Sting Joins Cast of The Last Ship from 9 Dec 2014
It has been announced that Sting will join the cast of his own musical, The Last Ship in the role of Jackie White, for a limited four week period from 9 December 2014 to 10 January 2015.
The composer, singer and songwriter will take over the role from Jimmy Nail who opened the show at the Neil Simon Theatre on 26 October 2014, following previews from 29 September 2014.
The move comes as producers face a difficult time at the box office and follows Sting already foregoing his royalties in an effort to keep the musical afloat.
The show opened to mixed-to-positive reviews, with many praising the original score and the lead performances: "Sting brings it" (NY Daily News), "The pungent lyrics spring directly from character and situation" (NY Times).
Speaking of today's announcement, the composer said:
"We have spent five years working on The Last Ship and I have relished every moment of that process...taking to the stage is a continuation of that and I now accept the baton from my good friend and fellow Geordie, Jimmy Nail, who provided so much inspiration for the character of Jackie White. It is my distinct honor to join this remarkable cast and play the part of Jackie until I pass the baton back to Jimmy."
The Last Ship tells the story of a community determined to preserve the only way of life it has ever known....and a woman who must choose between the two men she loves. It features music and lyrics by Sting and book by John Logan and Brian Yorkey and features direction by Joe Mantello and choreography by Steven Hoggett.
Sting will be joining the principal cast, which also includes Michael Esper, Rachel Tucker, Jimmy Nail, Fred Applegate, Aaron Lazar, Sally Ann Triplett and Collin Kelly-Sordelet.
The Last Ship is produced on Broadway by Jeffrey Seller, Kathryn Schenker, Kevin McCollum, Sander Jacobs, James L. Nederlander, Roy Furman, Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss.
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