International Percussion Sensation STOMP Returns to the Palace in March

STOMP returns to Columbus' Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.) for five performances March 10-12. From its beginnings as a street performance in the UK, STOMP has grown into an international sensation, having performed in more than 50 countries and in front of more than 24 million people over the past 20 years. The return of the percussive hit also brings some new surprises with updates and restructuring of existing sequences and the addition of two new full-scale routines, utilizing tractor tire inner tubes, paint cans, and more.

Tickets start at $28.50 and can be purchased at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and online at www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. Orders for groups of 20 or more may be placed by calling (614) 719-6900.

The performance schedule is as follows:

Friday, March 10, 8 pm

Saturday, March 11, 2 pm & 8 pm

Sunday, March 12, 1 pm & 6:30 pm

Created by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, STOMP continues its phenomenal run with four global productions-the ongoing sell-out production at New York's Orpheum Theatre, a permanent London company, and North American and European tours. Throughout its life, the show has continued to change by creating new material. This year, it will incorporate two new pieces, and it's safe to say you will never again look at supermarket carts or plumbing fixtures the same way again.

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.

In addition to the stage shows, STOMP has been an overwhelming success marked by rave reviews, numerous awards, an Academy Award nomination, four Emmy nominations and one Emmy Award for their acclaimed HBO special "Stomp Out Loud," noteworthy TV appearances including The London 2012 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony, The Academy Awards (produced by Quincy Jones), "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," and a series of award-winning international commercials.

The performers "make a rhythm out of anything we can get our hands on that makes a sound," says co-founder/director Luke Cresswell. A unique combination of percussion, movement, and visual comedy, STOMP has created its own inimitable, contemporary form of rhythmic expression-both household and industrial objects find new life as musical instruments in the hands of an idiosyncratic band of body percussionists. It is a journey through sound, a celebration of the everyday, and a comic interplay of characters wordlessly communicating through dance and drum.

Synchronized stiff-bristle brooms become a sweeping orchestra, eight Zippo lighters flip open and closed to create a fiery fugue, and wooden poles thump and clack in a rhythmic explosion. STOMP uses everything but conventional percussion instruments to fill the stage with a compelling and unique act that is often imitated but never duplicated.

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.

www.stomponline.com

Photo credit: Steve McNicholas