By Southwester Staff
Arena Stage will wrap up the calendar year 2023 with a production of Swept Away, a musical about a quartet of shipwreck survivors set in the whaling community of New England in the late 1800’s. Music and lyrics for the show were written by the Grammy-nominated roots and folk band The Avett Brothers.
The show’s writer, John Logan, previously earned a Tony Award for Red, while the director, Michael Mayer, and star, John Gallagher, Jr., are Tony Award winners for Spring Awakening.
“The true genius of Swept Away lies in how The Avett Brothers peel back the layers of uncertainty, vulnerability, hope, and self-discovery to reveal our fundamental humanity in this exquisite musical,” said Arena Stage Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif.
Gallagher will be joined by castmates Stark Sands, Adrian Blake Enscoe and Wayne Duvall to portray the four shipwrecked sailors – a young man in search of adventure, his big brother who has sworn to protect him, a captain at the end of a long career at sea, and a worldly first mate who has fallen from grace.
“We’re thankful to the many talented artists who’ve been a part of this show’s life since our world premiere at Berkeley Rep,” said Scott Avett of The Avett Brothers, “and we’re thrilled to welcome new shipmates for the D.C. leg of our voyage.”
The production will run from November 25 – December 30, 2023 in Arena Stage’s Kreeger Theater.