Sting says ‘The Last Ship’ brings his parents’ spirits to the stage — AP interview

[0:06] When I perform this play, the spirits of my parents are flying around the stage. [0:12] You know, I don't think a show like this is ever finished. [0:14] I don't feel like I'm my actual age, so don't worry about it. I'm fine. [0:18] The show has been around 10 years or so with you, or at least the performances from the public and the subsequent Broadway. [0:36] Then it was kind of put down for a nap for a little bit to revive it. [0:40] Tell me about how it revitalized you and how it revitalized the show. [0:44] You know, I don't think a show like this is ever finished, in my opinion. [0:47] I think it's constantly evolving, adding songs, taking songs out, morphing characters into each other, tying up ends in the story that hadn't been tied up before. [1:00] So it's constantly evolving. It's an organic process. [1:04] I'm excited by where we are at this moment, but I still don't think it's over in terms of actually finishing it. [1:12] I'll finish it when I croak. [1:15] Well, that's a beautiful thing. [1:16] Well, not, but it's beautiful to continue working on something until you're done with it. [1:22] I was looking back at an old interview that we did at the public, and you were talking about how Brian Yorkey, I guess who did the book, [1:30] was saying some of the songs that you did at the public performance, you know, he kind of said, no, those aren't going to work in the show. [1:38] Tell me how you reworked some of the music that you wanted into this tour that might not have made it to the Broadway production. [1:47] The Broadway experience was all about winnowing stuff away, taking stuff out that wasn't telling the story. [1:56] But now we have everything back. [1:58] You know, it's a balancing act. [2:02] But, you know, I was part of that process. [2:05] I enjoyed that process. [2:06] I'm good at cutting things, but I'm also good at bringing things back. [2:16] Coming back from Paris. [2:18] So last set of shows, tell me how those went for you. [2:21] We opened in Amsterdam in February. [2:24] We did three weeks there, and then we've just finished three weeks in Paris. [2:29] The audience reaction has been fantastic. [2:31] The critical reception has been amazing. [2:34] It couldn't have gone better. [2:35] So I'm feeling very bullish about coming to New York in June with this new production, great cast, and an amazing set. [2:43] An operatic splendor of amazing. [2:47] We're building a ship on stage, a real one. [2:50] The debt would be paid in the form of a story, to tell a story about my community. [2:57] This story is deeply personal for you. [3:01] Obviously, it has a lot to do with your father and, of course, your entire family and growing up. [3:07] Does it still get emotional for you to perform it? [3:10] It does. [3:12] In many ways, I'm trying to pay a debt back to my community that I owe. [3:19] My community made me who I am. [3:21] It gave me a sense of dignity, a sense of work ethic that I still have. [3:28] I wanted to thank my community and my parents, and telling the story is a way of doing that. [3:34] I think for psychological reasons. [3:37] You know, when you escape a community to have a different kind of life, part of you wants to go back and actually make amends. [3:46] So this is my way of making amends. [3:56] You've always been able to introduce fresh, new music. [4:00] Tell me how important it is, you know, at this point in your career to put out something that is relatively fresh, new, and personal. [4:09] I think it's always important for an artist to surprise the audience so that the audience will never quite know what you're going to come out with next. [4:16] Without that surprise, you flatline. [4:19] So I'm always looking for novelty in whatever I create. [4:23] And so this is a new challenge for me. [4:28] It's a new challenge for the audience. [4:31] What else is interesting is that we have these grand performances of The Last Ship, but then we're also going to have a Sting tour that's kind of mixed into this. [4:45] You're basically a very young man who's been at this game for a very long time. [4:51] How do you find that energy? [4:52] Well, I think performing is largely athletic. [4:57] Performing live is an athletic pursuit. [5:00] I've always been fit. [5:01] I'm still fit. [5:02] I feel like I'm 16. [5:05] I don't feel like I'm my actual age. [5:07] So don't worry about me. [5:08] I'm fine. [5:14] What is the regimen like for you? [5:16] Are you working out before shows or are you preparing for the tour? [5:20] I'm pretty disciplined in the way I run my life. [5:24] So I'm in training all of the time for both my band leader role in the band and also my role in the play. [5:34] I can do both. [5:40] Obviously, we need to have a mental and emotional escape. [5:45] What is it for you? [5:46] Is it family? [5:46] Is it something special you like? [5:49] You know, when I perform this play, the spirits of my parents are flying around the stage. [5:56] My brother saw the play in Amsterdam a month ago and he was a wreck, a complete wreck. [6:02] It's a very emotional experience for him and me. [6:04] Are you doing anything that's for fun that kind of is an escape? [6:14] This is the greatest fun of all. [6:16] I mean, being on stage is fantastic fun. [6:20] It's sport and fun. [6:23] So nothing like dogs. [6:25] I know you're into dogs and stuff, raising dogs. [6:28] I mean, anything like that? [6:30] Is it like kind of to take you away from the... [6:34] I mean, my wife's into dogs. [6:35] She just won Cruft's Dog Show with one of her dogs. [6:38] But, you know, I just have one little dog, but she has big dogs. [6:42] It's just playing for you. [6:50] It's just getting out there and telling your story night after night when you can. [6:55] That's what I want to do with my life. [6:57] Once this ends, this last ship, you said it's never really over. [7:01] Is this something that you plan on bringing back at different intervals, [7:06] say, after the Sting 3.0 and stuff like that? [7:09] Sure, on this tour of this production, [7:12] we will learn things about the piece that we didn't know before, [7:16] and that will inform however it evolves the next time. [7:21] I want to keep going with this. [7:26] And then lastly, you know, back when I was young, [7:31] you know, rock stars hit 35 or 40 and they were old. [7:35] Now you're about to approach a very big birth date. [7:39] What is it about music these days that allows us to play into, well, forever? [7:45] I mean, when the stones stop, I'll know what that age is. [7:48] Yeah, I mean, I look at the Rollings. [7:50] I know they're not touring this year, but, you know, [7:52] you look at Mick, who is an athlete, [7:56] performing still the same way he performed when he was 20. [7:59] So he's a kind of template for everyone. [8:02] So I have a great deal of respect for Mr. Jagger. [8:05] And so you plan on doing this for a very long time. [8:09] Until I'm too old and stupid to do it anymore. [8:12] When the hook comes out, the gong show. [8:17] That's brilliant. [8:18] Anyway, I can't wait to see you again. [8:19] Great. [8:20] Thank you so much. [8:21] Always a pleasure, sir. [8:22] Thank you.