The Last Ship previews- Page 7

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 12:17pm

Yeah, that's my criticism. He's angsty and conflicted. And just like her, it gets tiresome after awhile.

The show isn't laughably bad or anything like that. I quite enjoyed myself. It just felt long, and I can't imagine it will catch on with the average theatergoer.

[dreaming]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 12:38pm

I was there last night. It's not laughably bad, but there sure is no character development. I don't know if I was the only one, but there were sound issues with the group numbers (the band/orchestra drowning out the singers, particularly the ensemble).

The show is very sprawling-they really needed another workshop or out of town run. The book is holding it back. I do think the songs had a pattern to them. (And good Lord, there were a LOT of reprisals-who does Sting think he is? Andrew Lloyd Weber?) The songs that got the best response...were mainly the ones people previously knew. (Although the rousing ones did get a fair amount of applause-"We Ain't Got Naught" was the one that really did.) The opening was long...and talky...and with the odd sound issues very tough to hear and understand what was going on.

I think the problem for me at least was I didn't care very much about any of these characters, except for the priest (Fred Applegate was the best part of the show). They should have developed the characters more-Arthur, Tom, Meg and Gideon (maybe the priest too). They try to tell too much. I wanted to know more about them as individuals and the book didn't really do that.

The direction was rousing during the group numbers (although I felt like I was watching a combination of "Billy Elliot" and "Once" and couldn't help but wonder what John Tiffany would have thought of it.)

I wanted to like this more...but the book seriously needs work (and the sound designer needs to fix the system. The band/orchestra should not drown out the singers). I thought the actors were fine (wished Aaron Lazar had more to do). A lot of this felt disconnected, however, and I was disconnected from it as a result.

Posted: 10/8/14 at 1:41pm

is this show still open or is it on tour in Milwaukee this week?

[dreaming]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 1:43pm

Are you kidding? As I said, though, it could have stood another out of town tryout.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 1:43pm

...why would it be on tour in Milwaukee? It's running at the Neil Simon Theatre.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 10/9/14 at 8:56am

Saw it the other night -- some sound issues are still being ironed out (the graveside scene had one odd moment where the atmospheric bass sounds just cut out very suddenly, it was jarring and disorienting).

The characters and situations are by and large trite and overfamiliar, as is the score. A few glimmers, Meg's song about sailormen and that unexpectedly lovely "When We Dance" number in act one, and then the "Different Moon" number where Meg makes her decision were handsomely done, no question.

But too much of it is too familiar, eye-rollingly obvious and cliched. And I hope I never ever see that foot-stomp move on stage again.

[Patash]

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

"I think you're wrong since the show is sold out through March."

Jordan, was that supposed to be a joke? How would we know? I actually thought you might be serious -- or at least you meant tickets were limited. Nothing could be further from the truth!

[Pootie2]

Posted: 10/9/14 at 10:56am

^He's making fun of that "Buffalo Bill" guy who spammed several (like 4?) completely idiotic threads all about this show, one of which started out asking if the show was literally sold out through March (deleted thread), when anyone who checked online could easily see it wasn't.

[ajh]

Posted: 10/10/14 at 2:28am

I so wanted to like this but it is one of the most boring things I've sat through in a long while.

The storytelling, if it can even be called that, is a mess, with little character development, great big plot holes and little plausibility, thereby making the crucial emotional connection, which Sting's predominantly plaintive score would appear to be after, well nigh impossible, for me anyway.

Physically, the production is handsome and atmospheric.

Some of the aforementioned score is actually really beautiful, and the choral singing is thrilling. Enough with the reprises though! Even ALW wouldn't recycle to this extent. By the end of it I wasn't sure if I was humming the title song coming out of the Simon because it is memorable or because I'd heard it about a dozen times.

The cast acquit themselves well given that none of them, except possibly Fred Applegate who is wonderful as the priest, have fully rounded characters to play. I would also except Jimmy Nail who is shockingly bad both vocally and dramatically. Rachel Tucker has a fine belt but could use some more warmth although that is probably not her fault, while Aaron Lazar also sings beautifully but is ultimately at sea (!) in an underwritten rôle. Michael Esper is hardworking and damn sexy despite the fact that his character arc makes little sense.

