If you’re Sting (aka Gordon Sumner), you might tour for funsies with Paul Simon, as he did very successfully earlier this year. Or perhaps, you’ll plumb your childhood memories and write a musical bound for Broadway.
Sting’s “The Last Ship” had its star-studded opening in Chicago last night prior to its Broadway debut this fall. Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, were there, as were James Taylor and other luminaries. The best-known faces were in the audience, for although the cast was stocked with wickedly talented journeyman actors, there is no big-name star to hijack attention from the material, which is quite apt.
“The Last Ship” tells the story of a once-thriving northern English town with a proud shipbuilding history that has fallen on hard times. The shipyard has been shuttered, and scrap metal is the new game in town. The good people of Wallsend—Sting’s actual hometown—want no part of it. They are shipmen, damn it, and too proud and too stubborn to change their ways. Jackie White (Jimmy Nail, a vocal ringer for Sting) is their leader.
The shipmen are aided and abetted by Father O’Brien (played perfectly by Broadway and TV vetFred Applegate), a waggish Catholic priest, fond of a pint and unafraid of a four-letter word. He’s served his flock well over the years, and he’s willing to fight for their dignity.
Gideon Fletcher, played as a boy by golden-voiced newcomer Collin Kelly-Sordelet, is at odds with his father, who wants him to come work in the yards. Gideon takes off, leaving behind his girl Meg (Dawn Cantwell) and sailing off to find his fortune and escape his past. He has promised to come back for her.
Fifteen years later, Gideon (now played by Michael Esper) returns to his hometown to find the shipyards closed. He reconnects with Meg (now played by the sinuous Rachel Tucker), who he still pines for. There are complications, namely a rival beau (Aaron Lazar, a compelling voice and presence) and her fifteen-year-old son, Tom (played by Collin Kelly-Sordelet, and I bet you can guess what THAT means).
Sting’s music and lyrics are evocative of place and capture the spirit of the sea, the passion of pride, and the language of love and longing. As in his career, he is a musical chameleon here, with songs ranging from sea shanty to rock to jazz. And the title song, “The Last Ship,” is a total earworm that I will hear for days.
The book, by Tony Award winners John Logan (“Red”) and Brian Yorkey (“Next to Normal”), connects the songs in a believable way and captures the anguished voice of the dispossessed, as well as their desire to soldier on, in colorful language that is delivered in a heartfelt manner by the accomplished cast.
Director Joe Mantello, a star in his own right, here works with choreographer Steven Hoggett, who helmed “Once,” one of my favorite musicals of recent years. “The Last Ship” has much in common with that show, both in terms of quality of stage movement and style of music. The scenic and costume design (both by David Zinn) were spot on.
Bottom line? I loved the show, although it still needs a little tightening, and a few songs felt a little forced lyrically (most notably “Ghost Story,” sung by Gideon and Tom in the penultimate scene). But I was swept away by the music, and the David and Goliath story compelled. You’ll be rooting for the shipbuilders…and “The Last Ship.”
Broadway in Chicago’s production of “The Last Ship” plays at the Bank of America Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St., Chicago, through July 13. For tickets, visit Broadway in Chicago’s website.
Photos by Joan Marcus.
