At a glance
Kris Lee was drawn to drumming at a young age. At age 9, the native of New London, Connecticut, started on snare drums; a year later, she graduated to a drum set.
“I got this really old, janky, kind-of piece-ofjunk drum set because my parents wanted to see if I would actually stick with it,” said Lee, 30, who is featured in the U.S. touring cast of “Stomp,” in which performers generate percussion with objects not encountered in most concert halls. “And I just stuck with it.” When Lee was 10, her parents took her to a performance of “Stomp,” which — since opening in England in 1991 and New York in 1994 — has been seen in touring 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday $28.50 to $63.50
productions internationally.
“I couldn’t calculate a sentence after that,” Lee said. “I couldn’t put into words what I thought the show was or what it meant to me.”
The experience (and seeing the show again at 18) took Lee’s drumming in a different direction — leading her to audition for the show in 2011 and win a spot in 2013.
This weekend, “Stomp” returns to Columbus for the first time since 2011. In performances Friday through Sunday in the Palace Theatre, Lee will be among eight cast members who perform on items such as push brooms and paint cans.
“Fundamentally, from the ground up, that is what ‘Stomp’ is,” said Jeremy Price, 39, who appears in the show and serves as a rehearsal director. “It’s making music out of everyday objects.”
Even after joining “Stomp,” Lee needed time to become acclimated to her new instrumentation.
“Every number that has sticks in it, when I started the show, I was good at,” Lee said. “And every other number, I was just awkward.”
And push brooms? Don’t ask.
“I’d never had training in brooms, so they gave me a broom and they said, ‘Play this,’ ” Lee said. “I said, ‘I don’t know what you mean. What are you saying?’ ”
By contrast, push brooms — in which the bristles and wooden bases are used to create rhythmic sounds — are among the favorite props of Artis Olds, a Chicago native (and former drum major at Central State University in Wilberforce) who joined the show last year.
“It’s a prop that feels nice in my hand,” said Olds, 30. “I think it also reminds me of the military signal baton that I did use as a drum major.”
Cast members include those with both dance and music backgrounds; according to Price, the show makes different demands of each group.
“Not all movers can actually be the music that they need to move to,” Price said.
“Stomp” Palace Theatre, 34 W. Broad St. 614-469-0939; 1-800745-3000, www.ticketmaster. com
“And drummers who’ve never moved before ... can play, but as they play, can they move and look comfortable?”
The show is refreshed with new props, including shopping carts and inner tubes.