The Last Ship Lasting- Page 7

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 11/20/14 at 12:51pm

I've been told that they are indeed doing one of the large group numbers at the parade. I found the material with the guys at the shipyard the most interesting, and I'm surprised they haven't been trying to use that to sell the show more.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/20/14 at 1:46pm

Since Hairspray, the following musicals flopped there

Ragtime - Revival
Catch Me If You Can
Scandalous
Big Fish
Last Ship

In earlier years

Into The Light
Senator Joe
Superman

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 11/20/14 at 1:51pm

So they're probably doing We've Got Now't Else at the parade. I think they made great choices showcasing Rachel on Jimmy Fallon and When We Dance on the morning shows. People here were complaining they were tired of the stomping men from the commercial, and now everyone is wondering why they haven't been doing that number more?

Updated On: 11/20/14 at 01:51 PM

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/20/14 at 2:07pm

So, if those other shows had gone into other theaters, they would have become long-running hits? I saw a few of those, and they would have flopped in any house.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/21/14 at 11:19am

It is on TDF for a ton of dates including every day during Thanksgiving week. If they cannot sell during this week forget it.

Looks like this is headed to Davy Jones locker. Oh well. We saw it and liked it. Sorry for the cast and crew but that is the cruel world of Broadway

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/21/14 at 11:21am

"Sorry for the cast and crew but that is the cruel world of Broadway."

aka capitalism, aka nothing unique to Broadway.

[massofmen]

Posted: 11/23/14 at 10:50pm

huh i think i said this about 3 weeks ago..someone told me i had no idea what I was talking about.
Hogans...how is it going?


"The production has been reportedly losing $75,000 a week since performances began on Sept. 29. According to the Times, it needs to gross at least $625,000 a week to break even and to sustain a Broadway run."


Updated On: 11/23/14 at 10:50 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/23/14 at 10:59pm

Sting coming in for a few weeks is a band aid at best. I applaud him for fighting for his show but the show tanks again after he leaves. This leaves about 2 1/2 months before business MIGHT pick up. The Christmas holidays do not appear to be helping the box office Too little to late

If he played in it for the the 3 months of dead time, it might make a difference. Sadly this will only prolong the agony

[BroadwayBen]

Posted: 11/23/14 at 11:01pm

Maybe they will get another pop star to replace Sting in January. Sting has the connections to find one.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/23/14 at 11:09pm

Never thought of that.

Should be interesting who might follow him. Sting's role is a small one so not much rehearsal needed.

[JayG 2]

Posted: 11/23/14 at 11:38pm

Not sure I would call Jackie a small role. According to the NYTimes, he is in 40 percent of the show. He does a lot of singing.
I hope this stunt works out for the show and they can somehow make it to the Tonys in June, but it's a crapshoot.
In spite of its flaws, this show is just too good for the kinds of audiences that now fill B'way theaters. IMHO so you can keep your outrage in check

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/23/14 at 11:53pm

Nail was terrible in the role. He like did this weird speak sing stuff. So I'd be curious to hear Sting do it. I don't think it's going to help a ton though.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/24/14 at 12:00am

To Jay

No rage. Just made a statement. If it works fine . If not, so be it.

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/24/14 at 12:12am

"In spite of its flaws, this show is just too good for the kinds of audiences that now fill B'way theaters. IMHO"

Can't you just praise a show without denigrating people with higher standards than you?

I'm curious why they can muck about with the casting and try to get audiences in there, but they never say, hey, Logan, why not try and fix that book up a bit? Why does that become a sacred document on opening night?

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 11/24/14 at 12:58am

"In spite of its flaws, this show is just too good for the kinds of audiences that now fill B'way theaters."

And the audiences know it too! In fact this was overheard at the TKTS booth: "Sorry but we have nothing left for CABARET. Have you considered THE LAST SHIP?" "We did and it looks amazing, so amazing in fact that we're not feeling worthy of having the opportunity to witness such a magnificent piece of theater so we'd better see something else".

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 11/24/14 at 1:01am

And I could have told you, Sting show,
This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you….

[Lovinbroadway2]

Posted: 11/24/14 at 4:14am

It's just the time of the year, I reckon, Hopefully people will go during Christmas time.

[dreaming]

Posted: 11/24/14 at 8:25am

It's not really a family show nor one I can imagine the tourists will flock to. This may help in the short term but I'm not convinced it's a long term solution.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 11/24/14 at 8:33am

Mass, what you said (and you had no idea what you were talking about) was that the show would close Jan 10.

Then you said that was a joke when I and others called you on it.

Then you said it would close in January unless Sting "threw 100k at it."

I said I didn't think that would solve the problem but that adding Sting to the cast would.

So yes, you had no idea what you were talking about.

I am doing well. Thanks for asking.

Updated On: 11/24/14 at 08:33 AM

[JayG 2]

Posted: 11/24/14 at 8:45am

Ah the book, the book , the book. Yes, the book to Mamma Mia is perfectly intelligent, the book for Phantom of the Opera and Wicked make total sense, Disney books are the epitome of brilliant librettos, the books for Beautiful and Rock of Ages deserved Pulitzer Prizes, the book for Once and Book of Mormon are the pantheon of tightly constructed librettos and let's not forget Kinky Boots' and Newsies' books, so rock solid and non-manipulative. FAR FROM PERFECT books have been a part of musicals that have run for years and years.
A composer (twice nominated for a Tony Award and the recipient of Drama Desk Award and a Gold Record) once told me that book writers are always criticized first and most harshly because every "critic" can read and write and, therefore, he feels he knows something about actual libretto writing (which is hogwash). Composers, he said, can often escape the contempt of "critics" because most people know nothing about musical composition and only know what sounds pleasant to them.
While I enjoyed a couple of the shows I cite above, NONE of them can lay claim to a libretto that ranks with the best of the Golden Age (and even some of Hammerstein's and George Abbott's books can be taken to task if we really get down to it.)

Yes, Logan's book has holes and stretches credibility (Emil De Becque proposes before he even tells Nellie about his children?), but come on. It is no worse than any libretto mentioned above. However, what it has is Sting's score, one of the best currently heard on B'way. Had this show starred Hugh Jackman tickets would be impossible. Oh, yes, let's not forget that smash, The Boy From Oz! A paint by numbers butt numbing libretto.)

[martianman2]

Posted: 11/24/14 at 9:01am

Is this called rearranging the deckchairs on the titanic. The producers have also blamed a wrong marketing strategy of focusing on shipbuilding rather than a love story. Surely making a video that looked like a beer advert rather than clips form the actual show was questionable. I would question some of the marketing decisions for the show since the tryout.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 11/24/14 at 9:43am

Jeffrey Seller is very candid in the interview with Healy which I highly recommend. He's clear he wants to make it to the Tonys.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/24/theater/sting-to-join-the-cast-of-his-broadway-musical.html?ref=arts&_r=0

[dreaming]

Posted: 11/24/14 at 9:54am

I want a lot of things, but that doesn't mean they're going to happen. Let's wait and see...there are more shows coming in the spring. It's a tough sell. The show as a whole is just rough (it could've used another tryout with serious changes).

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 11/24/14 at 10:09am

Well of course, but Seller is the one who has to pull the plug. That's what I'm saying. He has more faith in it than most people and he has to make the decision.

[dreaming]

Posted: 11/24/14 at 10:21am

Well Disney may want that theater for Hunchback in the fall (they usually use Nederlander). There is also a clause probably where they can be forced out.