STOMP at the Straz

My husband and I saw STOMP years ago and loved the show.  It's back in Tampa at the Straz Center so we took the opportunity to see this fantastic show again but this time we included our two boys, ages 12 and 9.

STOMP was an explosive percussion performance that appealed to audiences of all ages.  STOMP's eight member group used anything but conventional percussion instruments during their 90 minute show.  They started the show using push brooms to make sweeping sounds and then added tapping and banging sounds.  Needless to say, they broke a couple wooden brooms with their vigorous floor pounding.   The broken brooms were tossed off stage and a replacement broom tossed right back to its user. My boys found this hilarious!

My nine year olds favorite part was what he called the train scene but I think it sounded more like motorcycles.  The lights were off with only the troupe's headlamps lit.  The deep, loud, percussion music rumbled throughout the audience.  Dylan said he could feel the vibrations in his bones.  When the lights illuminated the stage, we saw four group members in bungee seats playing the various items on the wall.  It was amazing how seemingly simple, banging on common household items could create such beautiful music and rhythms.

The STOMP performers continued to amaze us with magical rhythms using matchboxes, wooden poles, garbage cans, zippo lighters, shopping carts, plastic bags, newspapers, inner tubes, paint cans and even kitchen sinks.  There was some boy humor throughout the show.  My boys laughed when four performers pulled the drain plugs on their kitchen sinks that were positioned at waist height.  One guy even shook his sink when he was done...if you know what I mean.

One of my husband's favorite parts was the huge steel drum stilts worn by performers who proceeded to smack the drums with long sticks.

 

My twelve year olds favorite part was a quiet comedy scene involving newspaper.  Who knew how many different sounds newspaper could make by ripping, shaking, crumbling, and folding it.

One of my favorite scenes included zippo lighters.  The theater was dark, then I heard the flick of the flint hitting the striker, saw the flame and finally heard the snap of the lighter closing.  All eight performers had two lighters.  It was like watching a domino light show.  A flame started a one end and quickly made its way through the group on stage.

Our entire family thoroughly enjoyed STOMP!  My youngest son was learning about the different families of musical instruments in school.  He knew right away that the show used percussion instruments (there's that FL education at work).  It was fun for him to see a wide array of real world percussion items.  We had a wonderful and educational evening!

Check out the STOMP performance at the Straz Center April 30 - May 3.

Tickets are available
Friday, May 2 - 8:00pm
Saturday, May 3 - 2:00pm and 8:00pm

Ticket prices range from $49.50 - $69.50.

Disclaimer:  As a member of the Tampa Bay Bloggers, I was given four tickets to see STOMP at the Straz Center in exchange for this review.  All opinions are my own.