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Stomping through Fort Collins |
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Written by Erin Frustaci
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Thursday, 01 March 2007 |
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Performing is a dangerous sport — at least for the explosive international percussion phenomenon, Stomp.
“I’ve seen people blow their knees out, rip their hands on kitchen sinks and crack their heads with a 6-foot pole,” said Stephen “Wacki” Serwacki, Stomp performer. “People get hurt all the time. It’s pretty physically taxing. You don’t come out of the show in the same health you went into it, that’s for sure.”
It’s definitely not the average theater performance. Take the adrenaline rush of motor cross, the thrill of rock climbing and the talent of Broadway, and you get Stomp. The eight-member troupe blends movement and rhythm with the use of everyday objects— brooms, newspapers, matches and more.
Serwacki, 32, of Boston, Mass. joined the company in January 2003 when he was asked to fill in for a guy who was injured on tour. He’s now been there longer than his cast mates.
“It’s been great,” he said. “It has changed my life.”
Stomp’s New York production is in its 12th year at the Orpheum Theatre.
“It defies the stereotypical theatrical experience,” Serwacki said. “You don’t get that at a Stomp show. You don’t just sit down with the program and sit on your hands. It’s like a rock show. It’s loud, aggressive and in your face. It’s an easy-to-follow, bare-bones raw show. That’s why I think it’s so successful.”
Serwacki started drumming at 18 and says he’s just been lucky. The other performers come from varying backgrounds including dance and theater.
The performance itself went from the streets to Broadway. The creators Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas started as street performers in Brighton, England.
Since then, the show has performed in more than 350 cities in 36 countries and has won several awards.
Serwacki doesn’t see his stint ending too soon, but says he doesn’t want to live out of a suitcase forever.
“There are definitely other things I want to do in life,” he said. “I love this gig, but the body breaks down after a while. Still, music will always be a part of my life. Playing music is the best. There’s nothing like it.”
See video at nextnc.com. For more info on Stomp visit www.stomponline.com.
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THE DETAILS
Stomp Tour instruments used on a weekly basis:
• 30 brooms
• 288 liters of water
• 2 gallons of floor paint
• 10 wooden poles
• 40 newspapers
• 20 pounds of sand
• 10 garage can lids
• 4 hammer handles
• 1 block of chalk
• 5 rolls of gaff tape
• 2 Ace bandages
• 12 boxes of matches
• 1 pedal bin
• 10 booties
• 1 tape measure
• 7 garbage cans
• 20 drum sticks
• 4 boxes of tissue
• 3 ball point pens
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TO GO TO THE SHOW
7:30 p.m. March 6- 9 and 2 p.m. March 8 at the Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia St., Fort Collins. Tickets are $36 for side seats and $38 for center seats and can be purchased at the Lincoln Center Box Office, by phone at 221.6730 or online at LCTIX.com. | Only registered users can write comments.
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