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If you have the chance to see Tommy the Clown & the Hip Hop Clowns on Stage while they are on their Spring 2007 European Tour or when the company returns to the US, don't miss it. In fact, don't miss anything Tommy the Clown does whether it's Battlezone, a birthday party, a workshop or a stage show. If you love energy, if you love freestyle dance taken to the extreme, you will never be disappointed by the raw spirit, originality and inspiration in action that you will witness in a Tommy the Clown production.

Tommy the Clown & the Hip Hop Clowns on Stage is multi-media, krump theater presented in 2 Acts. In Act I, The Hip Hop Clowns are in the spotlight, one by one, so we see individual krump style. Tommy speaks to them and to the audience about the circumstances they have endured in their young lives and the choices they have been able to make. Some of the narrative is heartbreaking. I don't know if there is a psychologist in the world that would listen to these stories and prescribe clown makeup and dance but maybe they should. It actually works.

As the show moves along, there isn't much use of scenery. DJ Sisqo is ever-present, up stage on a platform shrouded in cloth banners airbrushed with clown faces. Balloons and banquet tables are brought in for the birthday party scene and construction zone paraphernalia punctuates the battlezone arena.

All of the emphasis is on Tommy and the clowns and dance. Brilliantly colored costumes and elaborate clown makeup create the greatest overall effect. Tommy, always wearing his giant rainbow wig, opens the show and presents the clowns dressed as a kind of sparkling, camouflaged field commander. Later, he is a clown magician, then a clown referee and, finally, a man/clown of the cloth. His natural, larger than life persona onstage and his luminous, billowing costumes make him even more imposing as he literally powers the cast, crew and audience through the entire show.

The Hip Hop Clown costumes are ultra hip and equally extravagant. Astonishing portraits are airbrushed on the oversized t-shirts and hoodies each character wears when they perform individually and when Tommy tells their stories. The imagery is created by the shows own Rocco and DJ Sisqo and is designed to tie into the name of each performer. There are moments when a clown, whose story is being told, is looking down but the giant, realistic face on his or her shirt is staring boldly out at the audience, almost like a guardian of the physical body it covers. The effect of these faces gazing out from the folds of material, in the haze of theatrical lighting, is dramatic and suggests many layers, undercurrents and details we will never know that have brought such profoundly moving stories to the stage.

In Act II, the clowns enter the battlezone. Costumes change to street clothes, still baggy and oversized but more subdued. You get to see krump as the world has come to know it. Opponents try to outdo each other and the audience gets to vote on the winner. In all the battles I have witnessed, winning has never been point, at all. It is the dynamic between the krumper's unbelievable physical energy and the audience that drives the experience. Nobody really loses. Later, kids from the audience come on stage and have a chance to show off their moves. What occurs in those moments is a powerful exchange of generosity, spirit and support from the crowd toward whoever is dancing. I don't know if it goes down in the same way in other countries, but in the US, I have seen it happen time and again….and it is awesome.

Tommy the Clown wraps up the show reaffirming his ideas about the whole phenomenon, his gratitude and his genuine belief that God has made it all possible. Praise Dancers Micah Crawford, Naomi Crawford and Rachel Crawford perform a moving homage to heaven. It all fits no matter what your personal beliefs might be. Clowning and krump in South Central Los Angeles rose up, defying all the odds against it going anywhere other than the hood. Through documentaries, movies like "Rize" and generous help from influential people like Debbie Allen, interest in krump has continued to grow. Call it luck or call it divine providence; kids of all ages, from all around the world, are as hungry as ever to know more about Tommy the Clown, the Hip Hop Clowns and Krump.

Krump, which is a word that describes how you feel when you dance full out, has a life of it's own and is often explained as an expression of frustration and aggression, at least, in the eyes of the media. In truth, krump is an intense, evolving, freestyle dance that requires tremendous physical skill and creativity to do well. When you see kids that society labels "at risk" using their dance athleticism and aesthetic to tell you the story of their lives, you know that, in the telling, they have already stepped away from that dark world. Thomas Johnson knows that nothing transforms the spirit more than purpose and recognition. Even something as seemingly small as being acknowledged for dance abilities can inspire a lifetime of more accomplishments. Tommy the Clown has set his course to get the message out and shine the spotlight on as many kids as possible.

On April 15, 2006, The City of Los Angeles
made a Proclamation, presented by Councilwoman Jan Perry, honoring Thomas Johnson aka Tommy the Clown for his work with the children of Los Angeles. Let it be just one of many more honors to come.

For more information about Tommy the Clown
http://www.tommytheclown.com

Socal.com Host
Benjamin Allen
http://www.benjaminallen1.com

Direct questions and comments to:
Marti@socal.com

Tommy the Clown & the Hip Hop Clowns
on Stage Cast and Crew

TJames Blackston
aka Lil Tight

Jazmyne Cabaong
aka Jazz

Jasmin Harris
aka Tiny Mite

Robert Harris
D.J. Sisqo

Thomas Johnson, Jr.
aka Lil Tommy

Jesse Philpot
aka Rocco

Roland Sanders
aka Bug

Beau Smart
aka Casper

Kenneth Stewart
aka Elmo

Teyauna Taylor
aka Lil Mama

Raymon Wright
aka Smurf

Praise Dancers:
Micah Crawford
Naomi Crawford
Rachel Crawford

Anie Dizon, Manager
Marlo Brooks, Publicist
Tonya Johnson, Assistant
Matt Pettit, Audio/Visual
Shawn Brooks, Production Lead
Donald Perkins, Street Team Leader
Michael Cavallero, Office Assistant