The producers of STOMP’s New York production announced today that the award-winning percussion, rhythm and comedy sensation will end its (almost) 29-year run on January 8, 2023. STOMP’s North American and European tours will continue to run.
STOMP opened at The Orpheum Theatre on February 27,1994. When it closes, it will have played 13 previews and 11,472 regular performances.
The producers said, “We fell in love with STOMP when we first saw it in Europe and when we brought this hard-to-describe show here, we imagined that it would find an audience. We could not have imagined the remarkable success it would enjoy, becoming part of popular culture, touring for years, and making an unmistakable imprint on the theatre landscape here and all over the world. While we’re sad to see it close at The Orpheum Theatre, we couldn’t be prouder of the impact that STOMP has had – and will continue to have – as the tours run both here and in Europe.”
Co-creators Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas said, “We are so proud that the East Village and the Orpheum Theatre has been STOMP’s home for so many wonderful years and want to thank our producers and our amazing cast, crew and front of house staff, all of whom have worked so hard for so long to make the show such a success. They have always given 100% to every audience, from the very beginning in 1994 to the post lockdown audiences of 2022. We want to thank everyone involved for such an incredible New York run.”
STOMP landed at New York City’s Orpheum Theatre (126 Second Avenue) in 1994 and became an instant sensation, astonishing audiences and critics alike with its startling originality. “STOMP is a sure-fire crowd pleaser with a rock-and-roll heart,” said The New York Times. “STOMP finds beautiful noise in the strangest places,” said USA Today.
It went on to generate North American, South American, Central American, and European tours, as well as sit-down productions in San Francisco, Boston and Las Vegas, and a long-running production in London’s West End. It has played all over the world, including engagements in Abu Dhabi, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dubai, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey.
Created and directed by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, STOMP is the winner of an Olivier Award for Best Choreography; New York’s OBIE Award; a Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatre Experience, and a “Legend of Off-Broadway” Award.
A unique combination of percussion, movement and visual comedy, STOMP has made a global mark on popular culture with performances at Athens’ Acropolis, The Academy Awards, The 2012 London Olympics Closing Ceremony, this collaboration with Paul Simon and Jimmy Fallon on “Cecilia,” a stunning STOMP OUT LITTER PSA shot across NYC’s five boroughs, this one-take collaboration with The Harlem Globetrotters , and this performance on The Latin Grammys with Calle 13. Created by two Brits, STOMP was invited to perform at two uniquely American events: President Clinton’s Millennium New Year’s Celebration on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and The Kennedy Center Honors. Second Avenue between 7th And 8th Streets was temporarily declared “STOMP Avenue” by the City of New York and the show was also the recipient of two Mayoral Proclamations designating “STOMP Day” in New York on the occasions of its 10th and 25th anniversaries. STOMP has been parodied on “Saturday Night Live” and “The Simpsons,” and been an answer on “Jeopardy!”
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, shopping carts, radiator hoses, boots, hub caps – to fill the stage with a compelling and unique act that is often imitated but never duplicated.
The current New York City cast is Alan Asuncion, Micah Cowher, John Gavin, Desmond Howard, Jayme Overton, Tamii Sakurai, Emmanuel “Manny” Scott, and Reggie Talley.
STOMP is created and directed by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas. The production team is Steve McNicholas, Mike Roberts (technical supervision), Fiona Wilkes (rehearsal director), Paul Botchis (production stage manager), FGTM/Roberta Roberts (general manager) and Fred Bracken (associate producer).
STOMP is produced by Richard Frankel, Marc Routh, Alan Schuster, Aldo Scrofani, Bang! Theatricals, Harriet Newman Leve, James D. Stern, Gallin/Sandler, Markley/Manocherian and the late Gary McAvay and Morton Wolkowitz.
Visit https://stomponline.com for North American information and www.stomp.co.uk for news on the worldwide tour.