If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. That old saw applies perfectly to the Ohio University Performing Arts and Concert Series’ planned presentation of “STOMP” on Nov. 17, 2021. The show already had been postponed twice due to Covid-19. Judging from how a renewed late-summer coronavirus surge affected the start of Fall Semester in late August, it wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility that yet another postponement could happen.
In a note posted on its website at some indeterminate date, the Performing Arts Series thanked “STOMP” ticket buyers for their patience “during the pandemic roller-coaster ride.” Noting that everyone is ready for some post-pandemic normalcy, the letter added, “based on the current news regarding vaccines, that light is beginning to shine at the end of this dark tunnel.”
While the NYC-based percussion extravaganza originally was scheduled for April 7, 2020, mass shutdowns due to the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic that winter forced its postponement. The first rescheduled date, 10 months later on Feb. 3, 2021, also was postponed, “due to the anticipated timeline of the vaccine.”
All tickets for either of the first two postponed dates will be honored on the Nov. 17 date, assuming that one doesn’t get postponed a third time. In spite of the growing Delta Covid surge in late August, however, there was reason for optimism at the start of Fall Semester 2021. This was due to an increased willingness of institutions such as state universities to impose mask and vaccine mandates. Plus according to statistics released by OU health officials in late August, some 75 percent of the university’s residential housing students had been vaccinated, with 64 percent of Athens campus students having received their shot. That’s a substantial improvement over Athens County residents, whose vaccine rate was around 42 percent in late August 2021 (though those numbers are affected by the fact that under-12 children were not eligible to receive the shot).
The Nov. 17 “STOMP” show is set for 7:30 p.m. in Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium. All audience members must wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status.
So What Is ‘STOMP’?
According to the colorful blurb on the OU Performing Arts website, the “STOMP” national tour is “explosive, inventive, provocative, witty, and utterly unique – an unforgettable experience for audiences of all ages.”
This international percussion show has won numerous awards and generated mainly positive reviews, while being shown on an assortment of TV programs in the United States and abroad. The eight players in the show employ a disparate variety of percussion instruments – but none of the usual ones. They get their dynamic, rhythmic sound by banging on everything from brooms to hubcaps, with matchboxes, lighters, garbage cans and wooden poles in between.
A review of “STOMP” in April 2019 appearing in DC METRO Theater Arts made no effort to hold back the praise. Noting that the show as launched by Steve McNicholas and Luke Cresswell at the Edinburgh (Scotland) Fringe festival in 1991,the “STOMP” show is “an amalgam of music, dance, and street theater… sound and fury, signifying pure entertainment and raucous energy – a frenetic foot-storm that you can’t watch and remain still.”
Tickets for the show are $25 for students, $27 for senior citizens and $30 for general admission. The university suggests people interested in socially distanced seating alternatives call Chelsa Morahan, assistant director of patron services, for information.
Performing Arts and Concert Series
Ohio University’s Performing Arts and Concert Series is a long-established arts and culture program that schedules a broad assortment of shows and concerts throughout each school year. The Covid-19 pandemic interrupted the series in early 2020 and continued to wreak havoc on the schedule through the following school year. This year, a performance schedule is back in place, and program officials hope it can proceed without further postponements or interruption. The Performing Arts Series is handled by OU’s Division of Student Affairs, with all events and concerts held at Memorial Auditorium (with the exception of concerts held at Stuart’s Opera House in Nelsonville in partnership with that organization).
Some notable past Mem Aud performances have included Kenny G, the “Nutcracker,” TAO: Phoenix Rising, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Storm Large, Darlene Love, “Elf: The Musical” and “RENT.”