ST PAUL, Minnesota — Sunday night, Sting performed at the Ordway in St. Paul for an intimate, invite-only event to promote his musical, "The Last Ship."
The story follows his hometown community of Wallsend—a shipyard town on the northeast coast of England—during the demise of the shipbuilding industry.
"The Last Ship" is coming to the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, April 8-19, 2020. Sting will star as shipyard foreman, Jackie White and will perform the role at every performance.
In the Ordway Concert Hall, the multi-Grammy winner performed six songs from the musical to about 150 Ordway donor and sponsors, as well as the media.
"Even though it's set in the 1980s, the metastory of industrial closures... is something that's happening all over the world and I think it has a resonance now because we're losing communities, we're losing the sense of community, the spirit of community. We're losing identity when we lose work. So the message is we need to get back to that. We need to get back to community," said Sting, during a one-on-one with KARE 11 after the performance.
"The Last Ship" features original music and lyrics by Sting, and has a new book by Lorne Campbell (original book by John Logan and Brian Yorkey). The score was inspired by Sting's 1991 album "The Soul Cages" and his own childhood experiences.
So far, five stops have been announced in the United States.
About the Ordway, Sing said, "It has a great reputation. This theater... it's a beautiful theater... it can also accommodate a set which is enormous because we're reproducing a shipyard."
Sting said during the musical's run in St. Paul, it will be the longest amount of time he's ever spent in the Twin Cities.
"I usually come in, do my show and then I'm off to another city. But having 10 days here... I'm promised the day off. At least one. I will explore."
While in Minnesota, Sting said he would like to visit some old clubs, saying, "When I first arrived in 1979, we played The Longhorn."
The Longhorn Bar—known as Minneapolis' CBGBs—is no longer around but Sting said, "I remember those little clubs so clearly. The big stadiums I don't remember anymore but the little clubs... so I go and visit them."
Tickets for "The Last Ship" are currently priced between $75-$157 (including fees).
Ticket are currently on sale for 2019-2010 Broadway at the Ordway season subscribers; September 9 for Groups of 10+ and PYO (3+ shows) subscribers; October 15 for Ordway donors; and October 28 for single ticket buyers.
Visit Ordway.org or by calling the Ordway box office at 651-224-4222.
