The Last Ship previews- Page 5

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/3/14 at 4:09pm

Mister Matt I don't really understand the hostility you have towards the show. You're allowed to dislike it, but no need to be so angry about it.

I don't understand where you got hostility and anger from. I feel neither towards this show. If anything, I look back on it with hilarity. Either way, my opinion and how I state my response requires no permission. Everyone is allowed to like or dislike any show for any reason and express it how they see fit. Even if I was angry about the show, why on earth would you tell me how I'm supposed to feel about anything? That's just ridiculous.

Updated On: 10/3/14 at 04:09 PM

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 10/3/14 at 7:08pm

"Even if I was angry about the show, why on earth would you tell me how I'm supposed to feel about anything? That's just ridiculous. "

If anyone did that, they would be a certain other poster on this site.

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 10/4/14 at 12:41am

Hey guys, this is the ACTUAL Last Ship Preview thread. Let's use it - this site if for opinions, not making new threads because "the first one was too negative". Let's keep it down to one thread and not 3 when there's only been 5 previews of the show! POst your thoughts here - and please DO NOT MAKE ANY MORE THREADS (Looking at you, Bill).

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 10/4/14 at 12:55am

Any one who wha row, in this specific configuration, is the front row of the orchestra? AA, A, B? I haven't been to the Simon all that often, and every time I have it, it's changed. LOL

[Buffalo Bill]

Posted: 10/4/14 at 9:17am

Updated On: 10/7/14 at 09:17 AM

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 10/4/14 at 9:25am

Stop.

[Patash]

Posted: 10/4/14 at 9:28am

". . .and has always had a HUGE school-girl crush on him, as I have."

And there we have the explanation!

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/4/14 at 10:33am

This shill is insane.

[Mystic Pasta]

Posted: 10/4/14 at 10:36am

I really wanted to like this show. Sting is one of my favorite musicians. But, apart from the set, I didn't enjoy the book or music. The ensemble felt like they were frequently screaming and stomping or told to sing like they are drunk. I am a fan of dark musicals (Carousel, Sweeney Tood have been mentioned) but those dark shows have some moments of soaring melodies and beautiful songs. Could it be there is too much canned testosterone on one stage for this to be a successful show? It felt like the cast of Once had expanded and got together at a bar to sing some more depressing tunes. Aaron Lazar was the best thing on stage. He knows how to take a song and make it work. Very disappointed and the book was uninspired. I didn't have great seats, so maybe the front orchestra enjoyed the evening more than the rest of us. I do think this would have been a more effective 90 minute show. And, it is pouring rain outside right now. So, my mood has not lifted since I left the theater. I hope Hairspray comes back soon to reclaim their theater.

[Buffalo Bill]

Posted: 10/4/14 at 11:02am

Updated On: 10/7/14 at 11:02 AM

[Melissa25]

Posted: 10/4/14 at 11:11am

I saw it last night and yes it's grim and bleak but that's partly why I liked it. Perhaps it harkens some of my Irish/English roots that seem comfortable with relating to grim and bleak.

I know it takes place in Wallsend England but a lot of the music sounded Irish and I liked that. I agree with all that has been said about the plot-holes regarding building the ship. This is where it dragged a bit for me because I wasn't emotionally invested in the townspeoples plight. I don' t know why they didn't give the shipyard foreman Jackie White a few songs he could have sung with his wife that could have built on this plight. I really liked Jimmy Nail but all his songs sounded the same.

Michael Esper, Rachel Tucker and Collin Kelly-Sordelet were all stand-outs for me. I like Sting's music so I was pleasantly surprised that they injected two of his hits. I thought "When We Dance" was staged well and worked perfectly. "All This Time" sounded great but it did feel a little like a scene out of The Voice. Probably because it is the second song in the show and it did feel misplaced.

The shipyard choreography scenes were sloppy and redundant. I thought the choreography during "If You Ever See Me Talking to a Sailor" where Meg and women performed moving slight of hand tricks with pints of beer was much more inventive and interesting. But overall I do like the foot stomping which I guess is a Hoggett trademark.

Esper broght tears to my eyes during "Ghost Story." And he seemed to have a bad case of the sniffles last night.

Other than the songs previously mentioned, I really liked Dead Man's Boot's, The Night the Pugilist Learned How to Dance, Show Some Respect and August Winds. Contrary to previous posters, What Say You, Meg? Left me cold.








Rachel Tucker performs "If You Ever See Me Talking to a Sailor" Updated On: 10/20/14 at 11:11 AM

[HBBrock]

Posted: 10/4/14 at 3:04pm

My wife were there last night (Right Orchestra, Row P). While it wasn't a perfect musical, we absolutely loved it.

I thought the music, set, cast, choreography, and even the book that everyone keeps ragging on, were all great.

"What Say You Meg" was one of my favorite songs in the show.

[martianman2]

Posted: 10/4/14 at 3:27pm

Some of the music is Northumbrian folk sound not Irish. Northumbria is the area it is set. Sting regularly works with these traditional musicians Although it does sound similar it is fiddles and northumbrian pipes like bagpipes.

