STOMP's Precision Percussion Brings Energetic Rhythm to PPAC

For two non-stop, high-energy hours, the performers in Stomp drum, dance, and - yes - stomp their way through an array of impressive percussive exhibitions.

Though marking over 20 years on stage, Stomp remains true to its roots and retains the street-performance quality that first brought the show to life in the early 1990s. Don't expect to see traditional drum kits here. Instead, Stomp's talented percussionists use the most mundane objects to produce their precision rhythms, utilizing everyday items to draw art from unlikely yet ordinary sources. The show's style also maintains an urban, street vibe; the performers dress in ripped jeans and baggy tee shirts, and the set itself resembles a two-level junkyard, full of hubcaps, old street signs, trash barrels, and rusty pipes.

Stomp is primarily a percussion show, though the troupe incorporates dance and gymnastic elements in each sketch. The company also gives their performances lots of personality, maintaining an easy, light-hearted, and oftentimes comic rapport with each other and with the audience.

These strong, skilled drummers keep a rhythm going from the show's opening through to the finale, setting an exhausting pace for themselves. Yet the performers possess apparently boundless energy as their enthusiasm, speed, and accuracy never wane. They bring the heartbeat of the show to life using everything and (literally) the kitchen sink; trash cans, wooden poles, dust pans and brushes, life rafts, shopping bags, match boxes, and even the cast's own bodies serve as innovative instruments in Stomp. After seeing the impressive feats this talented group achieves with basic broomsticks or the average shopping cart, you may never consider household chores or buying groceries in the same way again. Routines featuring paint cans, basket balls, and rubber pipes attain an almost balletic quality with a raw elegance born from precise choreography, sheer style, and undeniable grace. In these scenes, the performers' confidence translates over to the viewing audience, making even the most complicated pieces feel natural and unrehearsed, easy expressions of the percussionists' talents. Clever sight gags, unique lighting, and high-flying acts make Stomp enjoyable for all ages, though parents of young children should note the show's drumming gets quite loud in some segments and a couple of the humorous bits are moderately crude.Stomp plays a limited engagement at the Providence Performing Arts Center through Saturday, May 18, 2013. Ticket prices range from $30-57 and group rates are available. To purchase tickets, contact PPAC by phone at (401) 421-ARTS (2787), visit the box office located at 220 Weybosset Street, Providence, RI, or book online at www.ppacri.org. For more information about the show, please visit www.stomponline.com. --- Photo credit: Steve McNicholas

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