iTunes Exclusive Episode Stomp

Man
Man
Greetings Empire member and our members.
If you're hearing the sound of my voice, it means the following conditions have been
met at least once in your life you have listened to the clubhouse podcast, your one-stop
shop for all things pop culture live every Sunday, night, seventies or four Pacific.
But it also means you subscribe to this show on your favorite podcasting out because it is time for
another.
It's the 216 first one of these things.
Welcome.
My name is Rob.
I'm the executive producer of the clubhouse podcast and I can do this.
That's all you gotta have me.
But I'm not alone for this particular edition.
Joining me across the desk as he tends to do from time to time as the official
fact checker of this show.
And a man who'll stop a mud hole in yet.
Okay.
Try.
Some of you will get that and some of you won't.
That's okay.
You may know him is fondongo but his mom and even down for it, I'm going to calm
down for it.
Welcome sir.
One thing I'm very proud of something I could do.
There you go.
And do you know why?
Till I was about 25, I could not stand like that.
Really?
No, I couldn't figure it out.
Can you do the thing that they did they do in the, in the beaten of clubs?
Are you at all you go?
This is riveting by the others.
Whatever we do one of these things, it is to review something and this is no exception.
We're going to the stage today kids.
As we review something that I'm very excited to talk about.
It's a little thing we call stop.
For we start this whole thing.
Yes sir.
We got to think the man in the myth of legend.
Francisco!
My boy.
Tell us some of musicals.
Such a big fan of that dude.
Yeah.
And everybody there DSM.
They take such good care of us.
I mean, incredible.
I didn't.
We can't think them enough.
And fortunately Chad was, he saw it with us.
But he's feeling under the weather today.
But I hope he's fun.
But he does.
I have a written review up at www.theclubhousepodcast.com.
Which is our website.
Also got to see our front of the show, Tracy Jordan.
While we were there at the other night.
Oh good to see him.
Oh yeah.
We loved this guy.
So much.
They're so good to us.
Okay.
Again, as we like to say when things are this popular.
If you don't know what Stomp is about.
First of all, welcome back from the cave.
But for those of you that don't know, we'll go ahead and tell you.
1992, we're going way back to a little country called England.
Now it's in college.
As was I.
I was in Montana, but I was in college.
And two guys that were part of a much bigger kind of a traveling
troop decided to create a show where no dialogue all about rhythm and percussion
with a group of professional percussionists.
But they don't have none of them have actual drums.
These are everyday items from stop signs to brooms to oil drums.
Everything literally including the kitchen sink.
Literally.
Matchboxes.
Yeah.
This runs about an hour 40.
There's no storyline.
It's just about these people coming out and doing what they do.
No intermission.
No intermission.
I didn't miss it.
Well, I don't think you, if you had an intermission in this,
it would really have disrupted the rhythm of it.
I think it was hard not to do that.
I agree with you.
And plus for an hour 40, you don't really need one.
Because we've been to productions where an hour 40 is just act one.
So, there's going to be a bias here,
because this production has been on my bucket list for 25 years.
All right.
I have somewhere in this house.
I have the VHS of me taping off of HBO when they had their stomp out loud,
special in the 90s.
Somewhere here.
It's somewhere in this house.
I still have it.
When I found out that this was on the agenda for this season of Dallas Summer Musicals,
I giggled like a schoolgirl.
This has now come to pass.
I wasn't sure how much higher a bar could be set than what I set for this particular show,
and it's still exceeded that bar.
Really?
This thing melted my brain.
Play and simple.
Put it on front street.
This is amazing.
Yeah, I mean, here's how they could do a musical in the way.
Is it his musical?
It is musical.
Without one word saying.
Nope.
There's grunts here and there.
We're not talking.
Yeah.
No singing.
No singing.
No dialogue.
No speaking.
No speaking.
Just a few grunts here.
No traditional musical instruments.
Whatever.
This could be the thinnest play bill that we've ever had at a production.
Yes.
Because there's not much to it.
Because we can't.
It's hard for us to give shout outs to the people because we don't know who's who.
You don't know who is who.
But I think that's intentionally designed because everybody's so good.
It's one of those we succeed as a team and we fall short as a team kind of a situation.
And believe me, there was not one drop of failure.
That wasn't intentional.
Yes.
Because there's a couple of gaps that are intentional to the production.
Yeah.
But this thing absolutely melted my brain period in the statement.
That guarantee is somebody is listening to the show.
Because there is a character that's tailored after me in that show.
I'm not going to debate that, sir.
No.
Although he's not a snappy of a dresser as you.
No.
The shirt you weren't saying this to you.
That's a snappy shirt.
Oh, thank you.
I'm not being precise.
I like that shirt.
And pants in the shoes?
Well, I can only see the shirt from this particular angle.
You're just snapping it up today.
Look at you, sir.
