New Cast Album of the Week - Swept Away (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
Swept Away is a jukebox musical featuring the music of The Avett Brothers with a book by Tony Award-winning playwright John Logan.
The Avett Brothers may not be well known amongst British audiences, so I'll give you a quick rundown. An American folk rock band from Concord, North Carolina, they are known for their unique blend of bluegrass, country, punk, honky tonk, and ragtime. What more do you need in a modern musical?!
Swept Away is set in 1888 and follows four sailors who are shipwrecked off the coast of New Bedford, Massachusetts. The show explores profound themes of survival, brotherhood, and redemption. The characters are forced to confront their deepest fears and make unimaginable choices to stay alive. The story is inspired by a real 19th-century wreck of the Yacht Mignonette. (See R v Dudley and Stephens - warning, cannibal stuff!)
Swept Away features songs previously written and recorded by The Avett Brothers, with the exception of Lord Lay Your Hand on My Shoulder, which was written for the show. The cast album, released today, features the original Broadway cast of Wayne Duvall, Adrian Blake Enscoe, John Gallagher Jr. (Kimberly Akimbo, Spring Awakening, American Idiot), and Stark Sands (Bonnie & Clyde, Kinky Boots, & Juliet), who were praised for their compelling performances and onstage chemistry, crucial in communicating the emotional impact of the narrative.
I'd file this one alongside shows like Come from Away, Once, Bright Star, and Girl from the North Country. It never quite hit the heights of a Hadestown or Floyd Collins, but it's definitely worth a listen. After closing on Broadway in December 2024, I wonder what the next step is for this show.