STOMP, the international sensation, is making its triumphant return to the Hawaii Theatre in Honolulu this December. 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. Performances begin December 22 and run through January 3.
“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 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 – 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 Honolulu from December 22 through January 3. The performance schedule for STOMP at the Hawaii Theatre is Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 and 7 p.m. There will be a performance on Monday, December 28 at 8pm. No performance will be held on the evening of December 24. The complete performance schedule is listed at the bottom of this release.
Individual tickets to STOMP become available Friday, October 2 at 9 a.m. at the Hawaii Theatre Box Office, by phone at 808-528-0506 or online at hawaiitheatre.com. Applicable service charges apply. Tickets for STOMP are priced at $35, $45 and $55 for all performances except opening night. As a gift for the season, special holiday “Low-Dough Pricing” has been created for the opening night performance of STOMP. Opening night (December 22) tickets to STOMP are priced at only $15.25, $28 and $40.
Discounts are available to groups of ten or more with even deeper discounts to groups of 40 or more through the Hawaii Theatre Box Office, 808-528-0506, with no discounts available for December 22 or 23 performances. In addition, special $25 tickets will be available to all students, teachers, senior citizens and Military personnel, excluding performances on December 22 and 23 when they present a valid ID at the box office.
STOMP is also partnering with the Hawaii Food Bank in an effort to “STOMP Out Hunger” on the Hawaiian islands. Watch for canned food donation drop-off points around the islands and at the venue leading up to a special Hawaii Food Bank benefit night performance on December 23. A portion of each ticket sold for the December 23 performance will go back to directly benefit the Hawaii Food Bank’s sensational efforts. A $5 discount will be extended to each person who provides a canned food donation at the time of their ticket purchase for any STOMP performance at the Hawaii Theatre.
STOMP is being presented in Honolulu by Chicago-based Jam Theatricals, Ltd., NewSpace Entertainment and Rhythm. Jam Theatricals is proud to bring this return engagement of STOMP to Honolulu after its success at the Hawaii Theatre in 2004. Jam Theatricals has also brought Hawaiian audiences such acclaimed shows as Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy, Michael Flately’s Lord of the Dance, Grease and most recently, Mamma Mia! at the Blaisdell Concert Hall.
Media partners for STOMP at the Hawaii Theatre include the KGMB-TV (CBS), KSSK, and Honolulu Advertiser. Complete STOMP Performance Schedule:
Tuesday, December 22, 2009, 8:00pm
Wednesday, December 23, 2009*, 8:00pm
Friday, December 25, 2009, 8:00 pm
Saturday, December 26, 2009, 3:00pm
Saturday, December 26, 2009, 8:00pm
Sunday, December 27, 2009, 3:00pm
Sunday, December 27, 2009, 7:00pm
Monday, December 28, 2009, 8:00pm
Tuesday, December 29, 2009, 8:00pm
Wednesday, December 30, 2009, 8:00pm
Thursday, December 31, 2009, 8:00pm
Friday, January 1, 2010, 8:00pm
Saturday, January 2, 2010, 3:00pm
Saturday, January 2, 2010, 8:00pm
Sunday, January 3, 2010, 3:00pm
Sunday, January 3, 2010, 7:00pm
*Hawaii Food Bank Benefit Night
