If you are a fan of the Hallmark channel formula for a love story, you will absolutely love “Jimmy Buffett’s Escape To Margaritaville.” A tropical island, lots of tequila, a vocanic eruption, four unlikely love birds, and a slew of Jimmy’s greatest hits, take to the stage in this feel good, no substance, musical that is perfect to use as a coping mechanism in 2021. Sometimes it is great to just sit back and be entertainined. Sometimes you don’t want to be an active audience member, you just want to tap your toe and smile. This show does that so well.

When Rachel (Sarah Hinrichsen) and Tammy (Emily Qualmann) decide to take a week vacation at the tropical Margaritaville hotel, they get a life changing vacation. Rachel meets island host and guitarist Tully (Chris Clark)) and after an afternoon of exploring the island, Tully discovers that for the first time, he has fallen in love. Well, usually the girls he dates stay on the island for a week and then he never sees them again. Rachel is special. Emily – who is getting married in a week – finds that she is not so keen on her fiance anymore after she meets Brick (Peter Micheal Jordan). The island allows magic to happen, until at the end of the vacation turns treacherous – when the volcano that sits on the island – has it’s own plans.

Overall this show is a feel good, goofy, silly, good time. If you are looking for hard hitting theatre, this isn’t it, but that doesn’t mean that it is not enjoyable. Chris Clark’s Tully is really fun to watch. His voice does wonderful justice to the Buffett songs and he is instantly an audience favorite. Sarah Hinrichsen’s Rachel is fun and feisty. Comic relief is produced by Qualmann’s Tammy and Jordan’s Brick. 

Greg Garcia & Mike O’Malley do a great job crafting a book for this jukebox musical. I never thought that I would hear a musical with songs by someone like Jimmy Buffett, but then again, I never thought Jim Steinman had a chance at writing for the stage, and boom there was “Bat Out Of Hell The Musical.”

Walt Spangler’s set design is a character all in it’s own. The goofyness of the story is captivated with the minimalistic set pieces. The main cabana is wonderful, and it is great seeing the band housed on stage behind the action. It has a true island vibe. 

If you want to have your heart warmed in the cold months again, get your ticket and find your escape. Just make sure that you got the volcano insurance.

Running Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes with one 15-minute intermission.

“Escape To Margaritaville” runs until November 28, 2021. For more information, click here.