Beat it: STOMP’ brings rhythm method to the Aladdin

Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2003 | 8:15 a.m.

John Sawicki was out of breath as he explained the need to be in tip-top shape. Sawicki, a cast member and rehearsal director for "STOMP," one of the world's most popular and unusual musical productions, said his show is extremely physically demanding.

"Sometimes performers can't handle it," the 29-year-old native of New York City said in an interview on his cell phone, breathing heavily from a recent gym workout in Albuquerque, N.M. "They might do a couple of years and then their knees say, it's time to move on.' You've got to take care of yourself. We are athletes." Sawicki has been with the show five years. He was a cast member the last time "STOMP" was performed in Las Vegas, in 2000.

The show returns to its Southern Nevada stomping grounds tonight for a six-day run at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas debuted "STOMP" 12 years ago in Brighton, England. The production evolved from their 1980s street theater group, Pookiesnacken-burger.

"STOMP" is a concert that makes music with traditionally nonmusical instruments. Included in the "orchestra" are 20 brooms, 40 gallons of water, two gallons of house paint, six wooden poles, five editions of the Sunday New York Times, 30 pounds of sand, seven mop heads, one fire bucket, 10 garbage can lids, two hatchet handles, four wheel rims, six disposable ice packs and one oil drum.

There are no strings or reeds in this ensemble; it's strictly a percussion band.

"My favorite part of the show is the point where we are a couple of stories high, wearing mountain-climbing gear," Sawicki said. "We swing back and forth on a fence full of wheel rims, pots and pans and other stuff."

As they move from one side of the fence to the other, they beat the assorted objects to create music.

The ability to find music everywhere is what has made "STOMP" so successful. Its six production companies (New York City, London, Boston, a touring company in North America and two in Europe) routinely are sold out.

The show, which started out as a street performance in London, has won the Olivier Award (England's equivalent of the Tony Award) for Best Choreography and a New York Obie Award.

"STOMP" has been performed in more than 350 cities in 36 countries.

The New York production at the Orpheum Theatre, an off-Broadway venue, has been selling out for the entire 10-year run of the show.

Sawicki says the road show is booked years in advance, which gives him some job security.

"In the past five years I've had a total of about 10 weeks off," he said.

And the production shows no signs of losing its appeal.

"What appeals to the fans," Sawicki said, "is that there are no language barriers to the show. Not a word is spoken. It's all about rhythm. The premise of the show is that music is everywhere. It opens the mind up to everyday sounds that you might take for granted. That's why we get a lot of repeat customers who have seen the show a dozen times or more.

"It appeals to everyone, whether you're 5 years old or 90. It's just amazing."

Sawicki's entire life has been steeped in rhythm. His father was a professional drummer and taught Sawicki to play in early childhood.

Sawicki attended a number of schools on musical scholarship, including Five Towns College in Dix Hills, N.Y., which specializes in musical education.

After college he became a studio musician as a drummer, until about five years ago, when his father bought Sawicki and his girlfriend tickets to see "STOMP" in New York.

"Throughout the show I was amazed," Sawicki said. "I knew then that this was something I needed to do.

"I went in for an audition and tried out and they chose eight of us out of about 1,000 applicants."

Though the troupe performs almost every day, Sawicki says they still rehearse daily.

He doesn't mind the work.

"I get paid well and I don't even consider it to be work," Sawicki said. "I get to jam with my friends and travel. I have been all over the world."

He doesn't see retiring from "STOMP" anytime soon.

"I'm a drummer and I could get a gig anywhere," Sawicki said. "But I'm enjoying what I do a lot. The people are cool."

When Sawicki joined the cast of "STOMP" he went from playing drums to playing brooms, garbage can lids, basketballs, water bottles and other odd items.

He says he had to adapt.

"When you play drums you are sheltered, in a way, behind the drum set," he said. "But when you're onstage in 'STOMP' you're exposed while you make music on your body, stomping your feet, clapping your hands.

"There's a lot of different things you have to figure out. Instead of trying to find the sweet spot on a drum, you have to figure out how to make a pole or a garbage can sound good."