Full Cast & Creative Team Set for The Avett Brothers' SWEPT AWAY at Arena Stage

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater has revealed full cast and creative team for Swept Away. Featuring a book by Tony Award® winner John Logan (Red), with music and lyrics by The Avett Brothers, this new musical will run November 25 – December 30, 2023, in Arena Stage’s Kreeger Theater. For information and tickets, please visit arenastage.org/sweptaway.

The Arena Stage production will reunite much of the team from the show’s Berkeley Repertory Theatre world premiere, which enjoyed a thrice-extended run in early 2022. It will be directed by Tony Award® winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening) and star Tony Award® winner John Gallagher, Jr. (Spring Awakening), Tony Award® nominee Stark Sands (Kinky Boots), Adrian Blake Enscoe (Apple TV+’s Dickinson), and Wayne Duvall (1984).

“The true genius of Swept Away lies in how The Avett Brothers peel back the layers of uncertainty, vulnerability, hope, and self-discovery to reveal our fundamental humanity in this exquisite musical,” said Arena Stage Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif. 

Set in 1888, Swept Away follows four survivors—a young man in search of adventure (Enscoe), his big brother who has sworn to protect him (Sands), a captain at the end of a long career at sea (Duvall), and a worldly first mate who has fallen from grace (Gallagher)—after a violent storm sinks their whaling ship off the coast of New Bedford, Massachusetts. How far will they go to stay alive? And can they live with the consequences? Described as “reverberating all the way into your core” (San Francisco Chronicle), this electrifying, soul-stirring musical explores how facing tragedy can open the door to forgiveness, if only we’ll let it.

“We’re thankful to the many talented artists who’ve been a part of this show’s life since our world premiere at Berkeley Rep,” said Scott Avettof The Avett Brothers, “and we’re thrilled to welcome new shipmates for the D.C. leg of our voyage.”

Joining Duvall, Enscoe, Gallagher, and Sands onstage is a talented ensemble comprised of Hunter Brown (The Sound of Music National Tour), Matt DeAngelis (Broadway’s Waitress), Taurean Everett (Broadway’s Moulin Rouge! The Musical), Cameron Johnson (Broadway’s Into the Woods), Brandon Kalm (Broadway’s Waitress), Michael J. Mainwaring (Arena’s Smokey Joe's Café), Orville Mendoza (Broadway’s Peter and the Starcatcher), Tyrone L. Robinson (Broadway’s Frozen), John Sygar (Kennedy Center’s Look Both Ways), and Jamari Johnson Williams (Broadway’s Ain’t Too Proud).

In addition to Mayer, the Swept Away creative team includes Tony Award®-nominated Choreographer David Neumann, Music Arranger & Orchestrator Chris Miller,“Music Supervisor Brian Usifer, Music Arrangements & Orchestrations by Chris Miller and Brian Usifer, Music Director Will Van Dyke, Tony Award®-winning Set Designer Rachel Hauck, Tony Award®-winning Costume Designer Susan Hilferty, four-time Tony Award-winning Lighting Designer Kevin Adams, Tony Award®-winning Sound Designer John Shivers, New York Casting Director Jim Carnahan, Jillian Cimini, andAlexandre Bleau, CSA, DC Casting Director Joseph Pinzon, Stage Manager Matthew Leiner, and Assistant Stage Managers Alice M. Pollitt, Marne Anderson, and Jalon Payton.

CAST BIOGRAPHIES (in alphabetical order)

Hunter Brown 

(Ensemble / u/s Mate) is making his Arena Stage debut! Regional credits include The Wedding Singer (Gateway Playhouse), Escape to Margaritaville (Engeman Theater), and The Full Monty (Argyle Theatre). Hunter played Rolf on the National Tour of The Sound of Music and Nick on the National Tour of Fame: The Musical. Instagram: @brunterhown
 

Matt DeAngelis 

(Ensemble / u/s Mate) is making his Arena Stage debut. Broadway: Hair (Woof) and Waitress (Earl). West End: Hair (Woof). Tours: Hair (Woof), American Idiot (Rep. From Jingletown), Once (Svec), and Waitress (Earl). Off-Broadway: Secret Life of Bees (Atlantic Theater Company) and Orpheus Descending (TFANA). TV: Person of Interest, Madam Secretary, Daredevil, Evil, For Life, Chicago P.D., and FBI. Love to my wife (and favorite actor) Christine Dwyer and to my amazing dog Chowdah. This and ALL the others are for Janice DeAngelis RIP. #WAMFAM Instagram: @mattdeangelis22
 

