NEW YORK– The four stars who helped shape the new musical “Swept Away” – John Gallagher Jr., Stark Sands, Adrian Blake Enscoe and Wayne Duvall – will steer the nautical story into the commercial waves of Broadway.
The story of four men stranded in the Atlantic Ocean after a 19th century shipwreck, features songs from The Avett Brothers – especially their 2004 album ‘Mignonette’ – and anchors at the Longacre Theater in October.
“This musical, just like our relationship, revolves around the theme of brotherhood. Being able to watch John, Stark, Adrian and Wayne work together over the years to develop ‘Swept Away’ has been the precise definition of brotherhood,” The Avett Brothers said in a statement.
The show features a story by John Logan, the Tony Award-winning playwright of 2009’s “Red” and screenwriter of “Gladiator,” “The Aviator” and “Skyfall.” It premiered at the Berkeley Repertory Theater in early 2022 and then moved to the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.
The Washington Post said the show “joined the ranks of groundbreaking musicals like ‘Next to Normal’ and ‘Dear Evan Hansen,'” while MD Theater Guide said, “With themes of sacrifice, absolution and confession, ‘Swept Away’ unfolds.” like the Christian parable, albeit more in line with Easter than with Christmas.”
Tony winner Michael Mayer will direct the show, reuniting on Broadway with Gallagher, who won a Tony in the original 2006 production of his “Spring Awakening.” Mayer also directed both Gallagher and Sands in “American Idiot.”
“Creating this new show with my long-time collaborators John Gallagher Jr. and Stark Sands and the rest of this great company continues to be deeply satisfying. I can’t wait to share the work with Broadway audiences this fall,” Mayer told the BBC. AP.
Sands is a two-time Tony nominee for his performances in “Kinky Boots” and “Journey’s End,” Duvall was last on Broadway in “1984” and Enscoe starred opposite Hailee Steinfeld and Jane Krakowski in Apple TV’s “Dickinson.”
Broadway musicals set at sea are not uncommon, such as “Anything Goes,” “Titanic” and “Dames at Sea.” But some haven’t fared as well, like “The Pirate Queen” and “The Last Ship.”
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Mark Kennedy is present http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
