ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE Previews- Page 3

[Bwayfan292]

Posted: 2/19/18 at 11:20pm

Yikes.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 2/19/18 at 11:21pm

WhizzerMarvin said: "Lisa Howard probably never thought she’d be in worse than It Shoulda Been You, but that clunker feels like Hamlet compared to this stinker."

I'm actively cry-laughing.

This is one of your gems, Whizzer. Wow. I'm now even more excited for my ticket later this week.

[thealtoslament]

Posted: 2/20/18 at 1:16am

Since my knowledge of Jimmy Buffett begins and ends with the fact that there is a stretch of Route 114 in Sag Harbor, NY (where I lived for a time) that is owned by the Metro Parrothead Club, can someone explain to me what exactly his appeal is? I am about two-three decades late to the party on him but I have always wondered.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 2/20/18 at 8:44am

as I've mentioned before, I'm seeing the show on March 12. I'm a fan of his music, so I guess I should go in with very low expectations, have a margarita and try and enjoy myself.

[Patty3]

Posted: 2/20/18 at 9:00am

ACL2006 said: "as I've mentioned before, I'm seeing the show on March 12. I'm a fan of his music, so I guess I should go in with very low expectations, have a margarita and try and enjoy myself."

I am also a fan of the man and his music and keeping an open mind for this. I am also a 40+ year theater goer. I've  been following this thread and honestly my thoughts from the comments so far is why in hell did they not do a biographical story about Jimmy's life similar to Beautiful and Jersey Boys. God knows the man has led an interesting life. Many of his songs are biographical in nature. It would have been easy to weave them into the narrative. 

I've been to dozens of his concerts over the years so I am used to the singing-along party atmosphere. I am seeing this opening night. I hope it's at least a fun show like Mamma Mia.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 2/20/18 at 9:25am

Patty, you asked the question I think many reviewers will be asking too: Why go the Good Vibrations route when you could go the Jersey Boys/Beautiful/On Your Feet direction and have a much better show? Yes, it would be paint-by-numbers, but it could at least be respectable, and Nolan would make for a convincing enough Buffett stand-in.

My parents, love Buffett and I grew up listening to his albums all the time. I do like a lot of the songs, but they aren’t inherently theatrical, which presents another problem regardless of whether they went bio-musical or jukebox plotline. 80% of the songs have the same tempo and the lack of variety begins to wear quickly.

Some more lines I thought of:

(Luff mentions having to do a lot of work)
Nolan: Work is a bad word around here. If you say it again I’ll have to wash your mouth out...with tequila!
Howard: Work! Work! Work!

Rema Webb is the owner of the island hotel. She’s informing Luff about the free breakfast buffet (BuffET).
Luff: It’s pronounced “buff-ay”
Webb: No, I think you’re thinking of the singer.

[newintown]

Posted: 2/20/18 at 9:25am

"...can someone explain to me what exactly his appeal is?"

Never ever ever underestimate the adoration that the masses offer up to mediocrity.

[Patty3]

Posted: 2/20/18 at 9:39am

thealtoslament said: "Since my knowledge of Jimmy Buffett begins and ends with the fact that there is a stretch of Route 114 in Sag Harbor, NY (where I lived for a time) that is owned by the Metro Parrothead Club, can someone explain to me what exactly his appeal is? I am about two-three decades late to the party on him but I have always wondered."

It's really hard to explain the Parrothead phenomenon to a non-fan. And I have seen it evolve over the years and still have a hard time explaining it. I've always liked him as a singer/songwriter/storyteller. If you want to explore some great songs from that genre listen to:
He Went To Paris
The Captain and the Kid
Havana Daydreamin'
Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude
A Pirate Looks at Forty
Take Another Road
Cowboy in the Jungle
One Particular Harbor
Oysters and Pearls

The parrothead name came from the tropical clothing people were wearing to concerts. The parrothead clubs started with one club in Atlanta in the 80s and expanded to hundreds of chapters all over the world. Their philosophy is "Party with a Purpose". The clubs have a philanthropic goal and support many charities that Jimmy endorses: Alzheimers Association, Save the Manatees (Jimmy was a co-founder), and more with their events. They work with local charities and do beach and road clean ups (the sign on Rt 114 near Sag Harbor).

Many of the concert goers these days go for the party atmosphere. It is not so much about the music anymore which is sad for the long-time fans.

[jkstheatrescene]

Posted: 2/20/18 at 10:52am

Would someone who has seen this post the title page of the Playbill?  I'm interested in the billing.  Thanks!

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 2/20/18 at 11:05am

A Parrothead is like a Deadhead.

[Anakela]

Posted: 2/20/18 at 11:05am

The Margaritaville bar SOLD OUT of alcohol is all I need to know about the crowd attending this show. 

 

“(The show) was sold out and there were, as expected, many Parrotheads in the audience,” according to a source tied to “Escape to Margaritaville,” which had its first preview performance on Friday. “But the house did not expect to run out of Triple Sec, thus having to cut off Margarita sales.”

Apparently Buffett fans still made do with whatever the bartender had left. We’re told that the Nederlander Organization, which owns nine Broadway theaters dating back to 1912, told show organizers that Buffett’s big night was also “the largest one night bar sale in their history.”

Jimmy Buffett’s Broadway ‘Margaritaville’ runs out of margaritas 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 2/20/18 at 11:10am

This show only works if you’re drunk, so it makes sense.