You're out dressing me.
Don't ask.
No, none of us can out dress chat.
Let's be honest.
That dude always comes dressed in it.
But yes he does.
But I just.
This was everything I wanted it to be.
And more.
And I'll tell you the one part of it that really really blew my mind.
Was the lighters.
They do this bit where they kill all the lights.
And I don't want to spoil anything, but that they all line up shoulder to shoulder.
And they do a rhythmic number with lighters.
That will absolutely blow you away.
I mean, what wasn't used?
Match books.
Yeah.
I did something with match books.
A banana.
And I put in my room review at www.clabasplacas.com.
Still our website.
Still website.
It is.
I figured what they did is they took one of those big flat beds and went
No, home depot.
Okay.
And they went down every angle and said, let's just grab two items from each aisle.
Put it on this flat bed.
And let's make a show with a stance we can make from these items.
I do wonder if they went like the home depot people saw them come in.
They're going to be beaten up and all of our stuff.
You break it.
You buy it.
Well, they're going to buy it.
Yeah.
I think home depot is glad because it's like, hey, give some job security.
Yeah.
And it's, I mean, the stage itself is for lack of a better term.
Littered with stuff that they use in this production.
I mean, start.
There's only one stage itself is a recession at one point.
There's, there's only one set.
That's it.
That set does not change because there doesn't need to.
But there's a lot of items in.
But as a show goes on every item you see on there is used.
And even at the very top of the stage, there's the main stage.
What's coming back wall.
Then they have an upper stage where they have stuff hanging like garbage cans and stop signs and everything else.
And at one point they use every single one of those.
So every part of the stage is used.
But it's only one stage.
And it's a multi level stage too.
Yeah.
So I mean, they did not have to do it.
It's like it was so simple on everything.
But it worked.
There's some great comic relief in this.
There's a really good level of audience participation.
And Chad and I were actually talking after this production.
And we were both saying it's been a long time since we've seen an audience that that engaged.
Like that locked into something.
And a lot of it's because of the interaction.
Even without saying a word again that this cast has with the audience.
And it was just absolutely magnificent.
My shoutout goes to.
There was so many people in there that played it right.
There's one who I figured out.
Okay.
All right.
But I'm just wish I knew who the guy was who played me.
I just, but we can't figure that out.
I don't know who he was.
But you know what you want to talk about.
But Crystal Renee.
She was, I figured out by looking from their sights on the internet.
Okay.
She was the one who was the one girl off camera who just always had that rhythm and a thing.
She was very, very good.
But there's two females in this cast.
Yes.
Both of whom are very, very, very everybody in this is exception.
I just wish who who knew was which, but you don't, but it doesn't matter.
And I think that's, like I said earlier.
I think that's intentionally done that way.
So you can, you can actually evaluate them as a cast and not individually.
Individuals.
I just wish who who who played me.
I just wanted to know who played me because he hit it all the way.
He was great.
He did that part perfect.
And there's one point where me and Chad look at each other.
And I just pointed at him, pointed at him, pointed back and forth.
And he just goes, mm-hmm.
I wanted one of my favorite parts with him was there's a section towards the beginning where each one of them
winds up in like a little spotlight and does a little bit.
Yeah.
And then he just kind of winds up in the spotlight and is like, no, no, no, no.
Not doing this.
Not for me.
And the thing is that the, these items that are used because I hit you, but items is, it wasn't too loud.
It wasn't too crashing.
Every sound they made sounded good.
And then you know, how the lighting of just one simple set could change the mood.
And rates are sharp precision too.
Beyond.
Everything was locked in.
Whether it was the lighting, whether it was the ambiance, whether it was the actual routine itself.
Everything was razor sharp accurate.
I was, I, this was a visual and audio sensory overload for me in a good way.
Oh, yeah.
It was absolutely, like I told you, I held the bar so high for this and it beat and exceeded my expectations.
I can't think of anything bad to say about it.
No, here's my one complaint.
It was too short.
And if you know anything about Don Ford, that may be the first time in the history of this show.
We've done 262, we're about to go to our 262nd after this.
I don't know that he's ever said that about any production film,
stage or otherwise that we've ever reviewed.
Because I just didn't want it to end.
Yeah.
And in one other thing, which I kind of put on my written review,
like www.quabasplicas.com.
That's all.
It's like, tell one item builds to the next where you get this.
What are they going to use next?
What are they going to use next?
And you get you, and then they come out of something else.
And something else where it just keeps getting better and better with the next item,
with the next item.
You're just wondering, what's next?
What's next?
What's next?
And it just, it doesn't disappoint.
Each item after the last one is even better.
Well, and for me, as this thing went on,
you know that the trash cans are the big finale.
Yes.
When they come out and they use the trash canlids, like symbols,
and they're clashing them together.
