STOMP
The Orpheum Theatre (2nd Ave. at 8th Street)
Tues thru Fri 8pm, Sat 3pm & 8pm, Sun 2pm & 5:30pm
Stomp is a riot of noise. It surely has to be the loudest, brashest, noisiest show around. And probably one of the most enjoyable. I was invited to see this off-Broadway production at the Orpheum Theater in New York with my 7-year-old son.
I’d heard of Stomp and always been vaguely interested. I just didn’t realize how much fun and enjoyment is crammed into this two-hour show. It’s a high energy, highly entertaining show where the performers make the strangest, wildest beats and rhythms using everything…even the kitchen sink.
They use garbage cans and paint tins, matchboxes and plastic bags. Not to mention basketballs, street signs, plungers, and lighters - all of them turned into an incredible musical instrument. Indeed, they use so many bizarre and wonderful objects as instruments it would probably be easier to say what they don’t use.
Stomp first opened almost 25 years ago. But it certainly doesn’t show its age. It’s still fresh, funny, as entertaining as it’s ever been. There is something incredibly childlike about the show: the sheer joy of making noise and experimenting to see what noises objects can make. It revels in its childish sense of fun. It’s comedy without words.
One of my favorite routines was with newspapers. The idea was that one of the performers was trying to quietly read his newspaper, but kept being distracted by the others who were all making different noises with their own newspapers. One of them then pretended to be a dinosaur which sent my son into hysterics. And as we were so close to the stage, they could hear him laughing and started laughing themselves. It felt like a very special, intimate experience - something which you don’t normally get at big Broadway productions. In fact, the small size of the theater definitely added to the overall atmosphere. Being just a few rows away from the performers made it noisier but more inclusive.
The performers worked incredibly well as a team. They each had their own style, but it was the interplay between them that really made the whole show come alive. It was the fact they worked so well together that made it so funny, because the comedy was so well timed.
When we left my son and I were barely able to wipe the grins off our faces. Our faces ached, our heads were filled with the strange rhythms. I would definitely recommend this show for kids. My 7-year-old son could not have enjoyed it more. It’s a real example of how fun theater, dance and the arts can be.
Stomp is on Tuesday-Sunday (closed Mondays), with an extra matinee performance on Saturdays and Sundays.
Tickets start at $48 per person, plus fees. There is also a chance to meet some of the performers after the show.
For more information visit: Stomponline.com
Call or Visit Ticketmaster.com 800-745-3000
