Tickets On Sale For STOMP At The Merriam 2/15-20

STOMP, the international sensation, is making its triumphant return to Philadelphia's Merriam Theater for a limited engagement Feb. 15 - 20 as part of the 2010-2011 Broadway Season. The return of the percussive hit also brings some new surprises, with some sections of the show now updated and restructured and the addition of two new full-scale routines, utilizing props like tractor tire inner tubes and paint cans. The press opening is Tuesday, Feb. 15 at 7:30 pm.

Tickets ranging from $25 to $75 are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 215-731-3333, online at kimmelcenter.org/broadway, at the Kimmel Center box office, Broad & Spruce Sts. (open daily 10 am to 6 pm) or at the Merriam Theater box office, 250 S. Broad Street (open during performances only). Groups of 10 or more will receive discounts for select performances by calling 215-790-5883 or 866-276-2947. Performances include: Tuesday - Thursday evenings at 7:30 pm; Friday evening at 8:00 pm; Saturday performances at 5:00 pm & 9:00 pm; Sunday performances at 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm.

"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 1990's. A 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.

From its beginnings as a street performance in the UK, STOMP has grown into an international sensation over the past fourteen 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 YorkObie 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. The smash hit returns to (city's theatre) from (date) to (date) on (the following schedule). Tickets are available by calling (telephone number) or by logging on to www.stomponline.com.

The Broadway Season is presented by the Kimmel Center and The Shubert Organization. In addition to STOMP , the 2010 - 2011 Broadway Season productions at the Academy of Music, Forrest Theatre and Merriam Theater includes: Les Misérables (now - Jan. 15); In The Heights (Jan. 18 - 23); Mary Poppins (Mar. 23 - Apr. 17); next to normal (June 21 - 26) both at the Academy of Music.

KIMMEL CENTER, INC., a charitable, not-for-profit organization, owns, manages, supports and maintains The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, which includes Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, Innovation Studio and the Merck Arts Education Center. Kimmel Center, Inc. also manages the Academy of Music, owned by the Philadelphia Orchestra Association, and the University of the Arts Merriam Theater. Our mission is to operate a world class performing arts center that engages and serves a broad audience which includes providing arts in education, community outreach and a rich diversity of programming. The 2010/2011 season is sponsored by Citi, and the Broadway 2010/2011 season is sponsored by Verizon, and American Airlines. For additional information, visit kimmelcenter.org.

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