Wayne Duvall 

(Captain) is excited to be coming back to the city of his birth, making his Arena Stage debut reprising his role in Swept Away. On Broadway, Wayne was seen in 1984. Off-Broadway credits include the critically acclaimed The Legend of Georgia McBride and the Encores! productions of Big River and Of Thee I Sing. Regionally, Wayne originated roles in the musicals Bonnie & Clyde and Bright Star. He also starred in The Cake with Faith Prince at La Jolla Playhouse and Signature’s production of Pride in the Falls of Autrey Mill with Christine Lahti. Some of Wayne’s notable film and television appearances are O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Lincoln, The Trial of the Chicago 7, The Hunt, Billions, The Blacklist, and The Righteous Gemstones.
 

Adrian Blake Enscoe

(Little Brother) starred opposite Hailee Steinfeld and Jane Krakowski in David Gordon Green’s Peabody Award-winning Dickinson for Apple TV+. He recently shot the lead in the independent film Breed of Greed, directed by Ralph Hemecker. Since graduating from Carnegie Mellon’s undergraduate acting program, Adrian has landed roles in Carter Smith’s independent film Jamie Marks Is Dead opposite Cameron Monaghan and MORGAN SAYLOR, and on Jenji Kohan’s Netflix show Orange Is the New Black. He has been seen in supporting roles in independent films The Greens Are Gone and Seeds, among others. On the theater side, Adrian recently performed in the world premiere of the musical Swept Away at Berkeley Rep. He also played the lead in the musical Billy and the Killers at HERE Arts Center and in Pipeline Theatre Company’s musical Folk Wandering, both in New York City. 
 

Taurean Everett 

(Ensemble / Dance Captain / u/s Captain) is making his Arena Stage debut! Taurean's Broadway credits include Moulin Rouge!, The Cher Show, Miss Saigon, and Mamma Mia! (Eddie). Tour and regional credits include Priscilla QOTD (First National Tour); Swept Away (Berkeley Rep); Thoroughly Modern Millie (Actors Fund); Guys and Dolls (Carnegie Hall); Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey II in drag, Berkshire Theatre); Can-Can, Damn Yankees, Curtains, and Peter Pan (Paper Mill Playhouse). Taurean is also a runway model on Bravo’s Project Runway (seasons 18 and 20), a promo model for Paramount+’s RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars (season 8), and a featured performer on Peacock's The Amber Ruffin Show. Stay tuned! Instagram: @taureanje
 

John Gallagher, Jr. 

(Mate) won a 2007 Tony Award® for his role in the ground-breaking rock musical Spring Awakening. Other Broadway credits include Long Day’s Journey into Night, Jerusalem, Green Day’s American Idiot, and Rabbit Hole. Off-Broadway credits include Farragut North, Port Authority, and Kimberly Akimbo. He starred in Aaron Sorkin’s HBO drama series The Newsroom, as well as the acclaimed miniseries Olive Kitteridge. He has appeared in such films as Underwater, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Hush, 10 Cloverfield Lane,Short Term 12, Margaret, and Pieces of April. John’s two albums of original music, Six Day Hurricane and 8th and Jane, are both available to stream online.
 

Cameron Johnson 

(Ensemble / u/s Big Brother & Little Brother) is thrilled to be performing at Arena Stage! His favorite credits include Into the Woods (2022 Broadway revival), Swept Away (Berkeley Repertory Theatre), Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish (Fyedka, Stage 42), and The Golden Bride (Misha, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene). He received his BM at Acadia University, and MM at Manhattan School of Music. Instagram: @camgraeme
 

Brandon Kalm 

(Ensemble / u/s Big Brother & Little Brother) is so happy to be making his Arena Stage debut with Swept Away after being involved with the amazing former production at Berkeley Rep. Some of his notable credits include both American Psycho and Waitress on Broadway. He also had the pleasure of performing with The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park production of The Tempest. In addition, Brandon toured around the world with the traveling production of Green Day’s American Idiot. He has also appeared in various television shows including Z: The Beginning of Everything and The Blacklist. He is a proud Esper Studio Alum. Love to Odd. Instagram: @bkalm
 

