I started this blog with one daughter, kept it up with the other, to spend time together doing something we enjoyed.
However, things change and people evolve. My daughters are older, busier, and not as interested in writing.
From now on this blog will be mostly mom with occasional contributions from my daughters and maybe even my husband.
Nothing else will change. We'll still focus on sharing fun places to go, fun things to do, and more, and we would  still love to hear your views too

Saturday, December 7, 2024

Still More Theater Saturday - Swept Away

We received complimentary tickets to Swept Away for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are own.


What: Swept Away

Where: Longacre Theatre 
             220 W. 48th St.
             New York, NY

Who: Recommended for Ages 12 and Up

When: Through December 15, 2024


Me - Swept Away is not an uplifting show. The music is nice though. There are some really nice harmonies. The voices of the cast blend together really nicely. The set is amazing! It is cool the way it transforms later in the show.  However, despite its good points, the show is extremely dark. Therefore, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who gets upset easily. 


Mom- Swept Away is a musical based on the music of the Avett Brothers, a folk rock band from North Carolina made up of two men who are actually brothers and one who isn't. The show, however, is not about the band. It is about a shipwreck and was inspired by a real late 1900s event. 


The music is definitely a highlight of the show. The cast does a terrific job of bringing out the beauty in the songs. The combination of their voices is quite lovely. There is a nice mix of fast uptempo folksy numbers and emotional ballads. The songs are enjoyable to listen to during the show and worth listening to again on the upcoming cast album.


Aside from the nameless ensemble who only appears in the earlier part of the show prior to the shipwreck, there are four main characters. The four are not given names either but merely called Captain, Mate, Big Brother, and Little Brother. They are played by Wayne Duvall, John Gallagher Jr., Stark Sands, and Adrian Blake Enscoe respectively. Each of them gives a heartfelt stirring performance, especially Sands who plays a brother who makes the ultimate sacrifice. 


The choreography is lively. The way the storm is depicted through dance is particularly enthralling. The set is quite interesting in both incarnations and the transformation between the two is exciting. Thus, there is a lot to like about this show. 


However, despite all its good qualities, it is impossible to wholeheartedly recommend the show. It deals with extremely somber subject matter including cannibalism which is completely unsuitable for young children and likely to upset almost everyone. It is a bit gorey as well, but not due to the cannibalism aspect. The lack of names given to the characters distances the audience from the horror of what occurs only a tiny bit because the actors' fine performances draw them fully into the story.  This is definitely not a show for the faint of heart.


And that's our view. For more about Swept Away or to purchase tickets, visit sweptawaymusical.com

Tune in tomorrow for this week's Sunday Scoop. 

Photo credits:
All Swept Away production photos by Emilio Madrid

Images used in this post have been sent to us from publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms and are used by permission. If there is a problem with the rights to any image,  contact us hereand we will look into the matter.

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