And I looked at my watch, and I was just like,
there's 20 minutes left in this thing.
And that finale is 20 minutes long, and it's glorious.
I mean, I was, I thought the trash cans and stops,
and I was doing the standing, oh.
And it's like the lighting was like it's ready to...
You were one of the first ones on your feet there.
Oh, yeah.
And then it's like, oh, oh, okay.
We're sitting back down.
Okay.
Yeah.
And there's more.
I can't think of anything bad to say about this.
And I'm going to give this something.
This is up with once.
And that's very high praise coming from you.
Because once, you put once on a very, very high shelf.
As you should, it's a great musical.
I mean, is there anything else we want to say before we get to final analysis?
No, I can't.
The way we do the final analysis on this particular show,
if you're joining us for the first time, first of all,
got a lot of catchin' up to do if that's the case.
But that's okay.
There's going to be two questions.
The question that's we're going to first ask is,
would you see this again?
If the answer's no, then we're done here.
Since this is a stage production,
if we say yes, the scale's a little bit different than normal.
If you would like to see this again,
we judge how excited we were about this
by where you're willing to sit.
Because, of course, depending on where you sit,
ticket prices can differ.
Dawn, would you see this again?
What's out of down?
All right.
So the enterprise wants us to go deeper.
We got to go deeper.
Where are you sitting?
Doesn't matter if it's the most expensive ticket
by it.
It is worth it.
You will fake me.
Just get into the building.
I absolutely agree with you.
I, there's no way I wouldn't see this again.
I don't, I've said this before.
I don't care if you're sitting in the rafters.
Just get in the door.
And what's real?
And right now, unfortunately, this is a limited run.
It's only running through February 19th here in Dallas.
But this is a national touring company.
So in Dallas, we are lucky.
Do you know why?
I was looking at the tour dates of this thing.
There's, it goes to Birmingham, they get one night.
Five days is one of the longest runs in the whole tour.
Because that's how we roll.
Yeah, we're in big D.
I mean, I mean, my plus one, she immensely enjoyed this
and said give a shout out to this.
I mean, it was an amazing show.
And if, if you've never seen stomp,
if it comes within shooting distance of where you live,
get to it.
It's going to all over again.
So hey, again, we cannot think enough.
The man, the myth of legends.
Francisco.
Our boy.
How can this up to you, Sam?
Such a fan of everybody at Dallas summer musicals.
They are so much better to us than they have to be.
And we are so thankful.
Each and every time they ask us to come cover and
event for them.
And we cover events for them now, too,
which is even more awesome.
And we're going to be talking about that in the days
that come.
So keep listening to the show because big things are happening
and continuing to happen.
And also, we got to remember, this is not for you, our listeners.
If it's not for the empire, we don't get to do these kinds of things.
So make sure you're telling everybody you know about this show.
Get them on board because there's so many great things happening.
And it all stems from things like this from Dallas summer musicals.
Music, college fair park.
And I'm going to tell you something.
If you missed our announcement at the beginning of our Royal
show about the next two seasons of Dallas summer musicals,
it's a, I wouldn't say it's about to go down.
It's already going down.
And the bar just keeps getting higher and higher.
I mean, woo, what they put for 1819.
I don't care what's the rest of it.
Just go to Dallas summer musicals.org.
And they'll find out everything you need to know.
Yeah.
I mean, 1819, they just have to do it.
It's about to go down there.
That already set the bar.
All right.
So I will do the books.
Totally.
All right.
Visit our website.
The aforementioned.
WWW dot the clubhouse podcast.com.
Find out everything you need to know in some stuff you don't.
You can follow us on social media.
Twitter is at clubhouse show.
Everything else is the clubhouse podcast.
All three words in that order.
You're going to wind up somewhere else if you don't.
My social media.
Anywhere you want to go.
It is.
Yes.
That Rob Irvin that has spelled ER.
V.I.N.
My normal co-host.
Who's a little under the weather.
We hope he's going to get better soon.
He is Chad.
You can follow him on Twitter at ChadNPG69.
And I'm at fondango.
And you can email me at Don at the clubhouse podcast.com.
Email Don for information.
How we can come to a live show for you.
Just like we did last year for Dallas summer musicals twice.
We have so much fun in our live shows.
And we get to hang out with the empire.
You can email me.
Questions, comments, concerns.
You tell me, go pound sand.
I am Rob at the clubhouse podcast.com.
And Chad is also Chad at the clubhouse podcast.com.
Our normal show is every Sunday night.
7 Eastern for Pacific.
It is your one stop shop for all things pop culture.
Or just keep subscribing on your favorite podcasting app.
And you get everything including these exclusive episodes.
So until next time for Don for the empire.
I'm Rob.
Clubhouse is closed.
And we saw this on Valentine's Day.
And you know, Brittany Palmer.
I know it's the restraining order.
But she still could have been there.