ACT OUT OPENING: The Last Ship Begins TONIGHT #BroadwayInChicago

PRE-BROADWAY WORLD PREMIERE OF 

THE LAST SHIP

ANNOUNCES RUSH SEATING

20 SEATS AT $25. AVAILABLE THE MORNING OF EACH PERFORMANCE DAY

Here at ChiIL Live Shows/ ChiIL Mama we've been eagerly anticipating the opening of Sting's show for months!  At last it's HERE. Got your tickets yet?  We can not wait to check it out!

PERFORMANCES BEGIN TUESDAY, JUNE 10

The producers of the Pre-Broadway World Premiere of THE LAST SHIP will offer special rush tickets for all performances.  Ten pairs, 20 tickets, will be available to patrons, on the day-of-show, for $25.  These rush tickets will be available at the box office only, on the day of the performance, when the box office opens at 10:00 a.m. except for Sunday at 11:00 a.m.  

THE LAST SHIP, the new musical with music and lyrics by 17-time Grammy winner Sting, and book by Tony winner John Logan and Pulitzer Prize-winner Brian Yorkey – will begin previews on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre (250 W. 52 St.) on September 30 prior to opening night on October 26, according to producers Jeffrey Seller and Kathryn Schenker.  THE LAST SHIP is directed by Tony winner Joe Mantello and has choreography by Olivier Award winner and Tony nominee Steven Hoggett.

THE LAST SHIP will travel to New York following a pre-Broadway tryout June 10 to July 13 in Chicago at Bank of America Theatre.  Inspired by Sting's own childhood experiences, THE LAST SHIP marks the renowned musician's Broadway debut as a composer. 

THE LAST SHIP is set in the English seafaring town of Wallsend, a close-knit community where life has always revolved around the local shipyard and the hardworking men construct magnificent vessels with tremendous pride.  But Gideon Fletcher dreams of a different future.  He sets out to travel the world, leaving his life and his love behind.  When Gideon returns home 14 years later, he finds the shipyard's future in grave danger and his childhood sweetheart engaged to someone else.  As the men of Wallsend take their future into their own hands and build a towering representation of the shared dream that defines their existence, Gideon realizes that he left behind more than he could have ever imagined.

THE LAST SHIP is a portrait of a community so bound together by passion, faith and tradition, they'll stop at nothing to preserve the only life they've ever known.

Performances of THE LAST SHIP will begin at Chicago’s Bank of America Theatre (18 West Monroe Street) on June 10, 2014 for a five-week-only limited engagement through July 13, 2014.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710.  Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., 18 W. Monroe St. and 175 E. Chestnut), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com. 

OPENING: The Last Ship To Be Featured On The TONY AWARD BROADCAST Opens June 10th

Of course, here at ChiIL Live Shows/ChiIL Mama we've been excited about Sting's new musical, The Last Ship.  We've been promoting it for months, but it's nearly HERE!  Check back with us like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often for loads of news, reviews, photo filled recaps, and more.  
In fact we just shot loads of show stills at TIDES last weekend, featuring percussionist, Bob Garret who is soon to appear in The Last Ship.

We'll have our full photo feature on TIDES up shortly, which also features Chiara Mangiameli, flamenco dancer lead in Rick Bayless's acclaimed Cascabel.  Tides featured more than 40 dancers, of all ages and from various backgrounds, addressing the events that changed their lives through flamenco dance and song forms with live accompaniment by musicians including Carlo Basile (Las Guitarras de Espana) and percussionist Bob Garrett.

Back to The Last Ship:

TUNE IN ALERT

CHICAGO’S PRE-BROADWAY WORLD PREMIERE

TO BE FEATURED ON THE TONY AWARD BROADCAST

Sting, 16-time Grammy Award® winner, will perform a song from his upcoming musical, THE LAST SHIP, at the 68^th Annual Tony Awards. The 2014 Tony Awards will broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City, on CBS, on Sunday, June 8, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. CST and are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.  For more information on the Tony Awards, please visit www.TonyAwards.com.

THE LAST SHIP will have its Pre-Broadway World Premiere in Chicago at the Bank of America Theatre (18 West Monroe Street). Performances begin on June 10, 2014 for a five-week-only limited engagement through July 13, 2014.

