Goodbye Gloria Estefan, hello Jimmy Buffett! After the closing of On Your Feet at the end of the summer, the Marquis Theater will welcome Escape to Margaritaville, a new musical featuring the new and classic music of Jimmy Buffett. With the show having just closed at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, and on it's way to three more cities before bowing on Broadway, I watched some clips, looked at pictures, and decided to give my reaction to Escape to Margaritaville.
Above: Trailer for Escape to Margaritaville at La Jolla Playhouse
Immediately from the trailers, it's easy to see that the production is a vibrant, energetic, and colorful production. Living up to it's title, it gives off tropical vibes and the scenic setting helps to enhance the title and the tropical setting, shown in production photos that have been released.
From the choreography and singing featured in various videos, it's obvious that the cast is very talented, and it has several Broadway alums to boot. Not only will the production feature original songs by Buffett, but some new ones as well.
And the Broadway alums aren't just in the cast. Tony Award winning director Christopher Ashley and Tony nominated choreographer Kelly Devine, both having previously worked on Come From Away, are both involved in the production which is about about "love, friendship, and yearning for purpose".
Alison Luff and Paul Alexander Nolan star in the production that is "more than a musical, it's a way of life". The show will play at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans from October 20 - 28, before heading to Houston, Texas where it will play at the Hobby Center from October 31 - November 5. Lastly, it will play at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago, Illinois from November 9 until December 2 before beginning previews on Broadway on February 16.
La Jolla Playhouse has created 28 production that have gone to Broadway, and Escape to Margaritaville will be the third a newest production to head to Broadway under the direction of Christopher Ashley.
Both of Ashley's other productions became quick hits, with Memphis running for over 1,000 performances and Come From Away still performing to sold out crowds after earning 7 Tony nominations. Based off of the trailers and production photos from Escape to Margaritaville, as well as the stellar creative time behind it, I expect the show will be a fun production, welcoming to audience to Margaritaville for a few hours.