A major plot development happens in the last 30 seconds of the show and feels rushed and bewildering. Feeling rushed in a show that elsewhere feels as overlong as this one feels bizarre to say the least.

I can see the comparisons to Billy Elliot and also the British musical The Hired Man, but they are infinitely better crafted than this, and way more emotionally and dramatically satisfying.

I am also so over Steven Hoggett's jerky, stompy choreography. Much of it here feels unnecessary and the rest of it borders on the risible. Urgh.

I hope this does indeed improve in previews but the fact that this has already had the Chicago tryout suggests that maybe this is what the creative team want. What I wanted most was to get out of the damn theater. Despite all that I'll still buy the cast album if there is one as there are some good songs and fine singing here.

[Hackasaurus_Rex]

Posted: 10/10/14 at 3:13am

Fantastic use of the word "risible"!

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 10/10/14 at 9:31am

Spoilers---

ajh, I'm guessing you mean when Meg decides to let Tom go on the ship with Gideon? I see that more as a satisfying resolution than a plot development that needs to be explained, but I see your point. Interesting.

I do agree with you that Jimmy Nail is the weak link. His acting is just not good at all.

[Mr. Musical]

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

See I thought Jimmy Nail was fine for the sort of character he was playing. He wouldn't have been believable with a gorgeous voice.

On the other hand, I really thought Michael Esper was the weak link and couldn't really sing, which further highlighted the shortcomings of the character as written.

[LucyEth]

Posted: 10/10/14 at 10:45am

I thought Esper did a fine job with the original numbers, but had difficulty with the songs already made famous by Sting himself. Nail had little to do, so didn't bother me much.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 10/10/14 at 11:00am

I think Esper's voice/capabilities are perfect for the material. I mean, it's a Sting musical, did you expect the lead to sound like Aaron Lazar? That would be weird.

[Mr. Musical]

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

"did you expect the lead to sound like Aaron Lazar?"

No, but I don't think his voice sounded good on this material at all. I agree you need a grittier, more singer/songwriter sound, but Esper sounded like he was struggling to hit notes and be on pitch.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/11/14 at 2:12am

My friend made the comment that a few of the singers "sounded like Sting." I don't quite understand that. I mean, he wrote the score sure, but it's not like everyone in Aida sounded like Elton John? Why not just hire good singers instead of people who mimic a Sting "style."

I would say that Esper was not up to the challenges of the score. He's a fine actor, but a singing-actor, I'm not sure. Nor do I think Lazar's voice really suited the material. His song became incredibly boring after the first verse.

"I am also so over Steven Hoggett's jerky, stompy choreography. Much of it here feels unnecessary and the rest of it borders on the risible. Urgh."

I totally agree ajh! I LOVED his work in ONCE, and thought it worked well for Glass Menagerie, but here it just feels so tired and overused. I guess after seeing a sad attempt at a Hoggett style in "If/THen," this just felt like a rehash of all of his other stuff, and it didn't feel grounded. It just felt very haphazard. I don't think this show is anyone's best work. Mantello, Logan, etc.

Posted: 10/11/14 at 11:04am

Did this show close yet?

Posted: 10/11/14 at 1:13pm

So I went to see the show last night, and who did I see afterwards?

Buffalo Bill walking west on 52nd Street!

[Ariella]

Posted: 10/11/14 at 1:30pm

I thought Esper was terrific - he's a very fine actor and his choices (partly) compensated for the ho-humness of the show in general.

[ShowTuneHealer]

Posted: 10/12/14 at 6:00pm

I saw TLS yesterday (October 11th) in center orchestra seats, row N, at a matinee followed by a panel with the show's creators (more on that in a separate post). The first act was IMHO just terrific, but the show really falls apart in the second act. However the first act is SO transporting that I'll definitely recommend the show to friends, and those of you who have upcoming tickets don't need to fret over the prospect of disappointment. I think RippedMan and LucyEth are both on target in their earlier messages.

