Las Vegas Weekly

August 23, 2008 · 6 AM

Stephanie Middleton: Putting her Stomp on Las Vegas

By Stephanie Middleton

If you were to tell me five years ago that one day I would be living and working in Las Vegas, I would have asked you, kindly, to put the bottle down and seek professional help. That would have been crazy talk. I am a diehard, proud, native New Yorker, and New York City is where I’ve always planned to lay my roots, professionally and personally. Why would I leave my favorite city in the world to live in Las Vegas, which was imprinted in my mind as merely the lavish playground for the weekend traveler looking to get into some wicked fun, the Elopement Capital of America?

And yet, relocating to Las Vegas is exactly what my husband and I did, giving up our lease on our Brooklyn loft (talk about crazy!), cramming our belongings in out-of-the-way storage, to come and set up house in the desert. What would make us leave the comforts of our birthplace, our family and friends to mix it up in completely unfamiliar territory? The answer lies in three words: Stomp Out Loud.

Stomp Out Loud, which can only be seen in Las Vegas at Planet Hollywood, is the new and expanded incarnation by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas of their hit show, Stomp. If you’ve seen Stomp, let it be known that Stomp is not the same show. We have twice the cast of the original show, twice the stage space, at least, and the addition of completely new musical numbers. Half of the cast members, including my husband and myself, are Stomp veterans, having performed in the N.Y. and/or national touring companies of Stomp; the other half were brand-new to the growing Stomp family, hired specifically for the Las Vegas production. We all went through an intensive, four-month rehearsal period, trying new and crazy things with new and crazy props. And now more than a year after opening, we are still entertaining Las Vegas audiences nightly, with our 500th performance on Friday, August 8.

Music is Everywhere …

The Las Vegas audiences have been great, easily one of the most appreciative audiences out there, tourists and locals alike. It is no accident that Stomp Out Loud has such universal appeal. There are no spoken words in the entire show, so language barriers don’t hinder enjoyment. And there is deep fulfillment, both as a spectator and as a performer, in communicating with people from all over the world in a language that transcends the confinement of words, the language of music and rhythm. Every one understands rhythm; regardless of what language they speak. Every one has a heart beat, the most basic and innate rhythm of all; we are all musicians at heart, pun intended. Rhythm is the great unifier.

Stomp Out Loud proves, without pretension, that music is all around us and accessible to everyone, if we just open our eyes, ears, and minds. We break the mold of what is perceived as traditional instruments by purposely using ordinary, sometimes obscure, objects and transforming them into vehicles of sound and percussion, creating entire musical pieces. We’ve got brooms, keys, cardboard boxes, garbage cans, lighters, and lots more, even the proverbial kitchen sink. There is even a number that requires no props, only our hands and feet. After spending an evening in our world, it is safe to say that people understand music in a whole new light.

What Are Stompers Made Of…

Many people have asked after the show, “How do you guys do that?” “What are your backgrounds?” “Do you have to work out to keep in shape?” The answers are as varied as the performers.

Stompers come from all walks of the Earth. They are musicians -- drummers, percussionists, guitarists, and others (I play a mean kazoo!). They are dancers, singers, actors, gymnasts, comedians and writers. Everyone brings something individual and special to the table, and before long, the lines between categories cross as drummers become movers, and dancers become percussionists, etc. Some Stompers, like my husband, go to the gym religiously; others, like yours truly, prefer to keep the workout onstage. Some find other creative ways of keeping fit: dance classes, yoga, hula, kickboxing, Pilates, stepping, tumbling. Some of us eat healthy, some of us like to stock up on the sweets and junk food, and some find a way to do both. We range in age from 20 to 40, but we are all young-at-heart.

I think it is a huge testament to the uniqueness of Stomp Out Loud and Stomp that a large percentage of Stompers stay with the show for several years. And it goes beyond the desire to hold on to a steady gig in the fickle business of entertainment, which we can all agree is a blessing. It comes from a deep love for the job and the show. Stomp Out Loud is about discovery and creating a world where musical possibilities are endless. It is play, in the most complete and fun sense of the word, comparable to a child being let loose in a candy store. It appeals to the youthful spirit in all of us. Which is not to say that we don’t buckle down and do some serious work; the show is musically intricate and physically demanding, so we rehearse daily, for an hour or more, to make sure the ensemble is intact, the music is tight, and everyone is on the same page. But even when working, the predominant vibe is one of having a good time, which transfers onto the stage and becomes infectious throughout the audience.

The Women Of Stomp Out Loud …

I’d like to take a moment, if I may, to acknowledge the strong and vibrant women of Stomp Out Loud (I can hear Helen Reddy roaring now). Why? Because we hold our own as a minority among a sea of towering, testosterone-pumping, sweaty men. And because, thankfully, there’s no fanfare about being a woman in the show; male or female, the expectations are the same, no exceptions nor allowances. Women are expected and assumed to be as powerful, as capable, and as entertaining as the men (and we are!). Which is validating in such a physically aggressive and percussion-heavy show. Stomp Out Loud is an equal-opportunity environment, where the roles aren’t necessarily gender-specific. Women have as much chance as the men to play the “front-person”, the “anchors” (roles that have the most responsibility of “holding it down” musically), or the comedic roles that rely more on theatrical judgment and timing. There’s no holding us back! Thank you Stomp Out Loud.

And The Beat Goes On ...

What has been an added bonus to the show’s run in Las Vegas is that the cast gets to participate in outreach programs, performing workshops for local schools, Boys and Girls clubs, and summer programs. Recently, we hosted a Stomp Out Loud workshop for kids sponsored by the Chris Webber Foundation. I am convinced that music is an integral piece of the puzzle that is formal education, and the originality of Stomp Out Loud does so much to spark kids’ imaginations, to encourage them to think outside of the box. This is our way of contributing to the development of future generations.

Living in Las Vegas …

So, after nearly two years since relocating westward, what does this native New Yorker have to say about living in Las Vegas? Well, I now know that Las Vegas is more than the lavish playground I once thought it was, although I have to say, the attempts to lure one’s inner gambler are impressive – slot machines in grocery stores? And I’m a little frightened by how quickly the ubiquitous dancing-girl-on-the-box no longer triggers a bat of my eye. And I don’t think I’ll ever complain about a New York summer again after experiencing the Las Vegas heat. I know, I know, it’s a dry heat. But so is the heat from my flaming oven, and you don’t see me sticking my head in there; hot is hot. But, I love waking up and seeing striated mountain ranges in the distance. I’ve enjoyed the beauty of the lake (water in the desert, who knew?). I’ve practiced saying “Nevada” like a native (“a” like in “cat”). I’ve discovered Target. I’ve overcome my fear of driving. Growing up in New York, I’ve always thought of cars as vehicles to be dodged rather than vehicles of transportation. My Metrocard was more valuable to me than my driver’s license. But no longer, as I’ve learned to navigate the streets and highways of Las Vegas, which has been so liberating!

Do I miss New York? Absolutely! You can take the girl out of New York, but … You know the rest. However, Las Vegas will always hold important memories. The irony is that Las Vegas has been the landscape for major developments in my life. It was here that my husband and I got married, rather spontaneously, on Valentine’s Day 2007. It was here that we got our first pet as a couple, our Lhasa Apso – Bichon Frisé mixed pup named, appropriately, Brooklyn. And now, it is here that we are expecting our first child together. For the time being, I’ve traded in my Stomping boots for baby booties. And, without noticing, my husband and I have started to build a nice life here. Looks like we New York City transplants are truly living in Las Vegas. At least for now …

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