Speculations about the MK secret project

[Jules]

You get what you deserve 

[Love Expresso]

Don't feed the troll, jbaent...

LE

[Jules]

My only "fear" about this musical thing is just for the stage representation. The main reason to write songs for a musical is the stage representation and as a die-hard fan, I´d like to watch it.

If it happens to be in Broadway, that is unlikely because of what Guy´s answered, it would be impossible to me and for many other European fans to attend. If it´s in the Londoner West End, it would be easier in terms of travel but I´m sure that getting tickets won´t be easy nor cheap, so... to all the fans that would like to see how the musical it's on stage but can't attend... is there any other way?

I was searching internet for any complete representation of "The Last Ship" and I can´t find any so I guess that the Sting/Police fans that weren´t able to attend the musical in the theaters didn't had any chance at all as it wasn´t released in dvd (as far as I know).

I know that many of you don´t care at all about it, but as a MK fan I'm honestly curious about it, I truly would like to attend it and satisfie my curiosity.

[Jules]

Looking in the "The Last Ship" by Sting as a mirror, wikipedia says this:

In September 2011, it was confirmed that British musician Sting was working on a musical,[2] following rumours the previous year.[3] A first reading took place in Manhattan in October that year,[4] with a further reading in Newcastle in February 2012[5] and ultimately a full staged reading[6] for the musical was held in 2013.[7] In September 2013, the show was officially confirmed and it was announced that the show would premiere in Chicago in 10 June 2014.

So it was rumoured in 2010, confirmed in 2011, readed in 2012, rehearsed in a stage in 2013 and premiered in 2014

MK´s one it´s been rumoured between 2016/2017, following Sting´s example... confirmed 2018, readed 2019, rehearsed in 2020 and premiered in 2021?

That´s a lot of time for a project, it is, but... that´s how Sting musical developed...

[Eddie Fox]

I've never done it obviously but working on a musical must be exausting and sometimes frustrating. When you record your own album, and that I've done, you do it the way you want. The bass player will come up with an idea which you may use but if you don't like it it's the end of it. On the other hand, in a musical you need to match other people's expectations, requirements... and sometimes YOU will be the bass player whose idea is rejected - and it keeps going back and forth as the project takes shape. I never thought I'd see Mark involved with a musical really, especially at this point of his life.

I just hope it doesn't fall apart and is successfully concluded.

[Rolleyway Man]

A musical does seem to be a fairly unusual thing for Mark to do - indeed, Guy did say that Richard may have been 'misquoted', so it's still really a case of watching and waiting to see exactly what is going on.

If it does in fact turn out to be a musical of some form, then it will be fascinating to see what Mark has come up with and how different it will be from his regular output. The music Sting came up with was certainly different from any original material he had previously recorded. In musical terms, I thought it was a masterpiece in many ways - though, having heard the cast recording, I actually felt the music worked better on its own than it did with the dramatic element. The story simply gave him some creative direction which resulted in him writing a lot of songs, and we got his first album of original material in ten years out of it. If you watch his Live at the Public Theatre DVD, you can see how well the material worked in its own right, separated from the play. He has since kicked on and recorded a regular rock album for the first time in many years, and now appears to be working on another one whilst on the road, so that's the important thing for me as a fan of his.

Sting was indeed working on The Last Ship for around three years before it finally saw some form of release. Even when the album came out in 2013, the play was still a work in progress and was still having lots of changes made. That's one of the issues with this kind of project - if the story changes, certain songs no longer fit in and others have to be written to accommodate it…so we could be waiting a good while longer if this project does turn out to be a musical or something similar.

[Jules]

A musical does seem to be a fairly unusual thing for Mark to do - indeed, Guy did say that Richard may have been 'misquoted', so it's still really a case of watching and waiting to see exactly what is going on.

Richard was "misquoted" because probably the journalist shouldn´t say anything, and, probably, also missunderstood that the musical was for Broadway. Guy didn´t deny it was a musical, in fact, just said he can't say anything. In other cases he answered "that's not the project", like when there was news about a "Princess Bride musical" in the works.

If it does in fact turn out to be a musical of some form, then it will be fascinating to see what Mark has come up with and how different it will be from his regular output. The music Sting came up with was certainly different from any original material he had previously recorded. In musical terms, I thought it was a masterpiece in many ways - though, having heard the cast recording, I actually felt the music worked better on its own than it did with the dramatic element. The story simply gave him some creative direction which resulted in him writing a lot of songs, and we got his first album of original material in ten years out of it. If you watch his Live at the Public Theatre DVD, you can see how well the material worked in its own right, separated from the play. He has since kicked on and recorded a regular rock album for the first time in many years, and now appears to be working on another one whilst on the road, so that's the important thing for me as a fan of his.

Yes, but that DVD is Sting and his band playing live the songs, not the musical play itself. My post about it was directly about the play, something that if you didn't attend the theater you miss it.

Sting was indeed working on The Last Ship for around three years before it finally saw some form of release. Even when the album came out in 2013, the play was still a work in progress and was still having lots of changes made. That's one of the issues with this kind of project - if the story changes, certain songs no longer fit in and others have to be written to accommodate it…so we could be waiting a good while longer if this project does turn out to be a musical or something similar.

Yes, that's my guess. This secret project is going to take a long time...

[Rail King]

Although I generally hate musicals, I was still thrilled when I first read about this here. I'm always thrilled about ANY new project of Mark's. He's such a genius and hardly ever disappointed my, so why should it be any different this time round? But then, out of curiosity, I watched some of Sting's musical on YouTube, and aaaarrrrghhhhh, it made me cringe! The music surely is good, and so will be Mark's, but these people talking and then starting to sing, with all these theatrical moves ... I had to watch through my fingers, and even that was too much eventually. The musical must be the worst form of art anyone ever thought of. I'd love to be taught otherwise, and if someone has to potential to convince me, it will be Mark, but still - I'm looking forward to this with very mixed feelings ...

