THE LAST SHIP Reviews — Page 2

#26

NYT

Posted: 10/26/14 at 11:29pm

"a seductive score that ranks among the best "

#27

NYT

Posted: 10/26/14 at 11:54pm

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

#28

NYT

Posted: 10/27/14 at 12:29am

this will be gone before the spring.

#29

NYT

Posted: 10/27/14 at 1:06am

my sense is these reviews get the show to the end of the year comfortably, and that these producers will weather the winter storm and the show will do reasonably well in the spring so it will survive at least until Sting can win his Tony.

#30

NYT

Posted: 10/27/14 at 1:12am

Sting will not be winning the TONY. JRB repeats.

#31

NYT

Posted: 10/27/14 at 1:18am

I think it goes to Tesori and Kron.

#32

NYT

Posted: 10/27/14 at 1:40am

^^ Well, that is evident with all of the positive updates Fun Home has made since settling in to its Broadway transfer.

#33

NYT

Posted: 10/27/14 at 2:11am

what JRB should do is ask Sting for some lessons.

#34

NYT

Posted: 10/27/14 at 3:39am

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.

#35

NYT

Posted: 10/27/14 at 8:04am

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...

#36

NYT

Posted: 10/27/14 at 8:19am

I wouldn't rule out the score for Doctor Zhivago yet (at least for a nomination), because from the two songs I've heard, it sounds glorious!

#37

NYT

Posted: 10/27/14 at 9:34am

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.

#38

NYT

Posted: 10/27/14 at 9:39am

The AP review is positive.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/oct/26/review-stings-the-last-ship-is-thrilling-stuff/

#39

NYT

Posted: 10/27/14 at 9:54am

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.

#40

NYT

Posted: 10/27/14 at 10:04am

Kind of off-topic, but didn't I read somewhere that Side Show could be eligible for Best Score because of the multitude of changes/updates, etc?

#41

NYT

Posted: 10/27/14 at 10:09am

"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

#42

NYT

Posted: 10/27/14 at 1:30pm

Could Rachel Tucker get any award nominations?

#43

NYT

Posted: 10/27/14 at 1:42pm

I just looked at the producer list. These are seasoned, smart producers. With these quotes, they can figure out how to sell the show. I think they will be a hit.

#44

NYT

Posted: 10/27/14 at 1:43pm

We'll see-there are a lot of shows coming and they have to get through the tough winter months.

#45

NYT

Posted: 10/27/14 at 2:08pm

"Could Rachel Tucker get any award nominations?"

I think a Theatre World Award is most likely!

#46

NYT

Posted: 10/27/14 at 2:11pm

To quote the maid in the movie Bullets Over Broadway...
"Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm I sure pity the poor people who have to pay good money to sit through this ****."

#47

NYT

Posted: 10/27/14 at 2:22pm

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.

#48

NYT

Posted: 10/28/14 at 8:13am

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

#49

NYT

Posted: 10/28/14 at 10:30am

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.

---

"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling

#50

NYT

Posted: 10/28/14 at 11:33am

I've been surprised before, but it seems hard to imagine this getting a cult following, or people going for 100+ viewings. But hell, if someone is doing it for Rock of Ages...