[Famebroadway2]

Posted: 10/5/14 at 9:29am

Well, The Last Ship wasn't a train wreck, but it still needs some more work if its going to last. The performances are all good, but none stood out to me as "the one to beat". Sets, lighting, costumes, and sound were all great. The final moment of the show is visually STUNNING! It's worth it just for that moment.

I am not usually a fan of Joe Mantello, but he has done a great job here trying push along the weak story and entertains the audience with bits of Broadway pizazz. The music by Sting is good and works, but some of the songs are very LONG, and repetitive (they sing, "The Last Ship" 5x).
It's the book that is severely lacking. At the end of act 1 I couldn't help but say, "Wow....not much happening in the story huh?" If they can add in a lot more narrative and cut down some of the music, it could get some decent reviews.

[Famebroadway2]

Posted: 10/5/14 at 9:30am

Well, The Last Ship wasn't a train wreck, but it still needs some more work if its going to last. The performances are all good, but none stood out to me as "the one to beat". Sets, lighting, costumes, and sound were all great. The final moment of the show is visually STUNNING! It's worth it just for that moment.

I am not usually a fan of Joe Mantello, but he has done a great job here trying push along the weak story and entertains the audience with bits of Broadway pizazz. The music by Sting is good and works, but some of the songs are very LONG, and repetitive (they sing, "The Last Ship" 5x).
It's the book that is severely lacking. At the end of act 1 I couldn't help but say, "Wow....not much happening in the story huh?" If they can add in a lot more narrative and cut down some of the music, it could get some decent reviews.

[NotTheComfyChair]

Posted: 10/5/14 at 10:53am

I saw The Last Ship yesterday. I enjoyed it a great deal and I felt the score was very good. Sting's song lyrics, to me at least, have always tended to have a dramatic line running through them and I like the wide variety of styles he employs in the score to fit the need of the moment. The Northumbrian Celtic music and rhythms were really interesting to me. It's worth staying around after the cast have left the stage as the orchestra do a great Celtic play-out number. I do agree, though, with those who feel there are too many "Last Ship" reprises. It's almost in Love Changes Everything territory.

There is so much music that it is almost an opera with dialogue which is where I feel the one fault lies. There are too many storylines for the limited amount of dialogue to flesh out. For me the story that needed most explication - and was one that I felt could be cut most easily - was the one involving Gideon and his father. Though, that's just my opinion. The book doesn't resolve it well and it takes up space that could be devoted to the love triangle, the Gideon and his son storyline and the building of the ship storylines. Unlike some, I wasn't bothered by the alleged incongruities of the shipbuilding plotline. If you look into most musical plots, you can find implausibility and I think I saw an interview where Sting said it was an allegory.
I hope The Last Ship does well for the cast and for Sting. I liked it a lot and the audience seemed to love it yesterday. Ultimately, it's for the audience. I've seen shows which I loathed but most of the audience loved. Interestingly, they seem to be the ones that have the longest runs.

Updated On: 10/5/14 at 10:53 AM

[Famebroadway2]

Posted: 10/5/14 at 2:37pm

Oh I forgot.

My TDF tickets were Row H dead center! Excellent seats!

On Friday night the mezz was maybe 1/2 full. Both house left and right sides from the front mezz break to the top of the theatre were completely empty! At intermission I was able to move down to the front row right at the stairs railing.

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 10/6/14 at 2:47am

I'm supposed to see the show with a group on the 27th, if it stays open that long. I was a little surprised to see all the dreary reviews about the dreary musical. Mainly because Chicago seemed to like the show. I posted links to the Sun-Times review, which as an over-the-top rave, and the Tribune review, which praised the show a lot but warned the producers to make Gideon a more likeable lead character. That critic suggested giving him a song to introduce himself, which was apparently done. Here are a couple of reviews from smaller publications:

Chicago Theater Beat

http://chicagotheaterbeat.com/2014/06/28/the-last-ship-by-sting-review-broadway-in-chicago/

Time-Out

http://www.timeout.com/chicago/theater/the-last-ship
Variety

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 10/6/14 at 10:01am

The show will certainly stay open until the 27th. It opens on 10/26.

[Buffalo Bill]

Posted: 10/6/14 at 11:39am

Updated On: 10/7/14 at 11:39 AM

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 10/6/14 at 11:41am

So we can have all the commentary about the show in one place.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/6/14 at 11:41am

It takes over ten years for you to figure out BWW etiquette?

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 10/6/14 at 12:12pm

^ This.

[Anthony Mouse2]

Posted: 10/6/14 at 12:19pm

Doesn't everyone have the power to not look at the new threads? To not perpetuate whatever Bill's ulterior motive may or may not be by commenting on everything he says? Why are you all so up in arms? Is it because buffalo Bill is making you realize you actually have no power to control or effect anything and that what you say on here doesn't matter at all? It is hysterical to watch you all get so upset. Please, Buffalo Bill, keep it up. New posts everyday! Go Bill!

[haterobics]

Posted: 10/6/14 at 12:20pm

You don't scroll through it every time. You click the name of the last poster on the board view, and it pops you on the last page. Pretty easy. Ultimately, this is the master thread, and will get the most attention for people making decisions about the show.

Why would it be easier to read 20+ disconnected threads?