The Last Ship, a stage musical based on Sting's 1991 album The Soul Cages, has begun casting for a series of readings that will be held in October in Manhattan. The book for the musical has been penned by Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning librettist Brian Yorkey and will feature up to two dozen new pieces of music written by Sting.

Photos: Hot Rock Offspring: Madonna, Sting, Keith Richards and More Stars' Famous Kids
Details of the plot have not been revealed, but the story is set in Newcastle, England in the Eighties, and a description of the musical's lead character, Gideon, clearly incorporates elements of Sting's biography. In an interview with the New York Times, Yorkey says that the project is still being developed. "It's Sting's first foray into writing for musical theater," he said, "so we wanted to start having him meet actors and hear them sing at the earliest possible point."

• 
  MUSIC 100 Greatest Debut Albums
• 
  MOVIES 'Star Trek' Is Crazy Good
• 
  TV 10 Shows to Watch This Summer
• 
  POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix

Song Stories