Mike Hall, a 2006 Warsaw Community High School graduate, has been making a living for the past few years touring North America banging with everyday objects like brooms and kitchen sinks. He’s a member of a touring company of “STOMP,” which stops at the Embassy Theatre, 125 W. Jefferson Blvd., Fort Wayne, Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. “The way we describe ‘STOMP’ is an exploration of sound with everyday objects,” Hall said in a telephone interview Thursday afternoon from Atlanta, Ga. Those objects include brooms, matchboxes, rubber tubing, kitchen sinks, 55-gallon oil drums, trash cans, trash lids and soda cans. “You name it, we probably play on it,” he noted. This year the show added two new numbers, including “Trolleys,” a song performed with shopping carts. “We have all original numbers,” Hall explained. “The creator of the show is a creative musical genius.” Some of the numbers may sound like familiar tunes, but Hall said they’re not. “We have a lot of traditional rhythms put into the show. World rhythms, you might say,” he noted. The show features different types of music, everything from dance to salsa and more. Shows are between 90 to 105 minutes with no intermission. “The pacing of the show makes it go by really quick,” Hall said. An entire cast of “STOMP” is 12 people, three women and nine guys. Only eight of the people are in a show on any given night. Hall, the son of Brent and Grace Hall, tried attending college for several years before deciding to audition for “STOMP.” After high school, he went to Ball State University for a year, majoring in music education. He then switched his major to business administration and transferred to Harrison College in Fort Wayne. After that, he went a half year at Marian University, Indianapolis, but moved back to Fort Wayne. In spring 2011, he decided to audition for “STOMP.” Three months later, on July 1, he received a call telling him that he got a rehearsal contract with the company. Hall explained that when a person gets a rehearsal contract, they rehearse daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to learn the show. After six weeks of rehearsing, they perform a show. If they aren’t kept, they are sent packing home. The show’s company didn’t send Hall home. “I was very fortunate. Very fortunate,” Hall stated. Initially, he performed two to three shows of “STOMP” in New York. Then he was sent out on tour. That worked out well for Hall as he didn’t want to stay in the Big Apple. It was too busy of a city for him. He’s been touring ever since. Last Christmas, Hall got to perform with the show in Anchorage, Alaska. The touring company has performed all over Canada, and just did a two-week tour in Mexico. He’s been in every U.S. state except four on the East Coast. Along the way, he’s learned a lot about elevation and how that affects his body. In Denver, Colo., the performers had oxygen tanks for them just off-stage. “New Mexico’s elevation was intense,” Hall added. As for how long Hall will perform with “STOMP,” he said, “It’s kind of an open-ended kind of thing. I want to do it as long as I possibly can. The average life for a Stomper is four to eight years. One guy on the tour is on his 18th season, and a season equals about a year. His birthday is today and he turned 39.” Hall is looking forward to the upcoming Fort Wayne shows. “I lived in Fort Wayne for three years, so I’m excited to be back in Indiana because I haven’t been in Indiana for awhile,” he said. In high school, Hall recalled, he had an opportunity to perform at the Embassy with WCHS Band Director Mickey Ratliff and about three other percussion ensemble members. It was a lot of fun and Hall said he was excited to get back there. For tickets to “STOMP,” visit Ticketmaster of the official Embassy Theatre website at www.fwembassytheatre.org/home.htm
