BWW Reviews: Lively and Fun Production of STOMP at the Fox Theatre

If you've ever drummed on your steering wheel to a song on the radio, or absentmindedly tapped your pencil on your desk, creating your own rhythmic accompaniment, then you've already grasped the concept at the heart of Stomp. Over the course of an hour and a half, a group of performers demonstrate how you can make music with just about anything, and in doing so, create a genuinely joyful noise. It's akin to taking the guy in office with the annoying habit of beating on things, and elevating what he does to high art; and it works like a charm. A lively and energetic group of performers are currently appearing on stage at the Fox Theatre for a three-day engagement of Stomp (March 25-27, 2011), and it's a very entertaining show fit for the whole family.

Beginning with their signature brooms, the group takes us on a musical journey that finds them utilizing the following items to generate sound: matchboxes, plastic bags, tubing, road signs, a newspaper, oil drums, cans, pots and pans, water bottles, buckets, truck tire inner-tubes, and of course, the proverbial kitchen sink. A comic bit with tubes proves that size does matter, at least where pitch is concerned.

But don't get the idea that this is all just the equivalent of listening to one incredibly long drum solo. The talented cast is also capable of busting some pretty dynamic moves. There's certainly a great deal of precisely executed choreography involved that helps maintain your interest visually. One number finds several cast members tethered to wires, swinging on an elevated fence from side to side as they crank out another entertaining percussion based composition. There's also plenty of comic relief to provide a break from the intensity of these individual pieces. And, if you're able to clap your hands and snap your fingers, you'll find yourself participating in the performance as well.

What drives Stomp is it's complex combination of polyrhythms building one on top of the other in waves of tension and release, creating a kind of mesmerizing, hypnotic effect on the audience. That they're doing this with common household objects and industrial junk, is what makes it so appealing. I mean, why purchase an expensive drum kit to lay down a beat, when you can use a couple of trash cans to achieve the same effect. Although, there are probably some drawbacks to be found with this approach. I would think these folks would have some pretty bruised and calloused hands from the abuse they endure on a nightly basis.

Since there were no pictures included to allow me to differentiate between cast members I can only tell you that eight of the twelve listed here performed at the show I attended: John Angeles, Jaclynn Bridges, E. Donisha Brown, Andres Fernandez, Cammie Griffin, Michael R. Landis, Guy Mandozzi, John Sawicki, Mike Silvia, Elec Simon, and Carlos Thomas. What I can tell you is that they're all talented individuals who seem to be having a blast performing.

Co-Directors and co-creators Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas have crafted a well-paced show that's amusing and toe-tapping at the same time. McNicholas and Neil Tiplady complement the action on stage with an appropriately flashy and dramatic lighting scheme. There are even moments when the lighting reflects shadows onto the sides of the theatre, making the experience seem like you're viewing some kind of tribal ritual.

When my son was just a couple of years old there was one DVD that we could pop in that would instantly cheer him up or buy us a few minutes of free time, and that was an episode of Sesame Street featuring the gang from Stomp titled "Let's Make Music". So, I made a point of taking my son along to see these show and he thought it was fantastic, and it's especially cool that he was able to see it live and in person.

Stomp continues at the Fox Theatre through March 27, 2011.

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