The Broadway musical Swept Away has navigated from an abrupt closure announcement to an unexpected encore, riding a wave of last-minute audience support. The folk-rock musical, which made its Broadway debut at the Longacre Theatre on Nov. 19 following previews that began Oct. 29, initially announced it would lower its final curtain on Dec. 15.
The decision came after struggling box office numbers, with the show earning just “$409,354.80 for the week ending Nov. 24,” and only slightly improving to $412,182.30 over the traditionally lucrative Thanksgiving period—falling short of the production’s operating expenses, given its sizable ensemble cast, according to Playbill. However, in a surprising turn of events that mirrors its survival-themed storyline, the production announced a two-week extension to Dec. 29, following a surge in ticket sales that completely sold out what was meant to be its final week.
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Star Stark Sands shared the news with the audience after a Dec. 10 performance, noting, “The story we tell is about the will to survive against incredible odds. This show was scheduled to play its final performance on Sunday, but thanks to you, the audience members who have come out to see us since we made that announcement, it turns out there’s more life left in us yet.”
The musical features songs by the acclaimed folk-rock group The Avett Brothers and a book by John Logan, under the direction of Michael Mayer, with choreography by David Newmann. Its story follows four survivors of an 1888 shipwreck off the coast of New Bedford, Massachusetts, exploring themes of survival, forgiveness, and “how tragedy can lead to forgiveness,” per its synopsis.
The production boasts an impressive cast led by Tony winner John Gallagher Jr. (Spring Awakening) as Mate, Sands (Kinky Boots) as Big Brother, Adrian Blake Enscoe (Dickinson) as Little Brother, and Wayne Duvall (1984) as Captain – all reprising their roles from earlier productions at Berkeley Repertory and Arena Stage. Before the extension announcement, producers Matthew Masten, Sean Hudock, and Madison Wells Live had expressed both pride and resignation: “We are deeply proud of this beautiful production and the years of work that it took to get to Broadway. We will forever be indebted to our fantastic creative team, our loyal actors, and all of our co-producers and in turn their investors, for believing in this production and taking a risk on new work.”
When Swept Away concludes its run on Dec. 29, it will have presented 20 previews and approximately 46 regular performances, marking a brief but memorable addition to the Broadway landscape. Despite the production’s shortened run, fans will still have a chance to experience the music, as a Broadway cast recording is scheduled for release in 2025. The show, executive-produced by Wagner Johnson Productions, represents a unique collaboration between the theatrical and folk-rock worlds, bringing The Avett Brothers’ distinctive musical style to the Broadway stage.
