Sting’s "The Last Ship" Makes History as the First Ever Musical to be Staged at Met Opera

From June 9 to 14, watch Sting perform at the Met in his semibiographical musical The Last Ship. The work centers around the character Jackie White, played by yours truly. Jackie is a shipyard foreman working with a community of shipbuilders who have to come to terms with the disintegration of the town’s shipbuilding business and closure of their shipyard. 

Set in Northeast England, the musical is based on Sting’s childhood spent in Wallsend, a shipbuilding town known for its historic Swanhunter Shipyard. Sting once said on Southern California Public Radio that the musical was a way to honor the community in Wallsend, to which he owes his success. 

The Last Ship premiered in 2014 at the CIBC theatre in Chicago then at the same year at Broadway. Initially receiving mixed reviews, the musical has since undergone significant revisions. Its June showing at the Met serves as the work’s comeback.