Swept Away
What Have You Done?
By Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).Published about 6 hours ago • 3 min read
"Swept Away" at the Longacre Theatre is a musical that can be put into "the boat" category. Like "The Life of Pi" and "The Shark is Broken", the staging is creative and interesting to look at. Written by John Logan and music by The Avett Brothers, the folksy musical is a much different kind of show than we are used to seeing on The Great White Way.
Getting lost at sea, the plot is similar to the "Life of Pi",( the same theater as where this show is now playing), people get stranded at sea... people suffer greatly against the elements. "Swept", however, is music based, and the music fits the plot well... the sea goers are as rough as the underbelly of the music.
Logan is deft in bringing the many personalities forward: Big Brother (Stark Sands) and little brother (Adrian Blake Ensccoe) are religious and genuine. Mate, (John Gallagher Jr) has no beliefs, he is bare bones when it comes to life; and so is Captain (Wayne Duvall). The four main actors blend well together as director Michael Mayer keeps the plot for the most part moving nicely with the dialogue before us.
In the ninety minute intermissionless show, the words at time get lost, sometimes not resonating deeply; at other times the we feel a deep connection towards the actors. Where we sometimes get a glimpse at what makes each one tick, the audience never fully understands them.
Where "Swept Away" shines is in the staging, Rachel Hauck's set is magnificent. The original set gets lifted from the bottom up to bring the row boat to the forefront. Kevin Adams lighting is the backbeat of the musical, however. His mystic grey's cool blue lighting gives a "jazz" feel to the show. When he hits the stage with the green's , purple and orange, the musical becomes mysterious and edgy!
The year is 1988 and the whalers are all but extinct with the creation of kerosene to light the lamps now. The captain frustratingly tells us "this is all I know". The storms that come and go are very significant...how the four navigate the storms is how they navigate their lives. As they face life changing events on the boat, their livelihoods too face a storm, not sure where they go from here. John Shivers sound design makes the audience well aware of what the four face on the vicious sea.
"Swept Away" is a middling musical, my guess is that it will run about a year or so. The musical is not too hot, nor is it cold. It pleases probably most of the audience, but not all.
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Next up is Gypsy and Cult of Love at the Helen Hayes theatre.
This fall season has been a very up and down season. Where I thought some shows were going to be great, they disappointed. "Maybe, Happy Ending" is not pulling in the people. This maybe due to the very bland songs in the show. "Our Town" is a DEI disaster! Kenny Leon, the director of "Our Town" has taken a classic and destroyed it with his woke direction. "Left on Tenth" was a very good show, it was getting early mixed word about it, however, the two stars made this a must see! Robert Downey Jr was fantastic in McNeil, another surprise show! "Yellow Face" was both funny and warm, and "Tammy Faye" was the disaster of the year and is closing after a few months at the newly renovated Palace Theatre.
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Broadway, Tony Awards, Gypsy, Yellow Face, Swept Away, Empire, New York City, Robert Downey Jr, Hollywood.
About the Creator
Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).
I have been writing on theater since 1982. A graduate from Manhattan College B.S. A member of Alpha Sigma Lambda, which recognizes excellence in both English and Science. I have produced 14 shows on and off Broadway. I've seen over700 shows
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