The Last Ship Lasting- Page 3

[Pootie2]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 12:45pm

"it seems we now have the back seat drivers to the back seat drivers opining. That's pretty much the signal that a thread-weak from the get-go-has come off the rails."

Unless someone has actually invested in a given show or is involved directly in another way, isn't everyone here basically an opinionated 'back seat driver'?

With my newfound authority, I'll definitely derail and shut down any thread I deem fit. Thanks! Maybe I should just post in everything now. You'd like that, right?

[HogansHero]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 3:17pm

Pootie, yes a lot of what's here is backseat driving, but I was highlighted the particularly silly nature of backseat driving those back seat drivers-kinda like double hearsay being four times as unreliable as good old fashioned hearsay.

I didn't utter a word about shutting down anything so I have no clue where you got that. And as far as I am concerned, you can post or not post whatever you want wherever you want. Others, of course, may call you out on it with equal abandon.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 8:47pm

The If/Then comparisons strike me as odd. Personally, I don't really see much of a comparison. If/Then didn't have the strongest book or score of its season, but at least it held my interest. The Last Ship did not. To me, even with its flaws, If/Then was a far superior show in the structure and creativity of its design, book and score. The only things the two shows had in common would be the awkward and banal choreography and strong cast performances. Though the material of If/Then actually did a better job of highlighting the performers.

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 9:26pm

If/Then came in because of the Yorkey connection, until it surfaced that Yorkey just wrote an early draft and then had little to do with The Last Ship otherwise.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 10:03pm

"had little to do with The Last Ship otherwise"

presumably a good part of that "little" consists of cashing not-little checks.

[JaglinSays]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 1:53am

Yorkey was fired; Logan was brought in later.

[JayG 2]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 6:00am

First of all. Can the people on this thread please start writing in English again? Almost everything is incomprehensible and what is comprehensible is total nonsense. For example If/Then is a piece of tripe. Interesting concept done in by two dueling stories of infinite boredom. How any writer could sustain interest in someone as dull as Liz / Beth is beyond me. Oh and to somehow suggest that If/Then is better than The Last Ship is utter lunacy. In every single category from score to cast to design to direction, Sting's show is FAR superior. I like Kitt's score very much on CD , but not so much in the theater where it is over amplified and fragmented to such an extent it is all but lost. But that score is If/Then's ONLY redeeming quality. But Sting's is better.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 9:08am

Yorkey was not fired; he left due to other commitments, pursuant to an agreement between him and his collaborators, just like the agreement pursuant to which he became involved in the property. One cannot be fired as a bookwriter because the bookwriter is a part owner of the property pursuant to the collaboration agreement.

[dreaming]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 9:23am

JayG2-Please stop acting as though your OPINION is FACT. I HATED both shows equally and oddly enough some of their problems are very similar. I found the books for both shows to be utterly ridiculous. There is no character development really-which is a major issue with many musicals.

The score for The Last Ship is more bearable, but it takes on a rather predictable pattern. I think there is this misconception that a half-decent score can make up for a bad book-and I think that is a shame. The focus on book writing needs to come back to the fore. There is too much emphasis on catchy tunes and not enough on developing the characters and creating storylines that make sense. Period.

I don't know how long either show will last. I just want shows that make me feel, think and connect with the characters. A few tunes aren't enough. We have other shows to fill that (and for the record- I THINK (ok?) Jersey Boys' book is better than either one of these shows-it weaves the story seamlessly with the music).

PS-You couldn't GIVE me tickets to go back to either The Last Ship or If/Then.




Updated On: 11/2/14 at 09:23 AM

[JayG 2]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 11:09am

"for the record-Jersey Boys' book is better than either one of these shows..." For the record?? Dreaming, Please stop acting as though your OPINION is FACT.

You write:
"I just want shows that make me feel, think and connect with the characters. "
And that is exactly my experience with The Last Ship. Please don't insinuate otherwise for audiences attending it.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 11:12am

The really sad fact here is that the TDF tickets do not appear to be selling either. You would expect out of 14 dates some would now show limited seating. Nope. They are like they were a few days ago.

In the River thread we are talking about cleaning & gutting fish and a serious piece of theater here is dying. Yeah this is really what Broadway is all about. Now I see why after last season I distance myself from it. Go to an occasional show and that's that.