ABOUT THE LAST SHIP

THE LAST SHIP is set in the English seafaring town of Wallsend, a close-knit community where life has always revolved around the local shipyard and the hardworking men construct magnificent vessels with tremendous pride.  But Gideon Fletcher dreams of a different future.  He sets out to travel the world, leaving his life and his love behind.  When Gideon returns home 14 years later, he finds the shipyard's future in grave danger and his childhood sweetheart engaged to someone else.  As the men of Wallsend take their future into their own hands and build a towering representation of the shared dream that defines their existence, Gideon realizes that he left behind more than he could have ever imagined. THE LAST SHIP is a portrait of a community so bound together by passion, faith and tradition, they'll stop at nothing to preserve the only life they've ever known.

TICKET INFORMATION

THE LAST SHIP tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., 18 W. Monroe St. and 175 E. Chestnut), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com.  A select number of premium seats are also available for many performances.  Tickets are available for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710. 

In addition to adoring Sting's work, we're also quite fond of Wicked, Next to Normal and Once, and we've seen and reviewed the Broadway touring productions of all of them. So we're beyond excited to see this creative collaboration come to life on stage!  Got your tickets yet? 

TIDES Flamenco This Friday Through Sunday at Vittum Theatre #ChiILPicksList #Multicultural #Dance #FamilyFriendly

ChiIL Mama's ChiIL Picks List for This Weekend:

Chiara Mangiameli, founder of Studio Mangiameli and female lead in Rick Bayless's acclaimed Cascabel, will be presenting her annual show at the Vittum Theater, May 30-June 1. 

ChiIL Mama has an exclusive video interview with Marina Claudio, one of the Flamenco dancers who is a friend of ours. She is not only a dancer, but also a doctor and a mom!  Hear her take on the show and also how she balances all of her roles. We're adding her interview to our long running series on How Creatives Parent and How Parents Create.

Check it out right here:

Tides will feature more than 40 dancers, of all ages and from various backgrounds, addressing the events that changed their lives through flamenco dance and song forms with live accompaniment by musicians including Carlo Basile (Las Guitarras de Espana) and percussionist Bob Garrett, soon to appear in Sting’s new musical, The Last Ship.  

ChiIL Mama will be there... will YOU?!

May 30th and 31st at 7:30pm

June 1st at 4:30pm

Tides - Studio Mangiameli Annual Show

Vittum Theater

1012 N Noble St in Chicago

Get Tickets

Tides, directed and created by Chiara Mangiameli, is not only Studio Mangiameli's third annual student showcase but an exploration of the moments that leave indelible marks on human lives and alter the landscape of identity.

Mangiameli, whom the Chicago Tribune hailed as a "formidable flamenco dancer" for her work alongside Rick Bayless in the Lookingglass Theater production of Cascabel, has assembled over 40 dancers including a children's “Mini Flamencas” group. (*WORLDS COLLIDE ALERT:  We just found out the child of an old friend of mine is in the Mini Flamencas group too! Chicago's 6 degrees of separation is FAR closer than you think.)

Tides will also feature original live music from some of Chicago's most recognized flamenco and world music players, including Carlo Basile (Las Guitarras De España), guitarist Diego Alonso and percussionist Bob Garrett, soon to appear in Sting’s new musical, The Last Ship. World-renowned flamenco singer Vicente “El Cartucho” Griego (pictured below) will be this year’s very special guest.

Tickets $25, $15 for children 12 and under.

Free parking.

Tides - Promo Video from Chiara Mangiameli on Vimeo.

Upcoming:

July 30th through August 24th, 2014

Cascabel with Rick Bayless featuring Chiara Mangiameli

Goodman Theater

Get tickets

ChiIL Mama was elated to be included in a private press breakfast with Rick Bayless & Chiara Mangiameli,when the Cascabel remount was first announced, and we can't wait to see it this summer!  Check back early and often for our original content, video interviews, stills and write ups leading up to the show.  Check back soon for our photo filled recap of TIDES.

