“Stomp,” the internationally celebrated percussive show known for creating gritty rhythmic musical numbers out of everyday items like brooms, garbage cans and shopping bags will be performing at the Terrace Theater next weekend, marking the show’s first return to Long Beach in over a decade.
“Stomp” will be in town for two days on Thursday, March 2, and Friday, March 3, before continuing its U.S. tour. The show is presented by the American Theatre Guild and is part of the organization’s Broadway in Long Beach Inaugural Series, which kicked off in January with “The Simon & Garfunkel Story,” also performed at the Terrace Theater.
The phenomenally successful show has been performed across the globe and in front of more than 24 million people. Its 32-year history has included international tours, television spinoffs and appearances, numerous awards and long-standing theater shows in London and New York, the latter of which was the longest-running off-Broadway production in the city until it closed in January after 29 years at the Orpheum Theatre.
On tour, audiences can expect the gamut of elements that have made the theater show iconic—all choreographed dance numbers with performers who stomp, swirl, sweep and clank brooms, trash cans, PVC pipes and other ordinary, seemingly unmusical objects people interact with every day.
“It’s taking the mundane and making it musical,” said performer Micah Cowher, who has been with “Stomp” for two years. “What’s so beautiful about the show is that there’s no one speaking, no set changes … just these eight performers existing in the moment. It’s crazy to see an audience kind of flip out when we’re hitting something that they’re surrounded by every day in their home.”
The 105-minute show will feature many of the iconic numbers (and props) audiences have seen before, such as the brooms, trash cans and the fan-favorite Zippo lighter performance. But this season “Stomp” is introducing three new numbers, some of which have been reimagined with different props, Cowher said.
The number “Trolleys” showcases a new prop: shopping carts. The performance “Suitcases” is a reimagined version of a dance that incorporated metal chairs into the routine but now features suitcases.

Most of the show’s numbers feature one prop, Cowher said, but a routine towards the end of the show, titled “Poltergeist,” includes a variety of new items from household wares, like pots, ironing boards, gas cans and plant holders, that are thrown about on stage while one cast member who’s lit-up in the center hits them with broomsticks.
“You’re supposed to only see the props kind of coming in and out of a singular spotlight in the middle of the stage,” Cowher explained. “That’s why it’s called poltergeist—because it kind of looks like the items are moving by themselves.”

After three decades of live performances, beginning in the streets of Brighton, England and then to theaters across the world, Cowher said co-founders Steve McNicholas and Luke Cresswell frequently modify the show’s design to create new experiences for returning audiences.
“The creators are very much about keeping it fresh and changing numbers because we revisit a lot of towns,” he said.
“Stomp” is set to visit (and return) to many more cities in the coming years since the company has redirected its efforts into a touring cast after the loss of its permanent home in New York.
“If the pandemic had never happened, we would still be thriving,” Cowher said. “Tourism (in New York) is just not where it was, even though we’re kind of back to normal. It’s just different. I think the creators were like, ‘Let’s put New York to rest and take all that energy…into a touring cast.’”
“Stomp” now features two dedicated touring casts, one in the U.S. and Europe.
“It will continue to tour as long as the creators want to keep the show going,” Cowher said. “Great thing is there’s still a lot of places to visit and every time we’re in town, people come out.”
Tickets for “Stomp” at the Terrace Theater range from $43-78 and may be purchased online here or by calling (800) 982-2787. Shows for “Stomp” start at 8 p.m. on both days. Learn more about “Stomp” by visiting their website here.