'' Escape to Margaritaville'' is a 2017 American
jukebox musical
A jukebox musical is a stage musical or musical film in which a majority of the songs are well-known popular music songs, rather than original music.
Some jukebox musicals use a wide variety of songs, while others confine themselves to songs perf ...
by
Greg Garcia and
Mike O'Malley
Michael Edward O'Malley (born October 31, 1966) is an American actor, writer and producer. Born in Boston and raised in New Hampshire, O'Malley hosted the early 1990s children's game show '' Nickelodeon Guts'' before moving to Los Angeles later ...
, based on the songs of
Jimmy Buffett. The plot revolves around a part-time bartender and singer who falls for a career-minded tourist. The show's music consists of songs previously recorded by Buffett, and written by him and various other songwriters, with one exception, the original song "Three Chords".
Following try-out performances in La Jolla, New Orleans, Houston, and Chicago, the show premiered on
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
in February 2018 at the Marriott
Marquis Theatre. A national tour launched in 2019.
Productions
The
La Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit, professional theatre on the campus of the University of California, San Diego.
History
La Jolla Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer. In 1983, it was revived under ...
presented the musical in a limited engagement from May 9 until July 9, 2017. Following its run at La Jolla, the musical had limited runs in
from October 20 until October 28,
Houston, Texas from October 31 until November 5 and in
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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from November 9 until December 2, 2017.
The musical premiered on
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
at the
Marquis Theatre on February 16, 2018, prior to a March 15, 2018 opening, directed by
Christopher Ashley
Christopher Ashley (born July 6, 1964) is an American stage director. Since 2007, he has been the artistic director of the La Jolla Playhouse.
Career
Ashley graduated from Yale University in 1986, with a Bachelor of Art in Theatre. and choreographed by Kelly Devine. The musical closed on July 1 of the same year, after 29 previews and 124 regular performances. The musical performed on the
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
"
A Capitol Fourth
''A Capitol Fourth'' is an annual Independence Day concert special broadcast by PBS. It is presented from the west lawn of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., and is also simulcast by NPR and the American Forces Network.
The ...
" on July 4, 2018 in Washington, D.C.
Upon closing, Broadway Licensing acquired the rights for stock and amateur performance rights.
A non-
Equity national tour launched in Providence, Rhode Island, in September 2019. The tour was suspended during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
and resumed in September 2021.
Synopsis
Act I
Tully Mars works as a singer for the bar at Margaritaville, a run down hotel on a small island in the Caribbean, along with Brick, the bartender, Jamal, the busboy, Marley, the owner, and J.D., a one eyed beach bum who spends his days at the bar. He regularly has affairs with female guests with no intention of continuing the fling beyond their time at the hotel ("License to Chill").
In Cincinnati, Ohio, Rachel and Tammy prepare to go on vacation at the Margaritaville before Tammy gets married. Her fiancé, Chadd, forces Tammy to go on a diet of carrot juice and sunflower seeds, so she can lose weight for the wedding, which infuriates Rachel. Chadd has Tammy promise not to cheat on him and his friends warn the two women of the land sharks. Tammy and Rachel laugh their warning off and travel to the hotel ("Fins").
Rachel is disappointed with the condition of the hotel, even though Tammy is just happy to be on vacation. Tully flirts with Rachel, who is more concerned about work, and has Brick bring tequila shots, to which Rachel questions if it's the appropriate time to start drinking. Tully, Brick, J.D., and the patrons insist that ("It's Five O'Clock Somewhere"). Tully and Brick take the women's bags to their room, along with some margaritas. Rachel insists going up to the volcano so she can obtain a soil sample. Brick offers to drive them up in his run down convertible ("Ragtop Day").
On the way to the volcano, the car breaks down, and the four search for another form of transportation. Brick and Tammy hit it off, while Tully continues to flirt with Rachel, where she informs him of her experiment to use potatoes as an alternative energy resource and how it takes up much of her time, leaving her no time to relax ("It's My Job"). Brick and Tammy rent bikes and the four continue their journey.
On the beach, J.D. tells guests stories about his life and his buried treasure, which Marley dismisses as lies. After being ordered to leave the guests alone, J.D. begins to sing a song that she disapproves of and invites the guests sing along ("Why Don't We Get Drunk").
At the volcano, Tully tries to get Rachel to relax and enjoy her time on the island. He breaks the ice between them by teaching her how to play guitar ("Three Chords"). Tammy and Brick discuss their childhoods and how their parents had very high expectations for them, finding amusement that they had become the people their parents frowned upon ("We Are The People Our Parents Warned Us About"). The two almost kiss before Tammy reveals that she is engaged. Later that night, Tully reveals to Rachel that he grew up in Maine, where his father wanted him to continue the family line of fisherman. He arrived at the island to get away from the cold weather, pollution, and irritations of society. Rachel, finding herself charmed, kisses him ("Son of a Son of a Sailor").
