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Valiant Effort: Sting's 'The Last Ship' Closes Jan. 24, Awkwardly Claps the Night Away

Despite a most valiant effort by ex-Policeman Sting, his autobiographical "The Last Ship" has decided to shut its door this month. Faced with an indifferent audience in the cruelest months of the year, the $15 million fledgling could not take off.With its last performance Saturday, Jan. 24, January proved to be the ax that slashed the performance for a final time. Despite the singer-songwriter donning the lead role, according to "Deadline," it just did not prove to be enough.The play, set in a faltering shipyard in Sting's hometown in northeast England, had its moments of jaunty tunes and upbeat jigs, but its dark subject matter did not inspire patrons to spread the word.Sadly, that is probably what claimed the musical in the end.This comes after Sting had reluctantly let his best friend, Jimmy Nail, go since he was unable to adequately draw audiences into the main character, Jackie White. As of now, the play is likely to close at a loss.
By Ian Holubiak

  • Former Metropolitan Opera GM Joseph Volpe Sojourns to Sarasota for the Winter, Talks Bird Watching and Beach Walking

    Former Metropolitan Opera general manager, Joseph Volpe, has made an astounding career at the company. And as of late Volpe and his wife Jean, a ballet teacher and former principal soloist with the company, plan on wintering on Longboat Key and opening a new opera house in Athens, Greece.
    By Ian Holubiak

  • Young Boston Musicians Phoenix Try to Revamp the Orchestra for Modern Times with Kickstarter Campaign

    A group of young Boston musicians have formed a Kickstarter campaign to help revitalize orchestral music for a new, modern generation.Phoenix believes that modern audiences would be more interested in classical music if it was presented in a fresh atmosphere, so they opened a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for their launch event, Ignite.“Ignite will feature five, bite-sized sets of orchestral selections ranging from a Haydn symphony, written in 1775, to Osvaldo Golijov’s fiery 'Last Round,' written in 1996. Everything we play will be presented using lighting effects and choreography that’s reflective of the enthusiasm we have for this music,” says Phoenix.Phoenix only chooses musicians who have a high level of musicianship as well as a belief and passion for Phoenix’s mission. They then took a critical look at the modern concert experience and decided what they could change to make is more accessible for new listeners. Their website details some of these changes, which include getting rid of traditional concert hall uniforms, encouraging whistling, clapping and cheering and allowing refreshments at shows, along with many more.
    By Jaime Prisco