Avett Brothers shipwreck survival musical ‘Swept Away’ will sail to Broadway this fall
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A decade-long odyssey that began with a Charlotte native’s idea for a musical inspired by an old Avett Brothers album culminated Friday night with the Concord band announcing that their show, “Swept Away,” is headed to Broadway this fall.
Fittingly, the folk-rock band delivered the Broadway-bound news at a concert in New York, and on the same day their first new album in five years dropped.
“Swept Away” explores the extreme measures taken by survivors of a 19th century shipwreck to stay alive, and whether there’s any possibility of grace for the whaling ship’s captain, his mate and two brothers.
The musical uses songs from throughout the Avett’s wide catalog. It’s an intense, emotional show of sacrifice and redemption unlike anything playing on Broadway now.
No dates were announced for when performances begin. “Swept Away” will be in a Shubert Organization theater, although the venue has not been set either. Updates for when tickets go on sale will be on the show’s website at sweptawaymusical.com.
Casting also wasn’t disclosed. But joining The Avett Brothers on stage Friday night were the leads of the show from its earlier, well-received runs at Berkeley Rep in California and Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.: John Gallagher Jr., Wayne Duvall, Stark Sands and Adrian Blake Enscoe. They were introduced to raucous cheers as “the cast of the soon-to-be Broadway show ‘Swept Away.’ “
In an exclusive interview with The Charlotte Observer, Scott Avett said that he continues to embrace the musical’s journey. “We’re really committed to this show.”
The magnitude of the moment dawned on him, he said, as the band arrived at the CBS Saturday Morning studio in Times Square to tape an appearance for this Saturday’s show.
Avett surveyed the rows of nearby Broadway marquees, knowing that “Swept Away” would be taking its place there in the heart of the theater district. “Just to be very, very real about it, my gosh, what an amazing thing.”
About The Avett Brothers musical ‘Swept Away’
About 10 years ago, Charlotte native Matthew Masten listened to an early Avett Brothers album, “Mignonette,” and felt something there could work as a musical.
The 2004 album was inspired by the infamous real-life story of a 19th-century yacht that sank during a storm off the South African coast, and how the survivors managed to live without food or water. “Swept Away” shifts the action to 1888 New England.
There are some high-powered names attached to the show. It features a book by Tony Award winner and Oscar-nominated screenwriter John Logan (“Red”), direction by Tony winner Michael Mayer (“Spring Awakening”) and choreography by Tony nominee David Neumann (“Hadestown”) in addition to music and lyrics by The Avett Brothers.
Masten, a Myers Park High grad, is producing the show with his friend Sean Hudock and Madison Wells Live; Wagner Johnson Productions is the executive producer.
The show had its world premiere at Berkeley Rep in 2022, extended its run several times and sailed along to strong reviews. At Arena Stage last November, robust sales led to a two-week extension. The Washington Post called the musical “transfixing” and an “unabashedly unorthodox jukebox musical.”
This spring in Miami, a positive reception during a panel at a major theater industry conference called Broadway Across America helped propel the show towards Broadway and a “yes” from the Shuberts.
Broadway beckons with opportunity and challenges
In an interview, Masten and Hudock used words like “thrilling,” “exciting” and “overwhelming” to describe their feelings about taking the show to Broadway. “It is anxiety-inducing,” Masten added. “But I think we try to remind ourselves that this is actually happening.”
Now that the show is leaving the nonprofit theater world for a commercial Broadway house, new challenges are emerging.
Even under the best of circumstances most Broadway shows lose money.
This season that just ended saw a dozen productions debut shortly before the end of the late April cut-off date for consideration for this year’s Tony Awards. One show that opened in April, “Lempicka,” is closing this weekend after just a month of performances.
Masten and Hudock know there’s plenty of work to do to continue raising money for “Swept Away” and figuring out the best ways to sell the show. The essence of the production remains the same, Hudock said, and won’t change just because it’s moving to Broadway.
Embracing the intensity of the show is one way to sell it to audiences, Masten said. “People will make up their minds whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
“But getting people to take a chance on that and experience folk rock music told in a really organic way on Broadway is thrilling.”
Hudock agreed, saying, “Everyone feels a sense of pride in having built this piece.”
‘Building up communities’
Avett said he has long felt that the show came together and revealed itself artistically early on in the process.
He also said the band is more than eager to do help wherever it can if needed as the production continues to be fine-tuned before it opens, which happens with any Broadway show.
Despite the challenging themes, Avett said, “I trust in this show so thoroughly... that when people go to it, I think they will receive it in a very personal way... and they will pass it on” and tell others about it.
And if theater-goers who are unfamiliar with the Avetts’ music decide they want to hear more of the band’s sound, that;s fine with Avett too. If an artist resonates with him in some way, he’ll go on a journey with them, such as recently seeking out all of the films of Burt Reynolds.
The dozen or so Avett Brothers songs in “Swept Away” are recontextualized for the show but for the most part the lyrics are unchanged.
That led Avett to ponder one other point, how the life experiences that he and his brother Seth have had around Concord, Cabarrus County and the Charlotte region continue to inform and inspire their work.
“I want people to know how our region has given and continues to give us so much,” Avett said. “It’s been an amazing place to grow up creatively. And we are very grateful for that. We talk about building up communities, and I want people to know, it’s there for you. It’s there for us.”
And this fall, the creative work of The Avett Brothers, the producer from Charlotte and all the others connected with “Swept Away” will arrive on Broadway.
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