Book: John Logan & Brian Yorkey; Music and lyrics: Sting. At: Bank of America Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St. Tickets: 800-775-2000 or www.broadwayinchicago.com; $33-$100. Runs through July 13
It's ironic that the United Kingdom's current governing coalition isn't more supportive of its film and theater industries—especially if you consider the artists who have created commercial film and stage pieces advocating for British workers in the troubled or dismantled industries of steel manufacturing ( The Full Monty ), coal mining ( Billy Elliot ) and shoe-factory work ( Kinky Boots ).
Now you can add shipbuilders to the list with The Last Ship, the Broadway-bound musical currently at the Bank of America Theatre that was spearheaded by Sting and features an original score by the rock superstar. The Last Ship is, in many ways, a show for Sting to honor the northeastern English shipbuilding community of Wallsend that he grew up in, and to stress the importance of work in defining the dignity and identities of laborers and their families.
The Last Ship focuses on Gideon Fletcher ( Michael Esper ), a vagabond sailor who returns to town to face up to his decision 15 years ago to flee rather than follow in his abusive late father's footsteps. Gideon has a left-behind girlfriend named Meg Dawson ( Rachel Tucker ) to reconcile with, a fractured father-son relationship to contemplate ( no mother is ever mentioned ) and town full of folks devastated by the collapse of the generations-old shipbuilding industry.
Luckily, there's the unconventional Irish-Catholic priest Father O'Brien ( played with deadpan-perfect comic timing by Fred Applegate ), who rallies the community to occupy their shuttered shipyard to build one last vessel. Exactly what they hope to achieve by their illegal work action isn't entirely convincing, and one wishes that book writers John Logan and Brian Yorkey could plug up the many plot holes and unanswered questions in the script—like explaining how a cash-strapped town can foot the multi-million pound bill for this venture and why the shipbuilders aren't arrested en masse. ( Perhaps it's the bad PR in the media that scares the company from pressing charges. )
Despite the questionable script, Sting has composed a deeply personal and melodic score for The Last Ship that is full of rousing Celtic ensemble numbers and tender ballads that unquestionably honors his hometown roots. Some might like a little more character and lyric differentiation in the numbers, but this is a lovely and distinctive score in shipshape form.
Production-wise, set and costume designer David Zinn works well with lighting designer Christopher Akerlind to create an appropriately stark and industrial look to the show. Under Joe Mantello's fine direction with manly and lumbering dances by choreographer Steven Hoggett, The Last Ship features an all-around great cast with many standouts like Jimmy Nail, Aaron Lazar, Collin Kelly-Sordelet and Sally Ann Triplett, who do a wonderful and emotional job in bringing Sting's musical vision to life.