What works (especially in the first act):
- The choreography manages to be very naturalistic and character/story-driven, while still being real dancing and not just movement
- The score will be appealing/accessible to contemporary audiences, but is still very much theatrical music (much more so than something like Once) and also feels very specific to the cultural context of the setting
- A number of beautiful songs; the ensemble numbers are particularly strong, especially compared to the concept album (which I've enjoyed listening to...but liked the show's versions, plus some additional songs not on the album, a lot more)
- The set is very effective and really helps hold the show together
- Overall a solid cast, though I can't say that anyone rocked my world
- The meta-theme/setting -- yes, it's very like Billy Elliot, but the shipbuilding theme brings another layer to this story that is very compelling...all the romance of the sea and the drama of what it takes to build a big ship

What's not working:
- the book is definitely weak. It's not so obvious in act 1, because the momentum of the musical numbers pulls you along. But there are basically 4 different intertwining arcs, which could work if the show committed to one arc as the main story and were structured accordingly. But it feels undecided about which is the main arc, so it's hard to sustain any sense of urgency/commitment to the plot. Plus, as already noted in this thread, at least 3 of those 4 arcs cover very well-trodden territory.
- The show wraps up 3 of the 4 main arcs too quickly -- by midway through act 2 it's hard to see what's left to accomplish in terms of the core characters' emotional stakes
- Act 2 has too many reprises, not enough new songs and not enough ensemble pieces; the once big ensemble number is a little too "Let's put on a musical!" There is really only one compelling fresh song in act 2 (the Pugilist's Dance). Lots of solo numbers where one or two actors feel lost in a cavernous set.
- Aaron Lazar is indeed a weak link, though not sure that's his performance or the role itself -- probably both

I actually think this *is* a fix-able show, but it doesn't sound like it will get fixed at this point. I loved the first act so much that I'd love to see the second act get streamlined, and the pacing adjusted so it has more narrative suspense. In particular, I think they need to raise the stakes around the shipbuilding itself -- not only because it's the most interesting storyline, but also because we really lose the "so what" of the story (they build the ship and then what does that mean for the town?)

All these reservations notwithstanding, I still highly recommend the show on the strength of its first act -- a solid dose of the shiver-inducing magic that can happen when dance, music, set and story all work together.

[MrSnow]

Posted: 10/12/14 at 8:34pm

Saw the matinee Saturday (10/11). I agree the first act was thrilling - second act not so much, but could be fixed. In particular I would cut the graveyard scene - it really bogs everything down. I thought Rachel Tucker was terrific - beauty with a very hard edge, and a great voice. The veteran Applegate was excellent - he gets to sing the first iteration of the theme song and did it well (not as well as Sting at the Tonys, but what can you do?) I refuse to be a hammer and pound Jimmy Nail - I thought he was a riveting character. Overall, this is better than Rocky and Billy Elliot and if they move the second act along it should have legs.
P.S. A word on the "reality". You really have to treat it as a fairy tale - of course there is no way they could have (a) built this ship or (b) sailed it away. They aren't sailors, they are shipbuilders. More to the point, when a ship is launched from dry dock into the water it is far from being ready to sail. They would have had several more months of work to do once it was afloat. Ludicrous, but just suspend your disbelief.

Posted: 10/12/14 at 10:06pm

My favorite song was the waltz, “The Night the Pugilist Learned How to Dance.” But also “The Last Ship” and “When We Dance,” which I think was a radio hit for Sting.

I recommend listening the 2013 Sting album on a streaming site before going, just to get familiar with the lush folk sound of the score. His vocals are a little affected on some tunes, but his accent is better than some of the Yanks in the show's attempts.

I’d say this is a must-see for anyone who 1) likes the Police/Sting, 2) likes Once or Billy Elliott, and 3) likes Celtic folk music. For others, not so much. The story, not so much. But the music is gorgeous. Gonna be hard to top come Tony time.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/12/14 at 10:45pm

Don't forget JRB wrote "Honeymoon in Vegas" and it's apparently some of his best work.

[KnewItWhenIWasInFron]

Posted: 10/13/14 at 3:15pm

Showtune Healer, I'm not sure I agree about the fixability but it sure doesn't seem like there's any fixing going on. Those are pretty much the same tone/book issues the show had three months ago in Chicago.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/13/14 at 3:38pm

Did this show close yet?

The answer remains the same from the last two times you asked. It will close when it closes and not a day before. Our opinions certainly have nothing to do with ticket sales.