Tickets for Sting’s acclaimed musical THE LAST SHIP, starring and featuring original music and lyrics by 17-time Grammy Award®-winner Sting, will go on sale Friday, October 18 at 10am for its Washington D.C. premiere engagement. THE LAST SHIP will have a limited run at the National Theatre for 13 performances only from March 27-April 5, 2020.
Sting will star as shipyard foreman Jackie White at every performance. Additional casting will be announced at a later date.
Tickets for THE LAST SHIP may be purchased at TheNationalDC.com, by calling 1-800-514-3849, or in person at the National Theatre Box Office (open Monday-Friday from 12pm-6pm and two hours prior to every performance). The National Theatre is located at 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in downtown Washington, D.C.
“We are thrilled Sting will be bringing THE LAST SHIP to the National Theatre in Washington D.C.,” said Jam Theatricals President Steve Traxler. “We can’t wait to welcome him back to the National Theatre, where he played Mack the Knife in the 1989 pre-Broadway run of The Threepenny Opera. THE LAST SHIP will surely give our subscribers and audiences the treat of seeing Sting in the role of Jackie White in a truly intimate setting at the National.”
For more information on the production and a video sneak peek, please visit TheLastShipMusical.co.uk.
THE LAST SHIP MARCH 27 – APRIL 5, 2020
THE LAST SHIP, inspired by Sting’s 1991 album “The Soul Cages” and his own childhood experiences, tells the story of a community amid the demise of the shipbuilding industry in Tyne and Wear, with the closure of the Swan Hunter shipyard. When a sailor named Gideon Fletcher returns home after seventeen years at sea, tensions between past and future flare in both his family and his town. The local shipyard, around which the community has always revolved, is closing and no one knows what will come next, only that a half-built ship towers over the terraces. With the engine fired and pistons in motion, picket lines are drawn as foreman Jackie White (Sting) and his wife Peggy fight to hold their community together in the face of the gathering storm.
This personal, political, and passionate musical from 17-time Grammy Award®-winner Sting is an epic account of a family, a community and a great act of defiance. THE LAST SHIP features an original, TONY-nominated score with music and lyrics by Sting as well as a few of his best-loved songs: “Island of Souls,” “All This Time,” and “When We Dance.” It is the proud story of when the last ship sails.
The musical is directed by Lorne Campbell, the artistic director of Northern Stage, with set design by the Tony Award-winning 59 Productions, the team behind the video design for the 2012 London Olympic Games. THE LAST SHIP has a new book by Lorne Campbell, original book by John Logan and Brian Yorkey, orchestrations by Rob Mathes, musical direction by Richard John, costume design by Molly Einchcomb, movement direction by Lucy Hind, lighting design by Matt Daw, and sound design by Seb Frost. Other members of the creative team include dramaturg and associate director Selma Dimitrijevic, casting director Beth Eden, and associate musical director (U.K.) Sam Sommerfeld.
THE LAST SHIP is produced by Karl Sydow. For more information on the production and a video sneak peek, please visit TheLastShipMusical.co.uk.
ABOUT STING
Composer, singer-songwriter, actor, author, and 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 studio albums, earned six Grammy Awards® and two Brits, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.
As one of the world’s most distinctive solo artists, Sting has received an additional 11 Grammy Awards®, two Brits, a Golden Globe, an Emmy, four Oscar nominations (including 2017’s nomination for “The Empty Chair” from JIM: THE JAMES FOLEY STORY), a TONY nomination, Billboard Magazine’s Century Award, and MusiCares 2004 Person of the Year. In 2003, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for his myriad of contributions to music. Also a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, he has received the Kennedy Center Honors, The American Music Award of Merit and The Polar Music Prize. Sting has been awarded Honorary Doctorates of Music by the University of Northumbria (1992), Berklee College of Music (1994), University of Newcastle upon Tyne (2006) and Brown University at its 250th Commencement ceremony (2018).
Throughout his illustrious career, he has sold close to 100 million albums from his combined work with The Police and as a solo artist.
Following his critically-acclaimed album, 57th & 9th, his first rock/pop collection in over a decade, Sting and reggae icon, Shaggy released a collaborative, island-influenced album, entitled 44/876, drawing from the many surprising connections at the heart of their music. Their chart-topping release debuted at #1 in Germany and Top 10 in the UK. It spent over 20 weeks atop Billboard’s Reggae Album chart in the US, earned Gold certifications in Poland and France and received the Grammy Award® for Best Reggae Album.
Earlier this year, Sting, managed by The Cherrytree Music Company, was honoured at the BMI Pop Awards for his enduring hit single “Every Breath You Take,” which has become the Most Performed Song, with 15 million radio plays, from BMI’s catalog of over 14 million musical works.
On May 24, a new album entitled My Songs, featuring contemporary interpretations of his most celebrated hits, was released and followed by a world tour of the same name. Sting’s ‘My Songs’ World Tour is a rollicking, dynamic show featuring his most beloved songs spanning the 17-time Grammy Award® winner’s prolific career with The Police and as a solo artist.
The special edition release of Sting’s critically-acclaimed album, My Songs will be released November 8 and includes a bonus CD with new live recordings from the My Songs World Tour. At the same time, a digital album titled My Songs: Live containing 11 new live recordings also captured along the My Songs World Tour will be released on November 8.
Next year, Sting will headline a Las Vegas residency, “My Songs,” set to open at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Friday, May 22, 2020. Accompanied by his touring band, the show will present a compendium of Sting’s songs with dynamic, visual references to some of his most iconic videos and inspirations.
Sting’s support for human rights organizations such as the Rainforest Fund, Amnesty International, and Live Aid mirrors his art in its universal outreach. Along with wife Trudie Styler, Sting founded the Rainforest Fund in 1989 to protect both the world’s rainforests and the indigenous people living there. Together they have held 18 benefit concerts to raise funds and awareness for our planet’s endangered resources. Since its inception, the Rainforest Fund has expanded to a network of interconnected organizations working in more than 20 countries over three continents. For more information, please visit Sting.com
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
LOCATION The National Theatre is located at 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in downtown Washington, D.C. Nearby metro stops include Metro Center and Federal Triangle. For parking information, please visit TheNationalDC.com/Directions-Parking.
TICKETS Tickets for THE LAST SHIP will go on sale to the general public this Friday, October 18 at 10am. At that time, tickets may be purchased online at TheNationalDC.com, by calling 1-800-514-3849, or in person at the Box Office (open Monday-Friday from 12pm-6pm and two hours prior to every performance).
GROUPS OF 10+ Groups of 10 or more can save on all above-mentioned performances. To book, contact the group sales department at [email protected] or by calling the group sales hotline at 202-753-6867.
TICKET LOTTERY Two hours prior to the above-mentioned performances’ show times, individuals may submit their names in person to be drawn to purchase up to two tickets at $25 per ticket (inclusive of all fees). Twenty lottery seats will be available for purchase for each of the above-mentioned performances. Names will be announced 30 minutes after the entry period begins (90 minutes prior to the show time). Individuals must be present, with cash, to redeem the offer.
