LA is blessed with great local theater and the Center Theatre Group has curated some noteworthy productions this winter: The Last Ship and Until The Flood
The Last Ship now playing at the Ahmanson Theatre in Downtown LA was inspired by music icon Sting’s 1991 album, “The Soul Cages.” This emotionally riveting musical pays homage to the shipbuilding community that Sting grew up in. The story centers around Gideon, a prodigal son returning home after many years at sea to find that the local shipyard his town was built around is closing and his long lost love has moved on.
Sting (featured in every performance) portrays shipyard foreman Jackie White, who decides to rally the workers to take over the shipyard and build one last ship before it is forced to close. This show takes you on poignant journey of love, loss, family, friendship, integrity, compassion and standing up for what you believe in.
For me, the highlight of this show was seeing Sting’s Tony Award nominated musical score come to life! I loved hearing some of Sting’s best-loved songs like “All This Time” and “When We Dance” re-imagined in haunting and emotionally riveting new ways to tell this shipyard tale. Powerful stuff!
Go see The Last Ship before it ends it’s Los Angeles run on February 16, 2020. Get your tickets HERE.
If you are drawn towards plays that center around racial tensions and current events, Until The Flood now playing at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City is a must-see. This powerful Pulitzer Prize nominated show is written and performed by celebrated performer, Dael Orlandersmith and it candidly explores the social uprising that took place in Ferguson, Missouri following the controversial shooting of a black teenager Michael Brown by a white cop in 2014.
This thought-provoking one-woman show is based on the extensive interviews that Orlandersmith conducted with the Missouri residents whose lives were impacted by this much talked about racially-charged police shooting in Ferguson. Orlandersmith beautifully portrays a variety of diverse characters and shares their heartfelt reactions to this unsettling event. Through her poignant performance, Dael brings to light difficult raw emotions, questions, judgements, frustrations, racial tensions, stereotypes and painful recollections about the tragic events in Ferguson that took a grave toll on our country.
Until The Flood is playing at the Kirk Douglas Theater now thru February 23, 2020.
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