Rehearsals are underway for the world premiere of Swept Away, an original musical featuring the music of Grammy-nominated folk-rock band The Avett Brothers. The production, which was originally scheduled to premiere in June 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic, is set to begin performances at Berkeley Repertory Theatre January 9, 2022. The production was extended twice and is now scheduled through March 6.
Swept Away tells the story of four survivors of a shipwreck off the coast of New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1888. The musical features a book by Tony Award winner John Logan.
The production stars Tony winner John Gallagher, Jr. (Spring Awakening) as Mate, Tony nominee Stark Sands (American Idiot) as Older Brother, Adrian Blake Enscoe (Dickinson) as Little Brother, and Wayne Duvall (1984) as Captain alongside company members Taurean Everett (The Cher Show), Cameron Johnson (Fiddler on the Roof), Ben Toomer (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Vishal Vaidya (Groundhog Day), and Jacob Keith Watson (Amélie).
Directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer with choreography by Tony nominee David Neumann, Swept Away features scenic design by Tony winner Rachel Hauck, costume design by Tony winner Susan Hilferty, lighting design by Tony winner Kevin Adams, and sound design by Tony Winner Kai Harada. Music arrangements and orchestrations are by Chris Miller and Brian Usifer and Julie Wolf is music director.
Swept Away is produced by special arrangement with Matthew Masten, Sean Hudock, and Madison Wells Live.
