Broadway musical Swept Away will extend its run through Dec. 29, the producers announced Tuesday, citing a surge in ticket sales following the initial announcement that the show would close this week.
Featuring a score by the Avett Brothers, Swept Away initially announced that it would close after only 32 regular performances, setting its final day for Dec. 15. In an announcement onstage following Tuesday’s Dec. 11 show, actor Stark Sands announced the run would extend through to the end of the month following demand for tickets.
“The story we tell is about the will to survive against incredible odds,” Sands told the crowd. “Last week it was announced that Swept Away would be closing and then, something happened. We came to work the next day, and we walked out to a completely sold-out house. And then the next day it happened again and then it happened again…I’ve never seen it before; we’ve never felt this… So I am pleased to announce that Swept Away will be extending for two more weeks. The run is now going until Dec. 29.”
A press release sent after Sands’ announcement called the ticket sales “unprecedented demand.”
The show, about a shipwreck and the crew’s struggle to survive in its aftermath, received a Critic’s Pick from the New York Times but mixed reviews elsewhere. The musical began previews on Broadway on Oct. 29 and opened at the Longacre Theatre on Tuesday, Nov. 19.
The two-week extension offers a bright spot amid ongoing reports of prohibitively high running costs on Broadway, which make it difficult to keep a struggling show open. Elton John’s new musical Tammy Faye, for example, closed on Dec. 8 after only opening on Broadway on Nov. 14.
The Broadway cast recording of Swept Away is set for digital release on Feb. 7, 2025. The show features music and lyrics by The Avett Brothers and is produced by Brian Usifer, Chris Miller, Will Van Dyke and Madison Wells Live.