Stomp: Brilliant and first-rate entertainment

[Update: Yay, they're back at the CCP on June 17-22, 2014!

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My Bibe and I had a terrific night last Friday watching Stomp at the CCP. The show was nothing short of spectacular. We were at the first balcony and I believe we had a pretty good view of the whole show, which lasted nearly two hours.

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My Bibe and I at the CCP main lobby before the show started.

My first introduction to Stomp was years ago inside a movie theater where a wonderful clip from Dolby was shown. This was it:


I had always been impressed by the ingenuity shown. I later realized that they were a performing arts group holding shows in the U.K., the U.S., and all over the world. So when the opportunity to catch them live in Manila came right on my lap, I was excited.

The show opened with a guy sweeping the floor, who then proceeded to produce these amazing sounds with just his broom and his feet. He was later joined by other performers and it was just wild. The numbers that followed showcased everything from buckets to newspapers, to lids, tires, kitchen sinks, barrels, and even lighters. Yes, lighters. And that particular number was one of my favorites. It was just astounding that they could produce both an auditory and a visual treat with something like that. Imagine blinking and chasing Christmas lights. They did that.

I was pretty impressed with the acoustics. At one point I was like listening to heart-thumping beats from real instruments in total darkness -- until they turned on the lights and the performers were in harnesses beating on every piece of garbage that you can think of. The bass they produced was just a killer!

Stomp really brought the house down and the audience was a very appreciative lot, particularly with the humor thrown in once in a while. The performers also got us to participate with choreographed claps. Unfortunately, there were also a couple of nuances in the audience, but more on that in another post.

Stomp is the brainchild of Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas of Brighton, UK. Understandably, the music is percussion-driven. However, it's the magic created with these mundane objects that's truly amazing. Kudos to all the bright minds behind this production! I could never fathom how they could have put all these ideas together, choreograph them, and ensure that the performers never miss a step. Imagine if just one performer misses a ball thrown at him, everything would be ruined. But they're all just perfect.

Lastly, I admire their energy and dedication. They really must love their job a lot. It's like they never tire at all. There were only eight of them on stage, and save for the occasional solo and mini-group numbers, they were all together onstage for the most part. What they do is physically demanding, no doubt. So props to the performers as well.

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My Bibe and I after the performance.

Too bad Stomp only has eight scheduled performances in Manila. But you know, whenever you get the chance wherever you are in the world, go see them. It's really all worth it. [Update, 16 June 2014: But guess what, they're back in Manila at the CCP from July 17 to 22!]

For more information about Stomp, including show schedules, go to stomponline.com.

Comments

  1. Im a huge fan of STOMP !! How lucky you are.... I bet you had fun ;D

    amintasfashion

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  2. i sure did, sweetie. they were really great.

    ReplyDelete

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