The reviews are rolling in for The Avett Brothers musical Swept Away, which began previews at Arena Stage November 25 before officially opening December 6. Featuring music and lyrics by the Grammy-nominated folk-rock band, a book by Tony winner John Logan, and direction by Tony winner Michael Mayer, the musical has just been extended by two weeks and will play the D.C. area company's Kreeger Theater through January 14, 2024.
Starring are Tony winner John Gallagher, Jr. (Spring Awakening), Tony nominee Stark Sands (Kinky Boots), Adrian Blake Enscoe (Apple TV+’s Dickinson), and Wayne Duvall (1984), each reprising their performances from the musical's 2022 world premiere at Berkeley Repertory Theatre.
Read the reviews here.
The Washington Post (Thomas Floyd)*
Maryland Theatre Guide (Charlotte Selton)
*This review may require creating a free account or a paid subscription.
Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.
The ensemble includes Hunter Brown (The Sound of Music), Matt DeAngelis (Waitress), Taurean Everett (Moulin Rouge!), Cameron Johnson (Into the Woods), Brandon Kalm (Waitress), Michael Mainwaring, Orville Mendoza (Peter and the Starcatcher), Tyrone L. Robinson (Frozen), John Sygar (Look Both Ways), and Jamari Johnson Williams (Ain’t Too Proud).
Joining Mayer on the creative team are Tony Award-nominated choreographer David Neumann, music supervisor Brian Usifer (arrangements and orchestrations are by Chris Miller and Usifer), music director Will Van Dyke, Tony-winning set designer Rachel Hauck, Tony-winning costume designer Susan Hilferty, four-time Tony-winning lighting designer Kevin Adams, Tony-winning sound designer John Shivers, New York casting directors Jim Carnahan, Jillian Cimini, and Alexandre Bleau, D.C. casting director Joseph Pinzon, stage manager Matthew Leiner, and assistant stage managers Alice M. Pollitt, Marne Anderson, and Jalon Payton.
Swept Away follows four survivors of an 1888 shipwreck off the coast of New Bedford, Massachusetts. As they struggle to stay alive, they must question whether or not they can live with the consequences of their actions, and discover how tragedy can lead to forgiveness.
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