THE Metropolitan Opera will open its doors for the first time to a Broadway musical: it will be next June, with Sting as the protagonist. British artist to perform at one of the world’s best opera halls “The Last Ship” … the musical premiered at a nearby Broadway theater in 2014.
Sting and the Met Opera are doing each other a favor. The composer and singer will have the opportunity to refloat this “last ship” which wrecked with accident in this passage through Broadway; and the New York opera, mired in financial problems, will seek the bait of a world star to obtain income, attract new audiences and, perhaps, open up to similar projects, closer to pop, which will improve its results.
“The Last Ship” will be played nine nights in June and it will be a stop on the world tour that Sting is embarking on. In May, he gave a dozen concerts in the United States. In mid-June, he will continue to Europe, where he will give concerts early July in Spain (Las Palmas, Tenerife, Chiclana, Fuengirola and Granada). Before crossing the Atlantic, Sting will stop at the Met Opera.
On Broadway, he only managed to stay for four months and lost $15 million. The box office worked during the few sessions Sting was in the cast
The 74-year-old Briton will try to avenge the failure on Broadway of “The Last Ship”, which only managed to stay on billboards for four months and lost 15 million dollars. The box office worked during the handful of sessions Sting was in the cast. Other than that, the musical generated no interest.
will be the protagonist
In the opera’s nine performances, Sting will play the lead role – barring an accident – and the artist has sought to improve the product: he has a new libretto, the sets have changed, he has added songs and another director has been hired.
“The Last Ship” is inspired by Sting’s childhood in Wallsend, the English town where he grew up, dominated by shipyards. “I grew up in the shadow of a shipyard, seeing thousands of men pass my door every morning to work there and imagining that this would be my fate,” Sting said when announcing the project with the Met Opera. “I dreamed of escaping and I made it happentravel far and earn a living on some of the best stages in the world, including the Metropolitan Opera in 2010,” he added, referring to the two concerts he gave there accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic.
Sting’s musical could be a rehearsal for projects even further from opera at the Met, including “Mamma Mia!”
In advertising, the Met with Managing Director Peter Gelbappeared to apologize for the inaugural inclusion of a musical and a pop star. “Throughout its rich history, the Met has hosted performances by legendary artists beyond opera or ballet. “Sting made his memorable debut in 2010 and we are thrilled to be Sting’s theater for these six performances this June.”
The reality is that New York’s prestigious opera house is in dire need of funds, and Sting’s musical could be a rehearsal for projects even further removed from opera. “The New York Times” asked Gelb if he would consider hosting the Met Opera for Broadway productions like “Mamma Mia!”. “I wouldn’t say no to Abba“, he simply replied.
Agreement with Saudi Arabia
Since the pandemic, Gelb has had to withdraw the “download” – the financial cushion that many nonprofit entities in the United States have, it is generally invested and they do not touch it – to keep the Met afloat: he has spent $120 million – about a third of those funds – to deal with the crisis. lossesincluding $50 million for the final season.
Financial difficulties led the Met to sign a agreement with Saudi Arabia -worth an estimated $100 million- for which the New York Opera will present performances for three weeks in Riyadhat the Royal Opera House, in winter from 2028 and for five years.
The inclusion of projects like “The Last Ship” also aims to improve box office revenues, as well as the representation of popular operas. This is the case of ‘La Bohème’, the Christmas special of ‘The Magic Flute’ or ‘Porgy and Bess’, by George Gershwin, the great lyrical work with an African-American theme, which returns to the stage in December. A work that began, precisely, as a musical comedy in Broadway.
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