Sting's star turn in his musical The Last Ship has failed to shore up ticket sales and the Broadway production will close at the end of January (15).

The Police frontman replaced his pal Jimmy Nail in the show in December (14) in an attempt to save the sinking stage show from closure after ticket sales flagged in the weeks since its opening in October (14).

His acting run initially boosted audience numbers, but the producers still struggled to fill the Neil Simon Theatre in New York to capacity over the New Year, one of Broadway's busiest periods.

Producers Jeffrey Seller and Kathryn Schenker have now decided to bring the curtain down on the show, and they told production staff and supporters about the decision in an email sent out on Monday night (05Jan15).

In the message, obtained by the New York Times, the producers wrote, "We have been bewildered and saddened by our inability to sustain an audience for this musical that we deeply love... There are no easy explanations."

The musical will close following Sting's last performance on 24 January (15).