It may be early days but if Sting's new Broadway musical, The Last Ship, is not dead in the water, then a big hole has appeared.
Ship opened last week to middle of the road reviews even though Sting's score drew great praise. Most of the reviewers called out the book as the weak link. The New York Times said "The book, by John Logan (“Red”) and Brian Yorkey (“Next to Normal”), and inspired in part by Sting’s own upbringing in the northeast England town Wallsend, where the show is set, is unfocused and diffuse"; however, they were "impressed that Sting’s songs for “The Last Ship” never feel like pop tunes awkwardly shoehorned into a ready-made narrative. The pungent lyrics spring directly from character and situation."
Unfortunately, it appears that Sting's music alone is not bringing people to the theater, possibly because the subject matter of the show (the dismantling of a town and its people when industry moves on) is so downbeat. It's not the thing that makes for a bright holiday season show.
According to the New York Post, the show cost $14 million to open but advanced sales were only around the $3 million mark. The show opened on Sunday but Monday's performance only took in $100,000 when it needed more than twice that amount. The paper also said that, during previews, it only took in around $500,000 per week, which wasn't enough to cover the overhead of the show for seven days.
It's not over. Things can still turn around but, for now, the crew best be keeping their lifeboats in good order.
More from
VVN Music
