STOMP To Return To Philadelphia For The Holidays

Ensemble Arts Philly will present STOMP, the international percussion sensation, for six holiday performances from December 26 - 29 at the Miller Theater. From its beginnings as a street performance in the UK, STOMP has grown into an international sensation over the past 29 years, having performed in more than 50 countries and in front of more than 26 million people.

Created by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, STOMP continues to tour North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia following 15 years in London's West End and 29 years at New York's Orpheum Theatre, along with lengthy sit down productions in San Francisco, Boston, and Las Vegas. Throughout its life, the show has continued to change by creating new material to bring music to everyday objects. 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...

"STOMPers create sound from objects most of us find utterly mundane, constructing beats and beauty from everything around them," said Frances Egler, Vice president of Theatrical Programming and Presentations. "A Philadelphia favorite, STOMP is a show the entire family can enjoy together this holiday season."

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.

Synchronized stiff-bristle brooms become a sweeping orchestra, eight 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 - dustbins, suitcases, radiator hoses, boots, hub caps - to fill the stage with a compelling and unique act that is often imitated but never duplicated.

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 show garnered an Academy Award nomination, four Emmy nominations, and one Emmy Award for their acclaimed HBO special Stomp Out Loud; has had 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

Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999 or online at www.ensembleartsphilly.org. In-person ticket sales can be conducted daily from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. at the Academy of Music Box Office, located at 240 S. Broad Street. Orders for groups of 10 or more may be placed by calling 215-790-5883 or emailing groupsales@ensembleartsphilly.org. See www.ensembleartsphilly.org for more information.

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