Portland Ovations will bring back the international percussion sensation STOMP to Merrill Auditorium at 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, May 15 and 16. Synchronized stiff-bristle brooms become a sweeping orchestra, eight Zippo lighters flip open and closed to create a fiery fugue; wooden poles thump and clack in a rhythmic explosion.

uses everything but conventional percussion instruments — dustbins, tea chests, radiator hoses, boots, hub caps — to fill the stage with a compelling and unique act that is often imitated but never duplicated. To purchase tickets, visit www.portlandovations.org, contact PortTIX at 207-842-0800 or stop by the box office window at Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle Street, Portland.