It’s been more than a year since the Broadway Theatre League of Utica has staged a production — and what better way to celebrate our return and kick-off the 2021-22 season than bringing the off-Broadway smash hit production of Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas’s STOMP to Utica’s historic Stanley Theatre. After a long absence, this high-energy production is just the spark everyone needs to reignite our collective spirits and get us up out of our seats as household items, like brooms, garbage cans, matchboxes, and Zippo lighters, come alive. In anticipation of this electrifying theatre comeback, we’d like to provide you with a little preview and thank you for your continued support of the theater community.
It’s the Rhythm Of NY
STOMP is a unique combination of percussion, rhythmic movement, and visual comedy that takes audiences on a wide-eyed sonic adventure with its rare blend of polyrhythmic beats and artful staging. An unconventional production that features a casually dressed-down, highly skilled, and diverse cast, STOMP shows us that music lies in our everyday experiences, motions, and surroundings. What’s more-it gives us the courage and permission to once again sing, dance, and share our joy with the world, wherever we happen to be.
It Holds History
The brainchild of Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, STOMP was born on the streets of the UK, after their band Pookiesnackenburger separated. In search of an act that was new and different, Cresswell and McNicholas formed an eight-piece ensemble that used everyday objects to produce infectious rhythms that enthralled the gathering street crowds. No strangers to the theater scene, Cresswell and McNicholas took the act to the stage, financing, producing, and directing STOMP for the first time at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre, and later at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh, where it became the Guardian’s “Critic’s Choice” and won the Daily Express’s “Best of the Fringe” award.
As STOMP toured its way around the world, it found a permanent home at the Orpheum Theatre in New York City where it has remained one of the most popular off-Broadway shows for almost a century. STOMP has become an international sensation, and regularly creates mind-blowing new segments and dazzling routines, so that long-time fans–like us– are always treated to the troupe’s constant innovations.
It is STOMPing Out Hunger
Normally, during the theater season, the Broadway Theatre League of Utica focuses on ticket sales and subscriptions, which are so critical to ensuring its future and maintaining fiscal health. This season, Broadway Utica will use its high profile as a platform to expand its role within the community that looks to rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic and go beyond the stage. The first task: STOMP Out Hunger! A timely request, as the use of food banks across the country have surged 30 percent over this last year. To help make an impact, Broadway Utica has teamed up with the Rome Rescue Mission, which serves approximately 200 meals per day, to help replenish the shelves that provided sustenance and offered hope to so many during a challenging and uncertain time.
STOMP’s iconic metal garbage cans will serve as a prominent staple throughout STOMP Out Hunger’s campaign. A ‘stage’ for the collection of non-perishable food donations, these cans can be found in front of the Stanley Theatre before both performances on August 16 &17th and in front of the Rome Capitol Theatre, located at 230 W. Dominick Street in Rome, from August 9th to 12th. All items will be donated directly to the Rome Rescue Mission.
Let’s STOMP!
We have been through a great deal this year – and the time for Broadway is now. Together, our efforts and accomplishments have set the stage for a new platform as theatre comes back stronger than ever. We continue to thank all of those who stood behind us and look forward to evolving Broadway Utica within the community. But first, let’s strive to enjoy a little STOMP together!
#BroadwayUtica
#BeyondTheStage