[Rolleyway Man]

If it does in fact turn out to be a musical of some form, then it will be fascinating to see what Mark has come up with and how different it will be from his regular output. The music Sting came up with was certainly different from any original material he had previously recorded. In musical terms, I thought it was a masterpiece in many ways - though, having heard the cast recording, I actually felt the music worked better on its own than it did with the dramatic element. The story simply gave him some creative direction which resulted in him writing a lot of songs, and we got his first album of original material in ten years out of it. If you watch his Live at the Public Theatre DVD, you can see how well the material worked in its own right, separated from the play. He has since kicked on and recorded a regular rock album for the first time in many years, and now appears to be working on another one whilst on the road, so that's the important thing for me as a fan of his.

Yes, but that DVD is Sting and his band playing live the songs, not the musical play itself. My post about it was directly about the play, something that if you didn't attend the theater you miss it.

My point was that the DVD demonstrates the songs (to my mind, at least) worked better on their own, without the dramatic element. Although I didn't see the play, I have the cast recording on CD and the songs didn't seem even half as effective in the context of the play as the original versions played by Sting and the band. I find that is often the case with musicals. Or perhaps I just don't like musicals!

[Jules]

If it does in fact turn out to be a musical of some form, then it will be fascinating to see what Mark has come up with and how different it will be from his regular output. The music Sting came up with was certainly different from any original material he had previously recorded. In musical terms, I thought it was a masterpiece in many ways - though, having heard the cast recording, I actually felt the music worked better on its own than it did with the dramatic element. The story simply gave him some creative direction which resulted in him writing a lot of songs, and we got his first album of original material in ten years out of it. If you watch his Live at the Public Theatre DVD, you can see how well the material worked in its own right, separated from the play. He has since kicked on and recorded a regular rock album for the first time in many years, and now appears to be working on another one whilst on the road, so that's the important thing for me as a fan of his.

Yes, but that DVD is Sting and his band playing live the songs, not the musical play itself. My post about it was directly about the play, something that if you didn't attend the theater you miss it.

My point was that the DVD demonstrates the songs (to my mind, at least) worked better on their own, without the dramatic element. Although I didn't see the play, I have the cast recording on CD and the songs didn't seem even half as effective in the context of the play as the original versions played by Sting and the band. I find that is often the case with musicals. Or perhaps I just don't like musicals!

Actually the reason to write a musical is to represent it on stage. A cd with the songs by the cast doesn´t have the main thing, the acting, only have the songs. In the Sting case, he released the songs before sung by himself and played by his band, and then he did that dvd playing him and hisband those songs. The missing piece would had been a dvd with the musical represented on stage, that it's the final part of the project.

Anyway, it´s nice to have the songs played by the artists, apart of the musical itself. I wish MK could release the songs sung by himself apart of the musical.

[Rail King]

Anyway, it´s nice to have the songs played by the artists, apart of the musical itself.

I think that's what Guy was hinting at, wasn't he? That the "secret project" and the new studio album could be somehow linked. That would be fine with me. As long as I get an MK record full of great songs, I have no problem with someone singing and dancing to them on a stage.

[dustyvalentino]

I really hope it is successful for MK.  "The Last Ship" had a lot of awards and plaudits, but Jimmy Nail was eventually replaced by Sting in order to revive it, but even then it closed early and, I believe lost money.   I hope this doesn't happen in this case.

Sting is a biggest name when it comes to the music business so if his musical was a failure, I don't have expectations that MK one could improve what Sting achieved.

Paul Simon's musical was also an expensive failure.

I can sort of understand the logic - great songwriters so they can write great songs for a musical right?

On the evidence of Paul Simon and Sting. The answer is no. Completely different art forms, a bit arrogant to think they can do it?

Maybe MK will prove to be the exception to the rule.

Now that cat is out of the bag here's the previously censored list of song titles:

01) AIMING FOR THE STARS
02) BARREL OF CRUDE
03) CHEEKY WEE PINT
04) CHEERIO AWAY YE GO
05) FILTHY DIRTY RICH
06) I HOPE YOU HAVEN'T CHANGED O(PINION)
07) I WONDER IF I CAN GO HOME AG(AIN)
08) IN AN IDEAL WORLD
09) ONLY ROCKS AND WATER
10) PERSONAL
11) SONG ABOUT LOVE
12) THAT D DO NICELY
13) THINGS WE DO
14) WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A KILLIN'
15) WHAT A LIFE
16) YOU CAN'T EAT THE SCENERY

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[dustyvalentino]

My second favourite musician is also writing a Broadway musical

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/broadway/7760452/steve-earle-samara-new-play-interview

Can't these guys stick to what they are good at?!

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[Jules]

My second favourite musician is also writing a Broadway musical

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/broadway/7760452/steve-earle-samara-new-play-interview

Can't these guys stick to what they are good at?!

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My guess regarding MK involvement is that probably he was asked by a friend and coudn't say no... I can't imagine MK waking up one day and telling Kitty while drinking his morning tea "mmm, I feel like writing a musical..."

[dmg]

Couldn't help but notice a few Scots words in the song titles there:

Wee
Cheeky
Cheerio
Ye (possibility)
Killin'  (possibility).

Possibly a Scottish theme.  I think Local Hero has been mooted already and makes sense looking at a few of the song titles.  I am finding it difficult to imagine this on stage though as it isn't a studio-bound film and has quite a lot of outdoor shooting.