STOMP Returns to Columbus 1/14/2011

STOMP, the international sensation, is making its triumphant return to the Palace Theatre. The percussive hit brings new surprises to Columbus, with updates and restructuring to some sections of the show, and the addition of two new full-scale routines that utilize props such as tractor tire inner tubes and paint cans.

CAPA and Broadway Across America present STOMP at the Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.) January 14-16. Show times are Friday, January 14, at 8pm; Saturday, January 15, at 5pm and 9pm; and Sunday, January 16, at 3pm and 7pm. Tickets start at $22.50 and can be purchased at the Ohio Theatre Ticket Office (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. The Ohio Theatre Ticket Office is open Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm and Saturday from 10am -2pm.

"After creating new routines for Stomp Out Loud in 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. A new piece called "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 guiro, a gourd-shaped, open-ended Latin percussion instrument that is played by rubbing the ridges along the side with a wooden stick. The climactic trash can sequence "Bins" has been restructured to include a guiro-like sound using strip-lighting recycling containers.

From its beginnings as a street performance in the UK, STOMP has grown into an international sensation over the past 14 years, having been performed in more than 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-trash cans, tea chests, plastic bags, plungers, boots, and hubcaps-to fill the stage with compelling and infectious rhythms.

www.stomponline.com.

CALENDAR LISTING
CAPA and Broadway Across America present STOMP
Friday, January 14, 8pm
Saturday, January 15, 5pm & 9pm
Sunday, January 16, 3pm & 7pm
Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.)
STOMP, the international percussion sensation, returns to Columbus with updates and restructuring to some sections of the show, and the addition of two new full-scale routines that utilize props such as tractor tire inner tubes and paint cans. Tickets start at $22.50 and can be purchased at the Ohio Theatre Ticket Office (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. The Palace Theatre Ticket Office will open two hours prior to the performance. www.capa.com

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The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, education excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. CAPA also appreciates the support of the Robert Bartels, William C. and Naoma W. Denison, and Preston Davis Funds of The Columbus Foundation, assisting donors and others in strengthening our community for the benefit of all of its citizens, and the Greater Columbus Arts Council, supporting the city's artists and arts organizations since 1973.

About CAPA
Owner/operator of downtown Columbus' magnificent historic theatres (Ohio Theatre, Palace Theatre, Southern Theatre) and manager of the Riffe Center Theatre Complex, Lincoln Theatre, Valentine Theatre (Toledo, OH), and the Shubert Theater (New Haven, CT), CAPA is a non-profit, award-winning presenter of national and international performing arts and entertainment. For more information, visit www.capa.com.

About Broadway Across America
Broadway Across America is owned and operated by British theatre producer John Gore (CEO) and entertainment industry veteran Thomas B. McGrath (Chairman). Broadway Across America presents first-class, touring Broadway musicals and plays, family productions, and other live events throughout a network of 43 North American cities. Broadway Across America is also dedicated to the development and production of new and diverse live theatre for productions on Broadway, across America, and throughout the world. Broadway Across America most recently produced the Broadway productions of HAIR, WEST SIDE STORY, and Irving Berlin's WHITE CHRISTMAS. Upcoming productions include MINSKY'S, PROMISES, PROMISES, Million Dollar Quartet, and the West End production of BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S. Touring productions include Nickelodeon's STORYTIME ADVENTURES featuring Dora the Explorer, and DREAMGIRLS. For more information or to purchase tickets through an authorized agent, go to www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.

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