Swept Away, the new musical, is nearing the end of its Broadway voyage at the Longacre Theatre. Due to popular demand, the show recently announced it has pushed back its closing date to December 29, 2024.
Adrian Blake Enscoe, one of the show’s stars, caught up with Broadway Direct to chat about the famous actor who inspired him, his respect for his costars, and the elements of Swept Away that will excite audiences.
1. What inspired you to become an actor?
Robin Williams first. Then my dear friends Ellen, Lauren, and Joe who I grew up writing plays and music with – which primed me for a moment when I worked with Peter Schumann of Bread & Puppet Theater. I saw a production directed by Dmitry Krymov (currently in residence at La MaMa) involving out-of-this-world puppets, shadows, and painted sets, and I knew this life was for me.
2. Who in your field inspires you?
Honestly, I have a giant degree of respect for my castmates in Swept Away. Stark Sands and Wayne Duvall have been involved in so many beautiful and interesting projects through the years. And of course, the unmistakable John Gallagher Jr. who I’ve long admired as an actor and fellow singer-songwriter. PigPen Theatre Co. continues to amaze and inspire me, as well as folks like Taylor Mac who just continually generates strange and unique work.
3. What will audiences be most excited about seeing in Swept Away?
Two things: ONE, you won’t see a story like this anywhere else on Broadway — especially in a musical. Just when you think you know how this play goes, it gets DARK and twisted and goes to real catharsis before you can take a second breath. I love feeling how people experience the last five minutes of the show, and I get to because when we’re in that little lifeboat spinning around, it’s like the whole audience is right there in the boat with us. And TWO: you won’t get authentic folk music like this in another Broadway musical — with beautiful lyrics and essential storytelling in these incredible songs written by the Avett Brothers, with an orchestration treatment by Brian Usifer and Chris Miller that pays its dues and preserves the vibe of the Avett’s intimacy and folkiness (I should say our Pit Orchestra is SLAMMIN’ as well). And you can trust me on this! I play in an indie folk band (Bandits on the Run) and spend months out of the year touring and seeing all sorts of wild roots acts on the road — this fits right in.
4. If you didn’t need to sleep at night, what would you spend your time doing?
Already feels like I don’t sleep! I’m moonlighting writing/recording with the Bandits — we’re currently developing a few musicals of our own. If I didn’t have to do that, I think I’d try to get fluent in Arabic and Japanese, read all of Moby Dick, and open a paper mache/print-making studio.
5. What is your favorite NYC spot?
I am a devotee of the Russian and Turkish Baths on E 10th St — it’s stocked with a lot of zany, old-school New Yorkers and fun new-agey folks. I can go in the cold plunge for up to 10 minutes on a good day, then I usually head over to B&H Dairy for some vegetarian borscht and tuna melt. Also, I LOVE Bodhi Vegetarian (incredible vegan Chinese food) in Chinatown. I also bike the Williamsburg Bridge just about every day on my way to the Longacre — I’m convinced it’s the best view of New York period.
You can catch Enscoe in Swept Away through December 29.