Updated On: 11/2/14 at 11:12 AM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 1:03pm

Oh and to somehow suggest that If/Then is better than The Last Ship is utter lunacy.

I didn't "suggest" it. I stated my opinion. The only sign of lunacy is assuming the only valid opinion is your own.

And that is exactly my experience with The Last Ship.

So what? The golden rule dictates that your opinion is now incomprehensible and nonsense.

Please don't insinuate otherwise for audiences attending it.

Do as you say and not as you do?

In every single category from score to cast to design to direction, Sting's show is FAR superior.

Incomprehensible. Try writing in English.

"I just want shows that make me feel, think and connect with the characters. "
And that is exactly my experience with The Last Ship. Please don't insinuate otherwise for audiences attending it.

There was a one-letter word at the beginning of the sentence that set the tone for the personal opinion of the author and had nothing to do with others. It was written in English.

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 1:18pm

"I think there is this misconception that a half-decent score can make up for a bad book-and I think that is a shame."

I like the idea of creating a position no one would support and then railing against it.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 6:13pm

Yorkey's name is still on the Neil Simon and credited as a Book writer along with Logan, so he's def. not fired.

And it's incredible that two people, one of which is a pretty accomplished playwright and the other wrote Next to Normal which has a pretty solid storyline, could write such dribble. The show is just boring. It doesn't DO anything. There's no dramatic tension, nothing.

There's a lot of talent on stage, and the songs aren't terrible, we just don't care about the people singing them.

I can't imagine it will catch on. It's not a show that needs to be seen.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 6:16pm

It needs to be seen despite your pan

Whether or not people choose to is another story. Looks like they are not.

[JayG 2]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 7:13pm

"we just don't care about the people singing them. "

Who is "we"? Or is this this the Royal "We"? Because I, Yes me, That's Who cared about the characters on that stage.

[JayG 2]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 7:16pm

Dear Mister Matt, what about the following sentence is incomprehensible:
In every single category from score to cast to design to direction, Sting's show is FAR superior.

Read much?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 7:22pm

To Jay

He does mean the Royal "we".

By the way I,Yes Me, That's Who" is an actual song title from a flop musical of " Lillies Of The Field" called " Look To The Lillies". Well done.

[JayG 2]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 7:28pm

Dear Mr. Roxy, Thank you for clearing up the Royal We question. Oh, and I can't put one over on you. Nice to know there are some people whose knowledge of musical theater history precedes Wicked.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 7:30pm

"Now I see why after last season I distance myself from it."

So basically, Mr ______ 's theme for '14 has been that every flop he loves (which is every flop and always has been) reveals to him another reason why he has "distanced" himself from theater. Although he keeps going back to flops.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 7:32pm

Mine really precedes Wicked

Try Gantry. You are a sly one. I thought the song title was a simple statement for the situation at hand. Well done.

By the way, saw Look and it was not to bad. It was an average musical and if they had gotten their original choice of Sammy Davis, it might have been a different story. This would be great @ Encores.

Updated On: 11/2/14 at 07:32 PM

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 7:43pm

JayG 2 and dreaming, when you type about your feelings regarding shows on this site, it's always an opinion.

Roxy, I'm sorry you have distanced yourself from theater, I hope some great theater you love comes your way soon.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 7:49pm

Thanks Sutton.

I doubt it will happen .When quality theater dies for an audience while stuff like Tiver succeeds because of a star, time to back away.

When people will almost kill each other for an autograph, DITTO.

When people do not like a show and are mean enough to call it a turd, you know the rest.

Updated On: 11/2/14 at 07:49 PM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 11:48pm

At The River & Jackman are keeping theatre relevant. I think that is a success. I haven't seen the show and it doesn't really appeal to me anyway.

And sorry, of course I meant "we" as in the "audience" and of course it's just my opinion. It's cool if you like it. Like I said I didn't hate it. But I just don't understand why they need to tell this story? What about it is unique compared to all the other blue collar workers struggling against big business musicals we already have?

[HogansHero]

Posted: 11/3/14 at 1:11am

re the why question--
Sting has spoken quite extensively about this. Perhaps if you familiarized yourself with what he has said, you'll feel differently. Or not.