The stars and fans of the brand-new Broadway musical Swept Away are left heartbroken with the curtain scheduled to come down on the production for good mere weeks after it opened.
When news broke that the swashbuckling tale of shipwrecked survivors would be closing on Dec. 29, Broadway fans began flocking to Longacre Theatre on 220 West 48th St. to catch a glimpse of the stunning set design and sweeping performances. Yet, having packed seats days before the show is set to be retired is too little, too late.
Co-star Adrian Blake Enscoe, a member of folk band Bandits on the Run who plays “little brother,” told amNewYork Metro that Swept Away has become such a large portion of his life since he got the role by sending in an audition tape. He says he has been left floored by the reactions from fans who rush to the stage door after a show and recite their visceral reactions to the musical, which deals with serious topics.
“The way that the show touches people is really deep and profound, and it’s clear from the love that people see that we put into it. It’s also clear from how people internalize it, and they bring people back,” Blake Enscoe explained. “I knew that we were in trouble because they’d asked earlier in the week if we would take salary cuts. Of course, the answer was yes, if it’ll help the show keep going. But I kind of didn’t believe it, and there’s still a part of me that doesn’t quite believe it.”
Swept Away debuted on Broadway on Nov. 19 and only took audiences in for a matter of days before funding was scrapped. The cast was told that they would only be able to finish up the month before the final curtain came down. This set off fury from those who had seen the tale and were deeply moved by the performances and musical numbers.
Both actors and audiences feel that Swept Away was not allowed to make a splash, having the rug pulled from under it before it had a chance to impact spectators or ticket sales. For Blake Enscoe, this is a sad symptom of Broadway and art as a whole. He believes New Yorkers crave new Broadway experiences, but the market does not seem to allow for breakout shows unless it has A-list star power or established marquee names.
“Don’t you want more of this on Broadway? Don’t you want to invest and keep some art alive? It’s a really cutthroat world on Broadway right now. The rent is very high. There’s a lot of demand so, I mean, theaters can charge kind of whatever they want,” Blake Enscoe said. “There are fans of the show all over the country who are heartbroken, people that have bought tickets in May or April, because that’s where we were selling tickets, were like, I’m never gonna get to see the show.”
Originally, Swept Away was scheduled to conclude on Dec. 15, but the run was extended after actors and fans pushed for more funding. Despite a wave of support from audiences who have, themselves, been “Swept Away” by the performance, the final date seems to be set in stone on Dec. 29 with Blake Enscoe saying that another show has also been slotted in its place.
“People can move mountains, but the leverage of power is with the wealthy right now,” Blake Enscoe said. “I’m heartbroken, but it’s a little bittersweet, because I believe and love all of that, and also you just see how our system is not set up to honor that. It’s not set up to honor art or discussion or love; it’s set up to honor profits.”
