By Colton Silva
On November 19th, 2024, The Avett Brothers’ original Swept Away opened on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre. Unfortunately, due to an unsuccessful box office, the cast and crew came out one night to take their bows and then shared the news that the show would be closing on December 15th. Ever since that announcement, new fans of the show and the general public rushed to see the show as much as they could, spreading the word in the streets and on social media to the point where some people even made petitions to save the show. With all the buzz that spun around the show, the company of the show was shocked to see a sold out full house the night after the announcement, and every single night and matinee performance afterwards.
Four days after the announcement, a cast member came out after an evening performance to surprise both the audience and rest of the cast and crew with the news that the show would be extending its run 2 weeks after its initial closing date. The show had packed houses every performance ever since. The directors and producers tried to change their deal with the people who owned the theatre with the early closing date after seeing the praise and ticket sales the show was getting. However, they refused due to a rumored other production asking to take up the theatre that is “sure to sell tickets.” The production has not been announced, but it’s heavily rumored from inside Broadway scoopers that it’s another adaptation or revival piece of pre-existing shows or material. Swept Away played its final performance on December 29th, 2024.
I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that Broadway producers are saying things like: “we wish there were more original shows,” but then when one comes around, they try to end it and hide it like it never existed in favor of adaptations. This is no hate to any musicals or plays that are on Broadway currently that are adaptations, especially because my favorite musical as of now is an adaptation of the critically acclaimed book and movie, The Outsiders. I just think that there should be more original shows on Broadway that should be seen and given a chance instead of just closing them before they can even get the spotlight, especially a stunning show like Swept Away.
With music from The Avett Brothers, Swept Away is about a pair of two brothers that end up lost at sea until they come across a sailing ship. The younger brother loves everything he is learning about being on the ship and being a part of the crew, while the older brother is overprotective and keeps to himself. It’s filled with a lot of fun songs and beautiful ballads, until a sudden shipwreck occurs and only 4 people survive in a lifeboat. The Captain, his right hand man, and both the brothers then have to do what they can to survive as they sail into the abyss. They grow, connect, argue, and discover what it means to be a crew and a family.
As of February 6th, of the 28 current Broadway shows running, 22 of them are adaptations or revivals of past shows or forms of media. There are 45 theaters on Broadway. 14 of those theaters aren’t being used, not counting the 4 theaters being used for bands or weekend singer shows. However, some currently empty theaters have already announced other revivals or adaptations moving into those spaces.
I just hope that one day we get more chances to see original pieces on Broadway to give them more representation and praise because that’s how all these other revivals became so great—they were once original pieces that were given a chance.
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