Hard work and persistence pay off. That’s true for Sting, who jumped into his show “The Last Ship” on Broadway, to save it back on December 9th. And the reward is sweet: last week, “The Last Ship” sailed to $953,165 at the box office. The show had its biggest week yet, and highest capacity crowd. Plus, the average ticket price was a robust $106. So there.
To pull this off, Sting had to jump into a secondary role in the show, and perform it 8 times a week. He hasn’t missed one show yet, and will stick it out through January 24th. At that point, he has to leave to get ready for a big pre-sold tour with Paul Simon. Of course, when “The Last Ship” was coming together, the rock star never thought this is what he’d be doing over Christmas and New Year’s.
It hasn’t hurt that the CD for “The Last Ship” is number 1 on Billboard among Broadway shows. USA Today gave the show a boost when it named it Best Musical of the Year. They weren’t wrong. “The Last Ship” is unique in that it’s totally original, also. It isn’t based on a previous film or show, or anything that existed. All the music is new, too. Even the songs Sting brought in from his vast catalog were completely reworked. And they are gorgeous, hummable songs you don’t forget.
What will happen when Sting leaves? The excellent Jimmy Nail will return to the show as Jackie White, and audiences should keep coming. Word of mouth should help. I’ve never seen so many satisfied customers Tweet out thanks for a Broadway musical. But it’s all about Sting’s dedication and his work ethic. Maybe this week the show will hit $1 million. That would be the sweetest reward of all !
