Swept Away, a new musical featuring music from the roots group The Avett Brothers, will hit Broadway in 2020.
The show is inspired by the band’s 2004 record Mignonette, as well as their vast catalogue of blended rock and folk music. It will focus on the story of a young man, his older brother, a captain, and a first mate who are on a whaling ship that sinks in a violent storm off the coast of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Set in 1888, the play delves into each man’s struggle to stay alive and the consequences that ensue.
John Logan, the Tony Award-winning stage and screen writer known for Moulin Rouge! will join the team, as well as Tony Award winning Director Michael Mayer, who directed Green Day’s American Idiot.
“I’m ecstatic to be reunited with my West Coast theatre family at Berkeley Rep, and to be a part of Johanna Pfaelzer’s inaugural season,” Swept Away director Michael Mayer said in a release. “Bringing The Avett Brothers’ gorgeous songs to life in the context of John Logan’s gut-punch of a ghost story is both a privilege and a thrill.”
Seth Avett explained that the show was built with their songs and has “revealed meanings and connections which Scott and I never could have imagined otherwise.”
“Beyond the unique joy and somewhat surreal experience of watching the project develop, it has been an honor to work with everyone involved; writer John Logan has led the way with talent, motivation, and inspiration,” he said.
Logan explained that it has been a “pleasure” working with The Avett Brothers and living inside their music, noting that he’s “inspired by the sheer variety of their work and its utter truth and soulfulness.”
The show is set to premiere at Berkeley Rep as part of their 2019-2020 season, with performances beginning in June 2020. Berkeley Rep will produce the show, along with a special arrangement by Matthew Masten and Sean Hudock. It will be a part of Berkeley’s Repertory Theatre’s 2019 to 2020 subscription season.
Tickets are currently only available for Berkeley Rep season subscribers, but single tickets will be announced at a later date. Visit BerkeleyRep.org for more information.
