The Last Ship

The Last ship is playing at the Neil Simon Theatre located at 250 West 52nd Street. It runs two hours and thirty five minutes with one intermission. The musical is and open ended show.

Joe Mantello is the director. He has won two Tony Awards for “Assassins” (2004) and “Take Me Out” (2003 ). He has won two Drama Desk Awards for “Wicked” and “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches” (actor 1993). Joe has been nominated for four Tony Awards for “The Normal Heart” (actor 2011), “Glengarry Glen Ross” (2005), “Love! Valour! Compassion!” (1995) and “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches” (1993 actor). Joe has been nominated for numerous Drama Desk Awards. If not mentioned the award was for directing.

John Logan wrote the book. He won a Tony Award for “Red” (2010). He was nominated for an Academy Award for “Hugo” (2011). John's last Broadway show was “I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat With Sue Mengers” with Bette Midler.

Brian Yorkey wrote the book. He won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2010 for “Next to Normal”. It won a Tony Award for Best Original Score and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical (2009).

Steve Hogget is the choreography. He was nominated for a Tony Award for “Once” (2012). Steve was nominated for a Drama Desk Award in 2011 for “Beautiful Burnout” and “Peter and the Starcatcher”.

Sting did the music and lyrics. He has won twenty five American Music Awards and eleven Grammy Awards.

Eric Anderson was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for “Soul Doctor” (2012).

Aaron Lazar was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for “Les Miserables” (2006) .

The setting is streets and ship yard in Wallsend, in the northeast of England.

Young Gideon Fletcher (Collin Kelly-Sordelt) father Joe (James Jackson) gets hurt in the shipyard. Joe tells his son that he has to now work in the shipyard. They need the money. Gideon refuses. His father slaps him in the face. Gideon decides to leave. He asks his girlfriend young Meg (Dawn Cantwell) to come with him. She turns him down.

Gideon (Michael Esper) comes home when Father O’Brien (Fred Applegate) tells him his father has died. He has been gone fifteen years. His girlfriend Meg (Rachel Tucker) has a son Tom (Collin). Meg has a boyfriend Arthur Millburn (Aaron Lazar).

The ship yard is closing. Freddy Newlands (Eric Anderson) and Arthur offer the men jobs. They refuse saying they only know how to make ships. The men decide they are going to make one last ship. But they have no money. Father O’Brien finds the money to open the yard. But he doesn’t have that much time to live.

They occupy the yard illegally. The head of the group is Jackie White. (Jimmy Nall).

Well what happened is up to you to see the show. Some of the scenes I liked took place in the pub and ship yard. We learn more about the characters in those scenes. I love the songs “We’ve Got Now’t Else”, “When We Dance” and “The Last Ship”.

Rachael Tucker and Shawna M. Hamic have great voices. Shawna sings “Mrs. Dee’s Rant”. All I can say is WOW!

Fred Applegate as Father O’Brien is not only funny in his role, he can belt a song. Fred does a fantastic job.

The rest of the cast, work well with each other. There are seven major characters and twenty two ensemble; swing.

The only problem was in the beginning there is a clear screen. Some of the actors perform behind it. Sometimes it was hard hearing them. Hopefully it gets fixed by opening.

This is a nice show that builds up till the end.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor.

To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to the left for recent photos. Click on recent photos for this and other shows.