The Last Ship Tickets | Schedule for 2024/2025 Events

The Last Ship

Sting composed the music and wrote the lyrics for The Last Ship, while Lorne Campbell penned the script. Having already played to sold-out audiences across the United Kingdom and for six weeks at Toronto's Princess of Wales Theater, the production went to the United States. On January 22, 2020, it opened at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles.

Playing in Chicago at the Bank of America Theater before transferring to the Neil Simon Theater in 2014, the musical originally included a script by Brian Yorkey and John Logan. It was based on Sting's childhood and the shipbuilding industry in Tyne, Wallsend, and Wear. In 2015, the musical was up for two Tony Awards: Best Original Score and Best Orchestration.

The Story

The action of The Last Ship takes place in the fictional English port town of Wallsend, a small, close-knit community where the shipyard has traditionally been the center of the city and where hardworking men create magnificent vessels. But Gideon Fletcher hopes for something different. He leaves his life and his love behind to go around the world.

When Gideon returns after 14 years, he finds the shipyard's future in danger and that his childhood sweetheart is engaged. As the men of Wallsend take charge of their future and build a tall symbol of the dream they all share, Gideon realizes that he made a mistake in leaving things behind.

Production

On September 19, 2013, it was announced that the show would try out in Chicago before it opened on Broadway. On February 14, 2014, tickets for the tryout went on sale. The show's previews at the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago started on June 10, 2014. The show opened on June 25, 2014, and ran for 33 days until July 13, 2014.

After the test run in Chicago, The Last Ship moved to New York to play at the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway. On September 29, 2014, previews began at the Neil Simon Theater, and on October 26, 2014, the show opened for real. During the curtain call on the first night, Sting joined the cast on stage. Robert De Niro, Billy Joel, and Liam Neeson were among the famous people present there. To boost falling ticket sales, the show's creator and musician Sting replaced Jimmy Nail for a limited run from December 9 to January 24, 2015.

Even though sales went up when Sting joined the cast, and producers said he had a "galvanizing effect" - the show was shut down on January 24, 2015.