Stomp returns to CCP

I had a feeling Stomp would be back. There was not enough time three years ago for everybody to get over the surprise they got when they watched the show at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). What no hit songs? That was why there was also no orchestra or a soundtrack. What is a musical without songs? That musical is Stomp, a unique symphony of noise and comedy that left everybody amazed and wanting more. And great to find out, that Lunchbox Theatrical Productions and Concertus Manila are bringing back Stomp to the CCP for the very limited run of only eight performances, from June 17 to 22.

Stomp was the brainchild of Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas of Brighton, UK. The show first played in Edinburgh in 1991 and has since then gone on to Broadway and other parts of the world. It has delighted over 15 million people in 48 countries in five continents. They have marveled that the music of Stomp is actually percussion but different in the sense that there are no real musical instruments. Instead, the cast members, and there are only nine of them, produce the music out of everyday objects like kitchen sinks, dustbins, brooms, mops, pails, tires and others. Then they dance and do very physical comedy to the noise-turned-music that they make.

Numbers to watch out for this second time around are the trolleys or shopping carts and the donuts with sticks and tractor tires. Keep your eyes and ears also open for the Hawaii-based Filipino Stomper Andres Fernandez who has been stomping for 17 years but will be joining the cast in Manila for the first time. Of course, I am not surprised that a Pinoy is in Stomp. Rhythm comes naturally to Filipinos and folk dances like the Tinikling or Maglalatik could be considered antecedents of Stomp.

Catch Stomp and be part of something fun, amazing and exhilaratingly different. Tickets are available at TicketWorld via 891-9999 or ticketworld.com.ph.

More about an act from the UK. Pinoys must love One Direction (1D) very much. They are willing to endure discomfort and part with their life savings just to be able to watch the British boy band’s concert at the Mall of Asia Arena on March 21, 2015. Thousands showed up at the Launch Party held at the MOA last Friday to be the first in line to get their hands on the pricey tickets. Some even camped out overnight nearby just to be sure of a place. And now that they have them, they will have to stay vigilant for 10 months watching those tickets lest they get lost or stolen.

As of 12 noon Friday, tickets to the VIP and Diamond Sections were already sold out. Only the limited Titanium Section and the less coveted Gold, Silver, Bronze and General Admission tickets remain. These will be available for the other 1D fans online at www.SMTickets.com. Take heart though, it has been confirmed that there’s a second show. Hope springs eternal for those with the funds to spend.

Boy! Am I glad I am not anymore at the age when I would cry and stomp my feet begging or I should say demanding concert tickets from my parents.

Now about The Voice, both local and foreign versions of the show, may be hot out here, but the word elsewhere is that the end is in sight for singing contests on television. The X-Factor has ended its run and the season finale that crowned rocker Caleb Johnson was the lowest rating in American Idol history. I found judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. very appealing but they can only do so much. In the end, it was really all about the finalists and this year’s was a lackluster batch.

The Voice has very hot coaches in Adam Levine, Shakira, Usher and Blake Shelton, and they have picked up an exciting line-up of contestants for this season. No wonder, the show ranks high among viewers. On the other hand though, although AI is in need of a big shake-up to be in top form next year, I do not think it will go the way of X Factor’s exit soon. The Voice still has to produce a star among its winners but the Idol factory just keeps on making stars, from Kelly Clarkson down to Phillip Phillips. Music needs those stars so let us all hope things will go better for AI next year.

Still on singing contests. Excruciating is the sight of kids going through the trauma of rejection on national TV. I am referring to the contestants, who failed to be chosen by the coaches on ABS-CBN’s The Voice Kids singing contest. They were conditioned by the people around them to win. And then just like that, they did not. Worse of all, they will not only have the memory of the painful experience, it remains in the files of The Voice and can also be accessed by anybody on the net, where the clips will remain forever. Ask Pauleen Luna, whose failed bid to be Little Miss Philippines, gets resurrected on Eat, Bulaga! from time to time. Waaaaah!