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Show Shots

 The Last Ship was composed by 16 time Grammy Award winner Sting. As a cast member Shawna was approved to document the process of the show from it's first rehearsals and continued to do so during the show's run at The Neil Simon Theatre in New York City until its conclusion on January 24, 2015. .

 

Sting Contemplating

Sting Contemplating

Sting contemplates life and theater in this candid shot taken during tech rehearsals for the pre-broadway run of The Last Ship at Chicago's Bank of America Theatre

Sting Rob and Joe 1st day

Sting Rob and Joe 1st day

Taken on the first day of rehearsal.

Silhouettes of tech

Silhouettes of tech

During the tech process I became fascinated with the colors of the light and the way it bounced around the set often creating amazing silhouettes.

Sting and Rob

Sting and Rob

Men in a line

Men in a line

Welding the hold

Welding the hold

Taken during tech for the pre-broadway run in Chicago this shot shows some men in the cast testing new technology specifically created for the show.

three creatives

three creatives

August Winds

August Winds

The glorious Rachel Tucker played Meg Dawson

Underground River 2nd story

Underground River 2nd story

Sting Underground River

Sting Underground River

Sting became more than just our amazing Composer... He eventually went into the show as a cast member taking over the role of Jackie White.

Time

Time

The shot was first my first photo published in Time Magazine (June 30,2014 issue).

Windows

Windows

The set design was by David Zinn. It was so masculine, but was surprisingly beautiful at the same time.

Sting Underground River

Sting Underground River

Fred Applegate

Fred Applegate

Fred played James Francis O'Brian. (Sometimes it was James Patrick O'Brian depending on who was on stage.)

Sting talking from pit

Sting talking from pit

August Winds tech

August Winds tech

Sally Ann

Sally Ann

Sally Ann Tripplett played Peggy White.

Sting on stage in tech

Sting on stage in tech

Colby sparks sm.jpg

Colby sparks sm.jpg

Rachel in Rehearsal

Rachel in Rehearsal

Sting and Fred back copy.jpg

Sting and Fred back copy.jpg

Ship in the hole pub

Ship in the hole pub

Sally Ann

Sally Ann

Steven Hoggett

Steven Hoggett

Fred Applegate & Steven Hoggett

Fred Applegate & Steven Hoggett

Leah and Sarah Recording

Leah and Sarah Recording

I have so few photos of the women of The Last Ship. There were only 3 on stage female ensemble members (including myself). We had two off stage sings as well. The trouble was- if the girls were on stage, I was there with them.

JB

JB

JB was our incredible production Stage Manager. He kept us running smoothly.

Ship in the Hole Pub

Ship in the Hole Pub

Aaron & Rachel

Aaron & Rachel

Aaron Lazar and Rachel Tucker

Amber

Amber

Amber was one of our glorious Stage Managers.

Steven Hoggett

Steven Hoggett

Dawn

Dawn

Dawn Cantwell was in the ensemble and also played Young Meg. A talented folk singer and composer she plays many instruments and was always so passionate on stage and off.

Sally Ann

Sally Ann

Steven Hoggett & Patrick McCullum

Steven Hoggett & Patrick McCullum

Creatives

Creatives

What I love about this picture (besides the obvious) is that they were communicating beside the "communications closet'. It amused me.

Sean nowt else

Sean nowt else

talk in tech

talk in tech

When We Dance

When We Dance

Ship Sails

Ship Sails

One of the final images in the show.

Sting and Rachel

Sting and Rachel

Johnny

Johnny

Johnny was another of our amazing swings.

dead mans boots

dead mans boots

Fred & Sally Chicago tech

Fred & Sally Chicago tech

John

John

John Logan was our illustrious book writer.

Ghost story

Ghost story

left handed screwdriver

left handed screwdriver

Sting in tech

Sting in tech

Patrick and Steven

Patrick and Steven

Esper

Esper

Prow

Prow

Ethan

Ethan

Michael and Sting

Michael and Sting

Nowt Else Reprise end copy 2.jpg

Nowt Else Reprise end copy 2.jpg

Creatives

Creatives

I had to take this picture because they were all lined up and each had a hand on their chin.

Michael and Sting

Michael and Sting

Sonny & Sting

Sonny & Sting

Sonny Paladino was a part of the music department. This picture was from a recording the company did for a charity.

MIchael and Sting

MIchael and Sting

Light through grid

Light through grid

Jail Silhouette

Jail Silhouette

Again with the color and silhouettes

John and Joe

John and Joe

Swing guys run thru

Swing guys run thru

Jamie graveyard

Jamie graveyard

This moment was cut between our Chicago run and the run on Broadway. It was one of my favorites. At least it remains here.

