Everything you need to know about 'Swept Away' on Broadway
This musical tale of survival, brotherhood, and redemption is set to music by the rock band The Avett Brothers and written by Tony Award winner John Logan.
Prepare for life-and-death choices and wave of emotions. The new Broadway musical Swept Away tells the haunting story of how four men survive after a violent storm sinks their whaling ship off the coast of Africa in 1888, following its departure from New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Inspired by an actual a 19th-century British shipwreck, the show features songs from the catalog of the folk-rock band The Avett Brothers, a book by Tony Award-winning playwright John Logan (Red), and direction by Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening). Performances begin October 29 at the Longacre Theatre.
Swept Away arrives on Broadway buoyed by critical praise from a run Washington, D.C., where one review called it “a bold new musical.” Get swept up in Swept Away for yourself, but before you do, read more about the show embarking on its maiden New York voyage.
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What is Swept Away about?
Swept Away is a musical set in 1888. The story revolves around four men on a whaling voyage that takes a tragic turn when a massive storm strikes, sinking their vessel.
Inspired by The Avett Brothers’ 2004 album Mignonette, about four men stranded in the Atlantic Ocean after a 19th-century shipwreck, the musical is woven with folk-, blues-, and rock-flavored songs. As the characters confront their pasts and deepest fears, the story explores themes of survival, brotherhood, sacrifice, and redemption.
Where is Swept Away playing?
Beginning October 29, 2024, Swept Away is at the Longacre Theatre at 220 W. 48th St. between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. Originally part of a three-theatre complex, the venue opened in 1927. The Shubert Organization took ownership in 1930. The theatre is now named for the longtime Shubert president.
Plays and musicals that have recently run at the 1,077-seat theatre include Lempicka, Leopoldstadt, Macbeth, and The Prom.
How long is Swept Away?
Swept Away runs 90 minutes without intermission. This is a typical running time for a Broadway musical. They typically run between 90 minutes and 3 hours and may include a 15-minute intermission.
This running time is based on previous productions of Swept Away, and it is subject to change when the Broadway run begins.
What days is Swept Away playing?
Swept Away will play Tuesday through Sunday, with two performances on Wednesdays and Saturdays and no performances on Mondays.
For the most up-to-date weekly performance schedule, including one-off changes, please visit the Swept Away page.
When did Swept Away premiere?
Swept Away premieres on Broadway on October 29, 2024, 20 years after the release of the Avett Brothers album Mignonette, on which the show is based. Check out the show's full timeline below.
- 2004: Mignonette, The Avett Brothers' third studio album, came out in July. Its title, along with thematic elements, were inspired by the 1884 shipwreck of the Mignonette, which led to a legal case concerning cannibalism.
- 2022: Originally set to debut in 2020 but delayed by the pandemic, the world premiere of Swept Away was staged at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, California. The show ran from January 9 to March 6.
- 2023: The show’s pre-Broadway engagement at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., ran November 25, 2023 to January 14, 2024.
- 2024: The Broadway production of Swept Away begins October 29 at the Longacre Theatre.
Who wrote the Swept Away musical?
The Swept Away musical features a book by John Logan, who wrote screenplays for Skyfall and Gladiator and the script for the Tony-winning play Red. Other Broadway writing credits include I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers, The Last Ship, and Moulin Rouge! The Musical.
The music and lyrics are by The Avett Brothers, an American folk rock band from North Carolina. Band members include brothers Scott and Seth Avett alongside Bob Crawford and Joe Kwon.
Much of the musical’s score is drawn from Mignonette, a 2004 Avett Brothers album inspired by a 19th-century shipwreck. There are also songs from the band's other albums and original music written for the show.
Swept Away characters
Characters in the Swept Away musical include the four sailors adrift in the lifeboat, along with other crew members caught in the shipwreck.
- Little Brother: a young man in search of adventure.
- Big Brother: a man of faith determined to protect his younger sibling.
- Captain: a seasoned, no-nonsense seafarer.
- Mate: a sailor with a ne'er-do-well charm.
- Ensemble members step in as other sailors.
Who is in the cast of Swept Away on Broadway?
The cast of the Broadway premiere of Swept Away musical features John Gallagher Jr. as Mate, Stark Sands as Big Brother, Adrian Blake Enscoe as Little Brother, and Wayne Duvall as Captain. All reprise their roles from the show's Berkeley and D.C. productions.
Swept Away songs
The folk, bluegrass, and rock songs in Swept Away feature lyrics and music by The Avett Brothers. Here are all the songs from the Broadway production, in alphabetical order.
- "A Gift for Melody Anne"
- "Ain't No Man"
- "Complainte D'un Matelot Mourant"
- "Go to Sleep"
- "Hard Worker"
- "Lord Lay Your Hand on My Shoulder"
- "May It Last"
- "Murder in the City"
- "No Hard Feelings"
- "Nothing Short of Thankful"
- "The Once and Future Carpenter"
- "Satan Pulls the Strings"
- "Swept Away"
- "Through My Prayers"
What awards has Swept Away won?
The new Broadway production of Swept Away will be in the running for the 2024-25 season’s awards, including Tony Awards.
Major productions of Swept Away
Swept Away has had two high-profile U.S. productions in advance of the Broadway run. The first was in 2022 at Berkeley Rep in Berkeley, California, followed by a 2023 run at Washington, D.C.'s Arena Stage. If the musical is a success, Swept Away could have a long future, leading to more productions throughout the country and world.
Fun facts about Swept Away
- Thanks, Dad! The Avett Brothers’ father recommended they read Neil Hanson’s The Custom of the Sea, a nonfiction book about an 1884 shipwreck off the coast of Africa. They were inspired and made their own creative changes when they later wrote Mignonette and Swept Away about shipwrecks.
- On May 17, 2024, Scott and Seth Avett announced that their show was coming to Broadway during a concert in Queens, New York. The four stars of the show’s earlier two runs performed the title song with the band.
- Swept Away's set designer, Rachel Hauck, and choreographer, David Neumann, also worked on Hadestown, playing across the street from Swept Away at the Walter Kerr Theatre.
- Cannibalism is a tricky topic for a musical, but Swept Away isn't the first show to mine that unsettling theme. Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler famously did so in Sweeney Todd.
Get tickets to Swept Away on Broadway
Swept Away is a poignant tale of resilience and the enduring human spirit. See what the wave of excitement is all about, and sail on over to the musical this season.
Get Swept Away tickets now.
Photo credit: The cast of Swept Away in Washington, D.C. (Photos by Julieta Cervantes)
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