Back at the hotel, everyone is recovering from the previous night of drinking and partying ("My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink, and I Don't Love Jesus"). Tully and Rachel prepare to go snorkeling and Marley notices something different about Tully. He then admits to her that he thinks he's in love with Rachel. After swearing that she wouldn't tell anyone, she tells some guests, and word spreads around the hotel. Tully and Rachel spend the rest of the week in bed and on the beach, causing Tully to miss work. Brick tries to help keep Tammy from giving into her urge to sleep with him. On her last night on the island, he suggests they do something to distract her and the two decide to get tattoos, with Brick needing to be drunk due to his fear of needles. On their last night on the island, Rachel and Tammy discuss how the past week has changed their views of the future ("Medley: Coconut Telegraph/Last Mango in Paris/Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes").
Tully decides to tell Rachel how he feels, but she and Tammy leave before he can. Brick discovers that his tattoo on his stomach is of Tammy's face and admits to Tully that he has feelings for Tammy. The two lament about their failed romances, while J.D. looks for a salt shaker for his shrimp ("Margaritaville"). The guests feel tremors and realize the volcano is about to erupt. Everyone begins to panic, sending Margaritaville into chaos.
Act II
Jamal wonders where he will go after evacuating the island as the patrons panic, Marley tries to keep everyone calm, Tully and Brick pack the boat with whatever they can, and J.D. grabs a shovel ("Volcano"). After everyone is onboard of the evacuation boat, Marley notices J.D. is missing, and Jamal reveals that he saw him heading into the jungle. Tully and Brick go to find J.D., despite Brick's objections.
In the jungle, Tully tells Brick to think of things that make him happy in order to control his fear ("Grapefruit-Juicy Fruit"). The two find J.D., who is digging up his buried treasure. The two insist that the treasure isn't real, as they believe he just makes up his stories. The two are shocked when J.D. digs up a chest as Marley arrives, revealing she had to let the boat leave due to the guests panicking. J.D. has Marley take them to his plane, which she hid due to his pilot license being revoked. At the airport, Tammy and Rachel prepare to take off and Rachel learns that funding for her experiment has been denied, much to her dismay.
Up in the air, J.D. flies Marley, Tully, and Brick to safety. Tully and Brick go through J.D.'s treasure and find pictures and journals, learning that J.D. moved to Europe, married an actress, and had a son. His wife and son were killed when a bomb went off, while J.D. survived. J.D. tells the two that even though he's been through tragedy, he's had a good life ("He Went to Paris"). Tully reveals to J.D. that he hoped the treasure would be money that he could give to Rachel to help fund her experiment. J.D. tells Tully that the real treasure is what is in the heart and the memories of all the good times. He insists that Tully tell Rachel that he loves her, to which Tully has J.D. fly them to Cincinnati.
At a bar in Cincinnati, Tammy and Chadd's rehearsal dinner is underway. She prepares to go eat a cheeseburger, but Chadd has set up a vegetarian buffet for her, due to her diet. She fantasizes about eating a cheeseburger, when Brick enters and urges her to quit her diet ("Cheeseburger in Paradise"). Chadd sees them eating the burgers and tells Tammy that he can't love her if she's fat, causing Tammy to punch him and call the wedding off. J.D. and Marley discuss about the time they slept together ten years ago, and admit that they have feelings for each other. Tully enters and tells Rachel that he loves her, to which Rachel isn't sure how to respond. Tully plays a song to remind her of their time together on the island ("Tin Cup Chalice"). She admits that she has feelings for Tully, but they are too different and that a relationship probably won't last. She leaves and Tully is approached by Ted, a talent agent, who insists that Tully can become famous with his music.
Over the course of three years, Brick and Tammy get married and have a daughter; after being denied by numerous banks, Rachel finally gets funding for her research; J.D. and Marley become a couple, rebuild Margaritaville, and have a daughter; and Tully becomes an international music star ("Love and Luck"). Tully returns to Margaritaville to perform for the hotel's re-opening and notices Rachel in the crowd. The two catch up and realize they are still in love with each other ("Come Monday"). A year later, Brick and Tammy receive an invitation to Tully and Rachel's wedding and first class tickets. Tully, Rachel, Tammy, Brick, J.D. and Marley reflect on how much their lives have changed in the past few years as the wedding is being prepared and the guests arrive ("A Pirate Looks at Forty"). The two are married and everyone celebrates at Margaritaville ("One Particular Harbor").
Musical numbers
;Act I
* "License to Chill" – Tully, Company
* "
Fins
A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. Fin ...
" – Rachel, Tammy, Chadd, Goons, Ensemble
* "
It's Five O'Clock Somewhere
"It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" is a song performed by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett, and written by Jim "Moose" Brown and Don Rollins. It was released in June 2003 as the lead single from Jackson's 2003 compilation album '' Greatest Hits Volume ...
" – Tully, Brick, J.D., Tammy, Company
* "Ragtop Day" – Brick, Tammy, Tully, Rachel
* "It's My Job" – Rachel
* "
Why Don't We Get Drunk
"Why Don't We Get Drunk" is a novelty song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was a B-side to "The Great Filling Station Holdup", the first single from his 1973 album ''A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean ...
