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STOMP

The International Percussion Sensation Comes to the Music Hall at Fair Park—A Dallas Summer Musicals One Week Only— July 30-August 4, 2002

Edited by Madelyn Miller

STOMP, the international percussion sensation, returns to town, this time coming to the Music Hall at Fair Park for the first time as it continues its phenomenal success across the country.  Along with the North American touring company, the New York company’s continuous sell-out run at The Orpheum Theatre is now in its ninth year, and the San Francisco company has settled into the Marines Memorial Theatre for an open-ended run. 

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.  The young performers “make a rhythm out of anything we can get our hands on that makes a sound,” says co-creator/director Luke Cresswell.  Stiff-bristle brooms become a sweeping orchestra; 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 – trashcans, tea chests, plastic bags, plungers, boots, and hubcaps – to fill the stage with compelling and infectious rhythms.

From its beginnings as a street performance in the UK, STOMP has grown into an international phenomenon over the past nine years, with five international touring companies covering over 200 cities around the world, including appearances at London’s Royal Festival Hall, the Acropolis in Athens, and engagements in Asia and South America.  STOMP performers have been featured in a series of award-winning national commercials for Coca-Cola and Target Stores; recorded music for Quincy Jones’ CD Q’s Jook Joint (for which they received a Grammy nomination) and the well-received soundtrack for the film Tank Girl; produced a short live action film, Brooms, which was nominated for an Academy Award; scored the ShowTime film Riot, which aired in 1997; created the Emmy Award-winning special, STOMP Out Loud, which aired on HBO; and joined the Sesame Street Muppets in exploring the world of music and rhythm in an exclusive-to-video release of Let’s Make Music.

STOMP has been featured coast-to-coast in many television appearances, including “The 68^th Annual Academy Awards,” “The 50^th Primetime Emmy Awards,” “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Good Morning America,” “Dateline NBC,” “General Hospital” and “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” to name a few.

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.

STOMP is directed and created by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas.  The smash hit comes to the Music Hall at Fair Park for the first time ever, as a one-week only subscriber’s special for Dallas Summer Musicals.  For more information, visit their website at www.stomponline.com.

Tickets are available at The Box Office, 542 Preston Royal Shopping Center in Dallas, or any Ticketmaster outlet including The Majestic Theatre Box Office, 1925 Elm Street, or any Fiesta, Foley’s, Tower Records and Wherehouse Music stores.  Tickets, which range in price from $10-$56, may also be purchased by calling 214-631-ARTS, or Metro 972-647-5700.  Tickets may also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com.  For groups of 20 or more, please call 214-426-GROUP.

All performances will be at the Music Hall at Fair Park, with evening performances at 8 p.m. Tues. July 30 through Sun. Aug. 4, and weekend matinees at 2 p.m. Sat. Aug. 3 and Sun. Aug. 4.

Coming up next for Dallas Summer Musicals’ 62^nd season: 

Aug. 6-18, Dallas Summer Musicals’ new and updated production of MY FAIR LADY comes to the Music Hall with an energetic and talented cast that includes some locally cast performers.

Aug. 20-Sept. 1, 42^ND STREET, winner of the 2001 Tony® Award for Best Musical Revival, is next in the lineup.

Sept. 13-Oct. 20, Dallas Summer Musicals’ patrons will then experience the phenomenon of Disney’s THE LION KING, which will also be the State Fair of Texas 2002 presentation. 

Season sponsors for Dallas Summer Musicals are The Dallas Morning News, WFAA TV Channel 8, KLUV Radio and American Airlines.  For more information about Dallas Summer Musicals, call 214-421-5678 or visit the Dallas Summer Musicals website at www.dallassummermusicals.org.

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