Presskit available (pdf)

A New Brain

It takes guts to do theatre these days, and that goes double when you try to make theatre happen in the outer boroughs of New York City. Director Brian Swasey's energetic, thoroughly entertaining production of William Finn's acclaimed off-Broadway work A New Brain (is) one heck of a good show! Swasey’s pacing and staging are always a delight. If and when Broadway has the sense to make use of such a talent, theatre lovers will all be better off. -John Kenrick, Musicals101.com (pdf)

Director, Brian Swasey has a romantic vision for his revival of A New Brain.
-Leonard Jacobs, Backstage Magazine

Forever Plaid



Director, Brian Swasey has the good sense to respect the key routines built into the show, but he goes the extra mile by throwing in plenty of ingenious touches.

Is There Life After High School?


Brian Swasey wisely took a straightforward approach to the staging, keeping the action focused and letting the cast concentrate on making every laugh and emotional wallop in the piece shine through. His simplified staging for Thousands of Trumpets turned a problematic number into a bona fide show stopper.

Lucky Stiff

This kind of zany material can fizzle in the wrong hands, but director Brian Swasey keeps his cast tuned to exactly the right comic pitch, winning every laugh. -John Kenrick, Musicals101.com

It's a zany cross of fluff and mayhem, brought to life with zest and high spirits by director Brian Swasey.
-Martin Denton, NYTheatre.com

Man Wanted
Director Brian Swasey works wonders, taking fresh perspectives on a myriad of songs and maintaining a tricky balance between razzmatazz and cabaret-like intimacy.
-John Kenrick, Musicals101.com (pdf)

Miracle on 34 th Street



The visuals are wonderful, but more importantly successful (under) the direction of Brian Swasey.

Nunsense
Director/Choreographer, Brian Swasey, filled the entire theatre with action, taking the fun into the audience... with plenty of audience-interactive sequences, and even letting the orchestra get into the action.
-Charles Battersby, OOBR online

Director and choreographer, Brian Swasey, has superbly taken this tail of New Jersey Nuns across two rivers to Queens.
-The Queens Scene

The girls sound and look great.  Productions like these are a pleasure for me to see
-Dan Goggin, Writer of Nunsense

Peter Pan


The Seacoast Repertory Theatre chose this magical show to grace their holiday slot…which director Brian Swasey makes sure takes a strictly over-the-top approach, giving us a huge, live storybook on stage. Every aspect is enchanting.
- Scarlett Ridgeway Savage, The Wire (pdf)

The Wild Party


Brian Swasey has created some exceptional, infectious choreography that uses the claustrophobic confines of the on-stage apartment to great advantage.
- Amy Krivohlavek, OFFOFFONLINE (pdf)

West Side Story

Brian Swasey, the man at the helm… opted for modesty over daring. “Who am I to think I can create something better than Jerome Robbins?” he writes in his program note. I admire his good sense – and I also admire the way in which he has managed to cram Robbins’ dances into… so intimate a setting…. (it) is viscerally thrilling in a way no big-house performance can possibly hope to rival.
-The Wall Street Journal (pdf)

Swasey’s overall direction is terrific; the selected choreography superb. He uses and adapts the dances of Jerome Robbins-and miraculously makes it work in the small space.
-Seacoast Online

More Wonderful Stuff ….

I feel like I got a directors workshop for free.  Your stage direction and choreography was simple but extremely effective.
-George Wood Jr., President, Theatre Sarnia, Ontario Canada

His artistic and personal integrity are extremely high, creating an atmosphere where his cast and crew trust him totally.
-Susan Scannell, Executive Producer Astoria Performing Arts Center

His sense of period style and musical theatre history was clearly demonstrated in his exciting choreography.
-Carol Lucha-Burns, Director of Musical Theatre, University of New Hampshire

What impressed me was his ability to teach beyond the choreography-each student had a complete understanding of their character.
-Justin Ball, Scarsdale Summer Music Theatre Artistic Director