" – J.D., Ensemble
* "Three Chords" – Tully, Rachel
* "We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us About/The Natives Are Restless" – Brick, Tammy
* "
Son of a Son of a Sailor
''Son of a Son of a Sailor'' is the eighth studio album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was initially released in March 1978 as ABC Dunhill AA-1046 and later re-released on its successor label, MCA.
Chart perfor ...
" – Tully, Rachel
* "My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink and I Don't Love Jesus" – Marley, Jamal, JD, Ensemble
* "Medley: Coconut Telegraph/Last Mango in Paris/Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" – Company
* "
Margaritaville
"Margaritaville" is a 1977 song by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett from the album '' Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes''. This song was written about a drink Buffett discovered at Lung's Cocina del Sur restauran ...
" – Tully, Brick, Company
;Act II
* "
Volcano
A volcano is a rupture in the Crust (geology), crust of a Planet#Planetary-mass objects, planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and volcanic gas, gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Ear ...
" – Jamal, Ensemble
* "
Grapefruit—Juicy Fruit
"Grapefruit—Juicy Fruit" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was first released on his 1973 album ''A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean'' and was his third single from that album. The single re ...
" – Brick, Tully, J.D.
* "
He Went to Paris
"He Went to Paris" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was first released on his 1973 album ''A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean'' and was his fourth and final single from that album. Although ...
" – Tully, Brick, J.D.
* "
Cheeseburger in Paradise
"Cheeseburger in Paradise" is a song written and performed by American popular music singer Jimmy Buffett. It appeared on his 1978 album ''Son of a Son of a Sailor'' and was released as a single, reaching No. 32 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. ...
" – Brick, Tammy, Ensemble
* "Tin Cup Chalice" – Tully, Ensemble
* "Love and Luck" – Tully, Rachel, Ensemble
* "
Come Monday" – Tully, Rachel
* "A Pirate Looks at Forty" – Company
* "
One Particular Harbor
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
" – Company
Characters and original cast
Critical reception
The show's 2018 Broadway debut received generally negative reviews. Jesse Green, writing for ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' began by saying, "If ever there were a time to be drunk in the theater, this is it," and ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' called it "insufferably dumb."
NJ.com
NJ.com is a digital news content provider and website in New Jersey owned by Advance Publications. According to a report in ''The New York Times'' in 2012, it was the largest provider of digital news in the state at the time. In 2018, comScore r ...
praised the main actors as they "do their best" with the story, but also called the musical "an unfortunate mishmash of Buffett staples" and "a handful of tepid new compositions." It said the first act was a "garishly-colored explosion of randomness and
kitsch
Kitsch ( ; loanword from German) is a term applied to art and design that is perceived as naïve imitation, overly-eccentric, gratuitous, or of banal taste.
The avant-garde opposed kitsch as melodramatic and superficial affiliation wi ...
that you (almost) start to root for," before devolving into a second act that is "merely terrible." It also noted that a romance plot with two chorus members "inexplicably upstaged" the leads, proving distracting.
''
Bloomberg Bloomberg may refer to:
People
* Daniel J. Bloomberg (1905–1984), audio engineer
* Georgina Bloomberg (born 1983), professional equestrian
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'' gave it a very negative review, calling it a "bland ode to wastin' away." It said it "blends the greatest hits of Jimmy Buffett, a set of cheery cardboard characters, and a simple—if occasionally demented—plot into a concoction syrupy enough to taste sort of like a Broadway show. But like the worst versions of its namesake beverage, it's too watered-down to be much fun." The cast was described as talented, and "carries the show as best it can." ''
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
'' also gave it a negative review, calling it an "empty shell" instead of fun.
However, it also received a handful of positive reviews, with praise for the cast. ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...
'' said it would give audiences "a light buzz."
''
Newsday'' said it was a "delightful, energetic frothy drink of a show" which would have been appropriate for a beach-side theater. Calling the writing clever for its incorporation of Buffett songs, it said it was enjoyable for audience members who "don’t expect too much." ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'' was of the opinion that Buffett fans would enjoy the musical, noting that at the showing, many fans "enthusiastically" shouted lyrics. Attributing a "distinct
sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...
-style sensibility" to the "rudimentary" book (dialogue and script) by
Greg Garcia and
Mike O'Malley
Michael Edward O'Malley (born October 31, 1966) is an American actor, writer and producer. Born in Boston and raised in New Hampshire, O'Malley hosted the early 1990s children's game show '' Nickelodeon Guts'' before moving to Los Angeles later ...
, the review said the show "exudes an affable likability that's hard to entirely resist." It praised "clever staging" by
Christopher Ashley
Christopher Ashley (born July 6, 1964) is an American stage director. Since 2007, he has been the artistic director of the La Jolla Playhouse.
Career
Ashley graduated from Yale University in 1986, with a Bachelor of Art in Theatre. and "exuberant" choreography. The leads were also praised for "charm and charisma."
References
External links
*
Escape to Margaritaville at the
Internet Broadway Database
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Escape to Margaritaville (musical)
2017 musicals
Broadway musicals
Jimmy Buffett
Jukebox musicals