Stomping Grounds Two Years After Dazzling Spokane With Its Off-The-Cuff Selection Of Music And Dance, ‘Stomp’ Returns To The Area Armed With Its Familiar High-Energy Act

Stomp” comes thundering through the Opera House this weekend, two years after it first pounded its way into Spokane’s consciousness.

This time around, the show will be different, which is a good thing. But it will also be the same, which is even better.

Make sense? Only if you understand that a show like “Stomp” is perfectly capable of being different every night, but also the same as ever.

First of all, the structure of the show is virtually identical to the show that first came through Spokane.

“We’ve only added one number, a water bottle number,” said Cameron Newlin, one of the lead “Stomp”-ers, who was also here the first time around. “That’s odd, isn’t it? In two years, we’ve only added just a few minutes to the show.”

It would be a shame if the show had changed too much. During the first visit, “Stomp” proved to be two hours of pure, visceral pleasure. The talented cast made its own percussion music out of everything but the kitchen sink — and then they brought out actual kitchen sinks.

But this is a show that can retain its basic structure and still be newly minted every night.

“The fact is, it changes every night, with all of the improvisation and audience participation,” said Newlin, a former rock drummer. “That’s what keeps it fresh for us.”

Newlin plays the lead character, the one who walks on the stage with a broom to open the show. He takes a mischievous glee in the scenes in which he wordlessly tries to get the audience to clap in rhythm. The scene never comes out exactly the same, because the audience does something different every night.

“I feel like I can really communicate with the audience, even without words,” said Newlin. “Every day I wake up and say, `I can’t wait to screw with some people tonight.’ “

The show is also different depending on the personnel. “Stomp” travels with 12 performers, but only eight are used for each performance. The performers are rotated to give them some rest, which is especially important on a grueling weekend like the one coming up in Spokane. They’ll be doing two shows, one right after the other, at 4 and 8 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.

That’s a lot of stomping, especially when you consider how physically demanding the show is. Sometimes, the performers have to march around the stage with barrels strapped to their feet, like giant platform shoes. Sometimes, they have to hook themselves into climbing harnesses and swing wildly around on scaffolding.

For Newlin, the most challenging scenes are the ones that require the most dancing skills.

“I’m 6-foot-1 and weigh 240,” he said. “I’m not graceful at all. The dancers find those scenes a little more relaxing than I do.”

“Stomp” uses a mix of different talents. When the show was first cast, the audition notices asked for “drummers who can move” and “dancers with rhythm.”

“It’s all split up,” said Newlin. “We have hip-hop dancers, video dancers, tappers, rock drummers, jazz drummers, a handful of bass players and some people who are just plain rhythmically amazing.”

Newlin said his mother will take credit for his rhythm, because she “made me take piano at age 3.”

That gift for rhythm took him to Southern California, where he moved in order to become a rock ‘n’ roll star. He played in a lot of short-lived bands, and then one day, he answered the “Stomp” audition. He was one of five people chosen out of 2,000.

Since then he has performed “Stomp” on Broadway and around the world. After Spokane, the show will be making stops in such far-flung places as Mexico City and Korea.

“Rhythm is international and universal,” said Newlin.

It is also extremely popular, at least as packaged in “Stomp.”

Is this a show that can last forever?

“My running joke is that it will last until Disney buys it in 10 years,” said Newlin. “And then it will be `Stomp on Ice.”’

This sidebar appeared with the story: ON STAGE `Stomp’

Saturday, 4 and 8 and Sunday, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., Spokane Opera House. Tickets are $36 and $32, available through G&B (325-SEAT, 1-800-325-SEAT or www.ticketswest.com).