Graveyard sunrise

Graveyard sunrise

Sarah

Sarah

Commercial

Commercial

Taken while filming the TV commercial for the Broadway run.

Go to your father

Go to your father

Guys in the Pub

Guys in the Pub

Dawn

Dawn

Act 1 Finale

Act 1 Finale

Another from the Act 1 Finale

Commercial 2

Commercial 2

Taken while filming the TV commercial for the Broadway run.

Sting in tech

Sting in tech

Aaron Silhouette

Aaron Silhouette

Commercial

Commercial

Taken while filming the TV commercial for the Broadway run. Steven Hoggett is the choreographer of The Last Ship.

Jimmy & Sally

Jimmy & Sally

David and Sarah

David and Sarah

David Zinn was our Set and Costume designer and Sarah Laux was our amazing Assoc. in costumes.

Jimmy and Sally

Jimmy and Sally

Aaron & Rachel silhouette

Aaron & Rachel silhouette

Sting writing

Sting writing

Sting was writing a brand new song which never made it to the show during tech for the pre-Broadway run in Chicago.

JB

JB

Nowt Else beginning

Nowt Else beginning

Cullen

Cullen

Sarah Hunt

Sarah Hunt

The luminous Sarah Hunt was one of our stellar Swings.

Amber and JB

Amber and JB

Dawn and Alyssa Recording

Dawn and Alyssa Recording

Alyssa DiPalma was our other amazing swing.

Underground River tech

Underground River tech

While the scene has changed from this image into what currently graces the stage of the Neil Simon Theatre in NYC, the rich blue color remains.

Rehearsals

Rehearsals

Choreographer Steven Hoggett (left) and director Joe Mantello (back to camera) discuss the show during the first rehearsal process before our run in Chicago.

Sting and Jimmy Nail

Sting and Jimmy Nail

Sting and Jimmy Nail have been dear friends for decades. I took this shot as they took a break during tech rehearsals.

Creatives in Tech

Creatives in Tech

(from left to right)- Producer Jeffery Seller, Sting, set and costume designer David Zinn, book writer John Logan, & director Joe Mantello discuss the show while looking on from the gorgeous audience of Chicago's Bank of America Theatre.

Sting in Moonlight

Sting in Moonlight

During a very important and intimate scene Sting kept walking in and out of the beam of light cast from high above the stage which streamed into the first few rows of the audience. I was mentally WILLING him to sit in that beam of light as I had my camera with me. He eventually did. I love this shot for the idea that Sting is in the limelight and yet still behind the scenes.

Sting and Michael Esper

Sting and Michael Esper

Following a particularly emotional scene rehearsal Sting called Michael Esper over to the piano to discuss something musically. The raw moment was too powerful not to document for me.

Set

Set

The set (designed by David Zinn) transformed in ways I can hardly describe when lit by the amazing Christopher Akerlind's design. I became obsessed with trying to document its morphing ability more and more as the tech process progressed.

Joe Mantello

Joe Mantello

I like to think of this as the director Joe Mantello's 'Hero Shot'. The image was only slightly edited as Joe happened to be standing in front of this amazing beam of light heading toward the stage. It felt epic at the time and I was so happy to capture exactly what was happening in that moment.

Sting in seats

Sting in seats

Sting was incredibly visible and indeed was an essential member of the company all through out the rehearsal process and during both runs of The Last Ship. Even though the show has opened officially on Broadway, Sting is still found at the theater quite a few nights. He is passionate about the show and (I believe) has been bitten by the Broadway bug!

Ship Sails

Ship Sails

Windows

Windows

More of the lighting with the set

windows blue

windows blue

The way this set transforms with all the various lighting still astounds me.

Tom on Ladder

Tom on Ladder

Collin Kelly-Sordelet climbs the back wall as Tom.

Ship Sails silhouette

Ship Sails silhouette

Again with silhouettes and this show. I love them. This is the very last thing the audience saw before the final blackout of the show.

Dawn watercolor

Dawn watercolor

Nowt Else Reprise

Nowt Else Reprise

A production shot from the show

Nowt Else

Nowt Else

Another production shot

Juliet balcony

Juliet balcony

More exploration of light

2nd story light

2nd story light

Same but different

Sting

Sting

I kept finding Sting in these very quiet moments. It is fascinating to me how still he can be.

2nd story door

2nd story door

Just the pop of blue through the door made me happy. This was actually taken during a break with no special lighting. Just work lights on and off stage.

Act 1 Finale line up

Act 1 Finale line up

Love this moment in the show. Production shot of the Finale to Act 1.

Ghost Light

Ghost Light

One of my favorite shots from the tech process of the pre-broadway run in Chicago was this picture of the ghost light taken late at night after most everyone had gone home.

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