Four Stars out of Five.
Sting's score for this show about a shipbuilding town in decline is riveting, even if the plot isn't.
Sting brings it.
The pop god delivers his A-game in “The Last Ship,” a new musical about coming home and letting go that overflows with heart. Not bad for a Broadway debut as a composer.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Sunday, October 26, 2014
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/2/14
Broadway Star Joined: 8/11/05
IMO, Fun Home's score is strong enough as is and I doubt they'll make drastic changes. Tesori and Kron have a great shot at winning. JRB and Sting will get nods but Tesori has never won and I think it's a good bet this could be her Tony together with Kron.
Frankly I think the reviews for The Last Ship are pretty generous. The songs had a pattern where I could predict what was coming next and the book felt only half done.
You never know in this biz what will sell and what won't. While ON THE TOWN did not get unanimous raves, the Times and other reviews should have done the trick, but that damn theatre is a barn and still lots of empty seats. I was on the fence about THE LAST SHIP, but these reviews make me want to skip it, and it hardly sounds like the kind of show that will sell out. So glad I'm not a producer any more...
it is of course silly and too soon to handicap the Tonys. What I said that apparently spawned reaction was intended as the producers' mindset. That said, the Fun Home feels like old news at this point, and it is not clear how it will be received on Bway (though I hope well, I don't think so). Re JRB, I think there is a "basta" feeling at this point. And Sting is Sting, and certainly has the mojo at the moment.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/29/08
The AP review is positive.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/oct/26/review-stings-the-last-ship-is-thrilling-stuff/
I'm glad the reviews are mixed to positive (I think for the most part) however, I wasn't expecting that. I saw this last week and I could not get past the book. And the choreography. I did think there were some positive aspects and that is obviously what many critics focused on. These reviews and the TV ads and Sting on TV shows will probably keep it running until the Tonys. I assume they have a big enough reserve to keep it open through the January-February period. Can't wait to see what the grosses will be in the next few weeks.
Broadway Star Joined: 1/28/04
"Blarney-ish characters...but it still clicks because of the staging, cast and score." But those expecting elaborate effects will be crestfallen.
http://www.out.com/entertainment/michael-musto/2014/10/27/dreamgirls-bill-condon-side-show-sherlock-holmes-broadway?page=0,1
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/13
Broadway Star Joined: 6/5/03
the issue is not so much getting through the winter months-that doesn't seem that challenging. It is building enough of a base before the winter, and then coming out of it as even more relevant than you were going in. It's worth noting there are less than a handful of projected competitors, and some of them dont seem like much.
After reading all the discontent toward the show from many people on here, and that horrid PBS show, I went into THE LAST SHIP expecting the worst. But I ended up loving it - flaws and all.
My review: http://jkstheatrescene.blogspot.com/2014/10/review-last-ship.html
This show seems to inspire that response: a genuine affection for its ambitions, warts and all. Even the die-hard fans accept the earned quibbles about the pile-up of shortcomings. Whatever its ultimate commercial fate, it seems to be poised to enter the cult following column, beloved by people who embrace its darkness and find something unique in the score.
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