'Stomp' Opens at the Saban Theatre

"Stomp," the international percussion sensation, performs in Beverly Hills at the Saban Theatre from Dec. 17 to Jan. 5.

From its beginnings as a street performance in the UK, it has grown into an international sensation over the past 20 years, having performed in more than 50 countries and in front of more than 24 million people.
 
Created by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, "Stomp" continues its phenomenal run with four global productions: the ongoing sell-out production at New York's Orpheum Theatre, a permanent London company, and North American and European tours.

Throughout its life, the show has continued to change by creating new material and very recently incorporated two new pieces. It is safe to say you will never again look at supermarket carts, plumbing fixtures, paint cans or kitchen sinks the same way.

John Sawicki, a native New Yorker, drummer and actor has been doing "Stomp" worldwide for more than 16 years. He was featured in the live production's DVD and has recorded and performed with artists such as 30 Seconds to Mars, Street Drum Corps, Guitar Center Drum Off concerts, Adrian Young of No Doubt, Tommy Lee, DJ Lethal from limp Bizkit and Samantha Tina.

"I’ve performed when that theater was called something else," Sawicki tells Patch. "The pressure’s on when you come here. It’s the arts. It’s Hollywood. It’s what people do out here. I'm pretty pumped and motivated to make it successful for the two weeks."

Sawicki says "Stomp" is for all different ethnicities.

"There's no language barrier," he added. "We’ve casted a mutli-racial cast, so someone in audience can relate to someone on stage. You can be five or 95 years old."

The performers “make a rhythm out of anything we can get our hands on that makes a sound,” says 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.

For more information and how to get tickets, visit its website.