I was lucky enough to catch the regional premiere of Swept Away in Boston this past weekend, and I absolutely adore what they did with the show: it was so creative and full of life, and they really were able to do the absolute most with the budget they had.
And there is one creative choice in particular they made which I actually think I like more than the original Broadway production. (SPOILERS).
So, Mate gives his monologue to Big Brother about the lack of god on the seas, and ends with the line “don’t inflict your son of a bitch god on us” while standing inches away from BB’s face. Now, in the og production, Big Brother takes this moment to step away from Mate and get on his knees by himself to start his prayer.
This Big Brother, however, sings the first few lines of Lord Lay Your Hand on My Shoulder directly to Mate. In his face. That was when this production had me body and soul.
Because there’s always been the slightest bit of showmanship to BB, even if he would never admit it. Stark’s BB was maybe more subtle, but I love how Bishop Levesque portrays this aspect of the character. He makes a point of looking Mate in the eyes and showing just how much Mate’s words against god don’t phase him. He stands there, takes it in, and starts the song in a way that says “Oh, you poor thing. Let me teach you something.” It just so happens to align with what he believes to be true, so it all works out in a way that is still legitimately genuine. Faith is all Big Brother knows — he really wants to help people who are lost. But he still needs to put his foot down when Mate is being offensive and take him down a peg in a way he knows will get under his skin. He’s got Mate’s number.
To put it simply, Broadway’s Big Brother is praying for himself and Little Brother in Lord Lay Your Hand. He doesn’t care what Mate thinks. Boston’s Big Brother is praying for everyone on the ship, and he wants Mate to think he doesn’t care. And I just really really like that.
Let’s remember, BB was almost definitely raised to be the responsible one who puts others before himself, and that definitely gave him a bit of a complex when it comes to this sort of thing. It can be beautiful, as we see in how deeply he loves his little brother and literally sacrifices everything for him; but it can also be dangerous to both himself and others. We really get to see that on full display in this production.
BB was never a perfect flawless angel: even if he believes he’s doing the right thing by praying for these godless sailors, there is something that makes it feel just a little bit like his faith is his weapon as well as his guiding light. It’s a genius way to give just a little bit more of an edge to a character who would otherwise be easy to play as a perfect martyr.