOMP" has grown into an international sensation over the past 14 years, having performed in over 350 cities in 36 countries worldwide. "STOMP" continues its phenomenal run with the ongoing sell-out Off-Broadway production at New York's Orpheum Theatre, a North American tour, and two productions overseas: a London company and a European tour.

"STOMP," an overwhelming success marked by rave reviews, numerous awards and sell-out engagements, is the winner of an Olivier Award for Best Choreography (London's Tony Award), a New York Obie Award, a Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatre Experience, and a Special Citation from Best Plays. The young performers "make a rhythm out of anything we can get our hands on that makes a sound," says co-creator/director Luke Cresswell. Stiff-bristle brooms become a sweeping orchestra; Zippo lighters flip open and closed to create a fiery fugue; wooden poles thump and clack in a rhythmic explosion. "STOMP" uses everything but conventional percussion instruments - trashcans, tea chests, plastic bags, plungers, boots, and hubcaps - to fill the stage with compelling and infectious rhythms.

Critics and audiences have raved: "'STOMP' is as crisp and exuberant as if it had opened yesterday," says The New York Times. The San Francisco Chronicle declares "'STOMP' has a beat that just won't quit!" The Los Angeles Times exclaims: "Electrifying! Triumphs in the infinite variety of the human experience." "A phenomenal show! Bashing, crashing, smashing, swishing, banging and kicking - a joyous invention!" says the Chicago Tribune. "STOMP" is directed and created by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas.

Prior to the Wednesday, March 30 public performance, the Ordway will host an Ordway Extra program in the Ordway's Marzitelli Foyer at 6:30 p.m. and a post-show Talk Back. To learn more about pre- and post-show events, visit ordway.org/events.

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
The Ordway is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading nonprofit performing arts centers and Saint Paul's most elegant and inviting performance space. The Ordway's Music Theater and McKnight stages attract diverse audiences with an array of productions showcasing the finest in American musical theater, world music, dance, and vocal performance. Education and community engagement are integral to the Ordway's mission, with major initiatives including the annual Flint Hills International Children's Festival and Ordway Education programs that serve over 50,000 students annually. The Ordway also serves as authorizer for the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, a professionally guided academic and artistic environment that trains aspiring pre-professional performing artists. Together with The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Opera and The Schubert Club, the Ordway is a member of the Arts Partnership and serves as the principal venue for their performances.

Performance and Ticket Information
"STOMP"
March 29 - April 3, 2011

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
345 Washington Street
Saint Paul, MN 55102
Ordway's Music Theater

Tickets start at $36 including fees.

Box Office: 651.224.4222
Groups: 651.282.3111

 

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