Michael J. Mainwaring 

(Ensemble / Partial Swing) is delighted to be back at Arena Stage after nine years. He was last seen at Arena in Smokey Joe’s Café. His DC credits include Passing Strange, Jesus Christ Superstar, Dreamgirls, the world premiere of Benjamin Benne’s In His Hands, Godspell, Sweeney Todd, In the Heights, Matilda, The Mortification of Fovea Munson, Lost in the Stars, Shenandoah, Freedom’s Song, Thunder Knocking on the Door, and Three Little Birds (world premiere). Other regional works include Rent and Spellbound (workshop). Michael wants to thank his beloved voice teacher Kristin Halliday for her guiding light and continued generosity over the years.
 

Orville Mendoza 

(Ensemble / u/s Captain) is making his Arena Stage debut! Orville’s Broadway credits include Peter and the Starcatcher and Pacific Overtures. Off-Broadway, Orville was most recently seen in Suzan-Lori Parks’ Plays for the Plague Year at The Public/NYSF; also at The Public, Romeo and Juliet (Delacorte), Timon of Athens, and the original cast of Sondheim/Weidman’s Road Show. Regionally, Orville performed at The Old Globe in Crime and Punishment, A Comedy; Ebenezer Scrooge’s… Christmas Show; Taming of the Shrew; and The Heart of Rock & Roll. Other regionals include East West Players, The Muny, 5th Avenue, Goodspeed, Long Wharf, and Kansas City Rep. Television credits include Dead Ringers, Billions, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and featured vocals for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch. www.orvillemendoza.com
 

Tyrone L. Robinson 

(Ensemble / u/s Captain), a North Carolina native, is honored to make his Arena Stage debut in Swept Away. Broadway: King Agnarr in Disney’s Frozen. Tours: The Book of Mormon and Mufasa Standby in The Lion King. Television: New Amsterdam (recurring), The Blacklist, FBI: Most Wanted, Lovecraft Country (HBO), and Law & Order: SVU. Favorite regionals: Shakespeare Theatre, Dallas Theater Center, Geva Theatre Center, and Goodspeed Musicals. Tyrone wrote music and lyrics for the musical Show Way which premiered at The Kennedy Center in 2022 and will have a national tour in 2024. Thank you, Avett Brothers, for this glorious music, and John, Michael, Brian, Chris, and David for this opportunity to live this story with this cast and team. MFA NYU Tisch.
 

Stark Sands 

(Big Brother)’s Broadway credits include & Juliet, To Kill a Mockingbird, Kinky Boots (Tony Award® nomination, Grammy Award winner), American Idiot, Journey’s End (Tony Award® nomination, Theatre World Award winner). Off-Broadway credits include Twelfth Night (Public Theater) and The Tempest (Classic Stage Company, AEA Bayfield Award). Film credits include The Post; Inside Llewyn Davis; Flags of Our Fathers; Die, Mommie, Die!; Shall We Dance; and 11:14. Television credits include Minority Report, Generation Kill, Nip/Tuck, and Six Feet Under.
 

John Sygar 

(Ensemble / Partial Swing) is a Maryland native, who was last seen at The Kennedy Center in Look Both Ways. Other DC credits include A.D. 16, Beauty and the Beast, Once (Olney Theatre Center); Light Years (Signature Theatre); Spring Awakening (Round House Theatre); Peter and the Starcatcher (Constellation Theatre Company); Aquarium, Robin Hood, (Imagination Stage); Floyd Collins (1st Stage); and more. He also writes music for the group baseball hat and his solo project Jsyg. Instagram: @jsyg
 

Jamari Johnson Williams 

(Ensemble / Partial Swing) is honored to make his Arena Stage debut! On Broadway he was seen in the Tony Award®-winning Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations. Touring credits include the 8-time Tony Award® winner Hadestown(First National), Ain’t Too Proud (First National), Motown (closing cast), and Memphis. Select regional credits include Natasha, Pierre…Great Comet, Hair, The Wiz, South Pacific, and Smokey Joe’s. He is a founding member and youngest board member of his hometown orchestra, the Gifford Youth Orchestra. He hopes to heal others through art, as he once was. Peace. Instagram: @jamaridarling

Photo credit: Kevin Berne