He may have sold tens of millions of records, but Sting's bid for Broadway success has stumbled. His semi-autobiographical musical is to close on January 24, after only three months.
"The Last Ship" is a tale of unemployed shipbuilders who embark on one last hurrah and childhood romance gone awry, inspired by his own upbringing in the gritty northeastern English city of Newcastle.
The British pop star stepped in last month to play the lead role of Jackie White himself, boosting flagging ticket sales, but his stardom was not enough to save the show.
"We have been bewildered and saddened by our inability to sustain an audience for this musical that we deeply love," the producers reportedly wrote to company members this week.
The theater struggled to fill seats despite many positive reviews since opening night on October 26. It will have played 29 previews and 105 regular performances when it closes this month.
Source: AFP