STOMP Returns to Portland, 5/15 & 16

Portland Ovations announced this week that they punctuate their 2012-13 season by bringing back the international percussion sensation STOMP to Merrill Auditorium on May 15th and 16th.

STOMP was last in Portland during Portland Ovations' 2008-2009 season. "STOMP is a phenomenal and energetic production and one our patrons continually ask us to bring back to Portland," states Aimée M. Petrin Executive Director for Portland Ovations, she continues, "we are so pleased to be able to fulfill their wish."

Throughout its life, STOMP has continued to change by creating new material; this time around STOMP incorporates four new pieces. It is safe to say you will never again look at supermarket carts or plumbing fixtures the same way... or paint cans, or kitchen sinks or...

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.

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.

Tickets for STOMP range from $40 to $55 for Ovations' Members and $45 to $60 for the general public. Tickets go on sale Friday, January 25th. To purchase tickets visit
www.portlandovations.org, contact PortTIX at 207-842-0800 or stop by the box office window at Merrill Auditorium.