“Stomp” is the long-running percussion show sensation that finally closed in New York City earlier this year after nearly three decades of performances. One last tour is returning Houston native Reggie Talley, 32, who has been with “Stomp” since 2011, to the city for the first time as a performer. We caught up with him via phone to talk about his journey with such an iconic show.

Q: What’s it like coming back to Houston after so long?

A:I’ve been away since 2011, and over the course of 12 years, a lot has happened career-wise, all of which I attribute to my time in Houston. The schooling I got in high school (Klein Forest) and Sam Houston, my group of friends, all of it has contributed to where I am now. “Stomp” has been to Houston many times, but I’ve never been able to go with it. A lot of my family and best friends haven’t had the chance to see me. So, I’m really excited.

Q: Could you tell us a little bit about how you got to be in the show?

A:I don’t believe in serendipity or coincidence. At the time, I was doing stand-up and performing at Main Street Theater. In fact, the last time I was interviewed by the Houston Chronicle was for winning a state championship in humorous interpretation. I had this epiphany that I should move to New York.

我上了Backpage网站和向下bottom was a notice for “Stomp.” Back then, every time you hit refresh, the bottom changed, and I almost did this time, but didn’t. I had no drum experiences, but I grew up doing backflips off trucks and stuff. I went to my next-door neighbor, who was a drummer, and told him I needed to learn everything he knew in three weeks. I put myself through this intense, regimented training workout.

I used my income tax to pay for my ticket to New York. Thousands and thousands of people were there. It felt like an “American Idol” audition. I made it through all these rounds, and they ghosted us. I didn’t hear anything for three months. I went back to Houston and told myself, that’s my very first audition. I could get that far again, so I just planned on moving to New York anyway.

I bought my flight, and I was hanging out with my dad the day before I was leaving. This stranded dog walks up to me, and I decided to try to find a home for it. While I’m on the phone with a friend trying to see if he’ll take this dog, New York called me. I listened to the voicemail offering me the job, and I took off running down the street screaming. I was literally going there the next day anyway!

Q: What’s a thing you wish you knew when you started “Stomp” that you know now?

A:I had no idea how family oriented it was. That joining this fraternity would give me the lifelong friendships that I have now. I’ll keep in contact with these people for the rest of my life. I’m getting married in August and one of my cast mates is officiating.

When we were waiting in line for the audition, a dude got hit by a car while riding his bike. Me and this other guy were the only two to get out of line to check on the man, and we’ve been best friends ever since.

Q: Why should someone see “Stomp” in 2023?

A:It’s so fresh now. From a live-performance standpoint, nothing gives me the satisfaction like “Stomp.” Actors typically don’t stay with a production for 15 years, but they do with “Stomp” because of how it evolves. The creator let the performers bring it to life. The performer before me did something different, and the person before him did as well.

If you watched it on DVD in school, this isn’t that. The acrobatics have changed, the jokes have changed. It has kept me around because when I walk into the theater, I have no idea what’s going to happen that night. I know the basic parameters, but everything else is fair game. You might get a different show from Thursday to Friday. It’s grown so much. It’s 65 percent choreographed, and the rest is improv. My colleague makes a choice and now I have to build off that. I know every night that I’m going to laugh, and not everyone can say that about their job.

Jef Rouner is a Houston-based writer.