Sting: The Last Ship will air on Great Performances, Friday, February 21, 2014 at 8 p.m., CT on PBS

Sting: The Last Ship

Sting: The Last Ship will air on Great Performances, Friday, February 21, 2014 at 9 p.m., ET on PBS (check local listings) and features the 16-time Grammy Award-winning musician performing songs from his new album, The Last Ship, and forthcoming play of the same name in an intimate evening of music and storytelling live at The Public Theater in New York City.

The Last Ship will open on Broadway in the fall of 2014, following a pre-Broadway world premiere from Tuesday, June 10 – Sunday, July 13, 2014 at Chicago’s Bank of America Theatre.  Here at ChiIL Live Shows we can NOT wait to see this one!  Got your tickets yet?

Watch Sting Sing “The Last Ship”

He is joined by a 14-piece band, many of whom also hail from the North East region (Kathryn Tickell on violin and Northumbrian pipes, Peter Tickell on violin and mandolin, Julian Sutton on the melodeon, and vocalists The Wilson Family), including actor and singer Jimmy Nail, who will appear in the upcoming stage production. Also featured is Musical Director Rob Mathes on acoustic guitar, piano and keyboards, and background vocals.

The evening was filmed on Sting’s birthday (October 2) at a special fan club performance during a 10-night run of benefit concerts that immediately became one of New York’s hottest tickets. The Public Theater’s Artistic Director Oskar Eustis observed at the time, “The Last Ship is shaping up to be a masterpiece, both an elegy for and a celebration of the working class life of the Newcastle shipyards.”

Sting has crafted a richly diverse musical landscape for a close-knit community of original characters. With a backdrop of evocative visual projections, he shares his experience emerging from a songwriting hiatus to pen his first album of original material in nearly a decade and his very first musical theater score, incorporating a mix of genres and styles ranging from pub-like folk tunes to ballads to a wall of sound from the full band.

“The memories at the heart of The Last Ship have occupied my mind for most of my life,” said Sting. “I was compelled to tell this story.” Sting’s collaborators on the Broadway-bound production include the Tony-winning team of book writers John Logan (Red, I’ll Eat You Last) and Brian Yorkey (Next to Normal) along with director Joe Mantello (Wicked).

Musical Program

The Last Ship
Shipyard
Coming Home’s Not Easy
And Yet
August Winds
What Have We Got?
Practical Arrangement
What Say You Meg?
Dead Man’s Boots
Big Steamers
Sky Hooks and Tartan Paint
Jock the Singing Welder
So To Speak
Show Some Respect
Underground River
The Last Ship (Reprise)

Sting: The Last Ship live at The Public Theater is is directed by Paul Bozymowski, produced by Jon Kamen and Justin Wilkes; Kathryn Schenker and Joe Killian are executive producers.

About Sting

Composer, singer, author, actor, activist, Sting was born in Newcastle, England before moving to London in 1977 to form The Police with Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers. The band released five albums, earned six Grammy awards, and was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.

Since 1985, Sting has released 11 studio albums as a solo musician and has earned an additional 10 Grammy awards, a Golden Globe, an Emmy, and three Oscar nominations. Of his latest album, Jim Farber of the New York Daily News opined, “The Last Ship has an intelligence, beauty and pitch-black wit that makes it both a worthy solo project and a solid blueprint for something to be fleshed out later on stage.”

Sting has appeared in more than 15 films, executive produced the critically acclaimed A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints and in 1989 starred in The Threepenny Opera on Broadway.

An accomplished author, he published a memoir entitled Broken Music in 2003, which spent 13 weeks on The New York Times best-sellers list. In 2007, he released Lyrics, a comprehensive collection of lyrics accompanied by personal commentary and photos.

The Last Ship will open on Broadway in the fall of 2014, following a pre-Broadway world premiere from Tuesday, June 10 – Sunday, July 13, 2014 at Chicago’s Bank of America Theatre. Directed by Joe Mantello and produced by Jeffrey Seller and Kathryn Schenker, The Last Ship is set against the demise of the local Wallsend shipbuilding industry and tells the story of a group of unemployed shipyard workers who are inspired to take back their shipyard and build one last ship – not for their former employer, not for the government, but for their own pride and humanity.