‘Escape to Margaritaville’ delivers all the Jimmy Buffet songs you love – plus a triple rom-com
Now, surround yourself with a group of theatre enthusiasts (who also love Jimmy Buffet songs) and, when that particular refrain comes up during the final number of Act 1 during “Escape to Margaritaville,” you will find yourself yelling, “Salt, salt, salt,” into the ether without a care in the world,
MANCHESTER, NH – There is a point in the song “Margaritaville” where singer Jimmy Buffet says he’s “searching for his lost shaker of salt” – because, as we all agree, what is a margarita drink without that salty rim, am I right?
Now, surround yourself with a group of theatre enthusiasts (who also love Jimmy Buffet songs) and, when that particular refrain comes up during the final number of Act 1 during “Escape to Margaritaville,” you will find yourself yelling, “Salt, salt, salt,” into the ether without a care in the world, all of you bopping and swaying to the familiar soundtrack of the Palace Theatre’s current production.
And that experience alone was, for me, worth the price of admission.
But even if you aren’t a huge Buffet fan, this show is everything you would expect it to be – funny, heart-warming, raucous, and reflective of the urge to escape one’s monotone reality for something much more colorful and romantic.
In this boy meets girl – times three – romantic-comedy story line, based on the book co-written by New Hampshire comedian Mike O’Malley, Tammy (portrayed by longtime Palace Theatre favorite Megan Quinn) is about to get hitched to Chadd (played by Brady Ryan Phillips) – a sports-loving mullet-sporting dimwit who seems unworthy of Tammy’s effervescence from the get go. He even forces his fiancee to agree to a diet of carrot juice and sunflower seeds before her getaway to the Caribbean because he is more concerned about her looking thin for the impending wedding than feeding her fun-loving soul.
As Tammy and BFF Rachel (played by Jen Fogarty-Morgan) depart the seasonal gloom of Cincinnati (and Chadd) for the tropical pre-wedding girls’ getaway at the Margaritaville Hotel, we quickly get to know the island-bound staff – resident musician Tully (payed by Matt McCloskey), Brick the barkeep (played by Adam Fields), Marley (played by Nakiiya Coleman), who manages the hotel, guests and staff, busboy Jamal (played by Tyler Price Robinson) and J.D. (played by Jacob Medich, the resident beach bum and perpetual hotel guest.)
That’s the set-up for what becomes an alcohol-fueled music-infused love story – times three, as Tully and Rachel, Tammy and Brick, and Marley and J.D. eventually couple up – but not before some personal drama, a volcanic eruption, serious soul-searching and a three-year timeline masterfully squeezed into a sliver of Act 2 that brings everyone back to where you want them to be – wasting away again in Margaritaville.
As you would expect, the soundtrack to this production is a string of Buffet hits – “License to Chill,” “Five O’Clock Somewhere,” “Why Don’t We Get Drunk,” “Son of a Son of a Sailor,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” and too many more to name, which weave throughout the plot for a truly feel-good romantic comedy.
Note: I loved the unexpected yet delightful cameos by members of the ensemble cast who double as zombie insurance agents, which plays into Brick’s childhood fears in a hilarious way, resulting in a wild fantasy dance routine with his demons that had the crowd roaring.
"Escape to Margaritaville" is playing at The Palace Theatre now through March 23. Tickets are available at the Palace Theatre box office or online - avoid third-party over-pricing and ticketing scams by going directly to the Palace Theatre's secure site using this link.
