STOMP, the international percussion sensation, comes to Bellingham, Washington for one performance only, at Mount Baker Theatre on Monday, January 13. From its beginnings as a street performance in the U.K., STOMP has grown into an international sensation over the past 30 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, and 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.
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.
In addition to the stage shows, STOMP has been an overwhelming success marked by rave reviews, numerous awards, an Academy Award nomination, four Emmy nominations and one Emmy Award for their acclaimed HBO special Stomp Out Loud, 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.
The performers “make a rhythm out of anything we can get our hands on that makes a sound,” says co-founder and 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.
Critics and audiences have raved: “STOMP is as crisp and exuberant as if it had opened yesterday,” says The New York Times. The San Francisco Chronicle declares “STOMP has a beat that just won’t quit!” The Los Angeles Times exclaims: “Electrifying! Triumphs in the infinite variety of the human experience.” “A phenomenal show! Bashing, crashing, smashing, swishing, banging and kicking – a joyous invention!” says the Chicago Tribune.
Location: Mount Baker Theatre Main Stage
Date: Monday, January 13, 2025 Time: 7:00 PM
Price: Tickets start at $39.75*
Tickets available at: https://www.mountbakertheatre.com/events-tickets/stomp/ (Tickets are only available at mountbakertheatre.com. Beware third-party ticket resellers and other websites that may advertise MBT performances.)