[Patty3]

Posted: 2/20/18 at 11:33am

Anakela said: "The Margaritaville bar SOLD OUTof alcohol is all I need to know about the crowd attending this show.



“(The show) was sold out and there were, as expected, many Parrotheads in the audience,” according to a source tied to “Escape to Margaritaville,” which had its first preview performance on Friday. “But the house did not expect to run out of Triple Sec, thus having to cut off Margarita sales.”

Apparently Buffett fans still made do with whatever the bartender had left. We’re told that the Nederlander Organization, which owns nine Broadway theaters dating back to 1912, told show organizers that Buffett’s big night was also “the largest one night bar sale in their history.”

Jimmy Buffett’s Broadway ‘Margaritaville’ runs out of margaritas"

Looks like the show will break records but probably not the ones they had in mind.

Posted: 2/20/18 at 5:24pm

JB's song, "Come Monday" on the cast album, last night wasn't in the show.  Too bad -- it's one of his best.  I was up in the balcony, next to last row, and though there may have been rumors that upstairs is where the partying is, there was none that I saw. Though there were a bunch of empty seats.

I never saw so many actors work so hard at trying to look like they were having "fun." Every trick in the book was used -- actors on wires -- flying!  Volcano erupting!  "Hairspray" style vertical bedroom scenes! Though the tap-dancing in the second act that came out of nowhere -- that WAS inspired lunacy, and if only there was more of that.

And it WOULD be inspired (as someone wrote here) if JB joined the cast. Maybe he could get konked in the head by a coconut at the top of the show -- then the whole show is a dream he has while unconscious, so the inspired lunacy CAN take over -- and then at the end he wakes up just before the wedding scene to see what's onstage is, "The Enchanted Nightingale," the musical that made a cameo appearance in the middle of, "The Drowsy Chaperone," that also played The Marriott Marquis Theater, but the cast would be played by the cast of "Escape To Margaritaville." The Man In Chair (Robert Martin reprising his role) runs out to stop the show, the Nightingale cast glumly traipses offstage, going back to the wedding scene, JB says, "Hell, no, it can't end like this!" konks himself in the head again, then Trixie from Drowsy lands the biplane, scoops up sleeping JB and his doppelgänger (and also his best buddy the bartender) who all light up reefers as they fly off into the sunset, waving goodbyes to the broken hearted girls on the beach.  

I know sometimes I'm naive, but the second act tap dancing gives me hope that if they can let their imaginations run wild they'd have something that might appeal beyond their parrot head base. 

[jkstheatrescene]

Posted: 2/20/18 at 6:15pm

I'll ask again... can anyone who has been please post a copy of the Playbill title page? I'm interested in the billing.  thanks!

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/20/18 at 6:19pm

jkstheatrescene said: "I'll ask again... can anyone who has been please post a copy of the Playbill title page? I'm interested in the billing. thanks!"

You might want to keep an eye on the geotag.

https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/13756/new-york-marriott-marquis/

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 2/20/18 at 6:23pm

jkstheatrescene said: "I'll ask again... can anyone who has been please post a copy of the Playbill title page? I'm interested in the billing. thanks!"

I have not been, and even if I was in NYC I’d be steering clear of this one. However, maybe this will help until  someone posts the inside of their playbill:

http://m.ibdb.com/production.php?id=515030

 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 2/20/18 at 6:41pm

jkstheatrescene said: "I'll ask again... can anyone who has been please post a copy of the Playbill title page? I'm interested in the billing. thanks!"

This was the billing on the tour, I don’t see why it would change for broadway....

Updated On: 2/20/18 at 06:41 PM

[jkstheatrescene]

Posted: 2/20/18 at 7:10pm

Thanks!

[@z5]

Posted: 2/20/18 at 11:25pm

Went tonight and it wasn’t the best thing ever but it was a good time. And also Jimmy Buffet appeared after curtain call and performed l! He also signed and took pics at stage door. Such a nice guy!

[dave1606]

Posted: 2/21/18 at 12:50am

I saw this on Monday night and had nightmares from the dead insurance men ballet that somehow works its way into both acts!

It’s rare for a show to be both sleep inducing in act 1, and then so trippy that I can’t believe my eyes in act 2. I am not the target audience. I only knew Margaritaville and Cheeseburger in Paradise, but somehow have been to two Margaritaville locations so I definitely at least understand what the Buffet brand is going for.  I think it’s partially accomplished, but really don’t know why they have to force the audience through the pretense of this lame story first?

Either go the Beautiful route and give us the Wikipedia style biomusical or cut the story entirely and just do a revue. In fact I kept thinking of they put tables similar to Natasha Pierre and went the immersive route that this could be quite an interesting show. In fact, anyone who saw The Grand Paradise in Brooklyn, I think there could be a fantastic use of immersive staging if anyone had the guts to do it.

No one has really talked about the trippy act 2 in detail. I don’t want to spoil the show, but there are things in Act 2 I never thought I’d see in any musical! Those poor dancing clouds!

The problem is the characters drag down the fun. Lisa Howard and her deadbeat husband add so much weight to a story that shouldn’t be. Poor Allison Luft’s character sucks the energy out of the room with her only two character traits of “WORK” and “SAVE THE WORLD.” Meanwhile Paul Alexander Nolan seems to have no traits at all except to have to sing the entire score!

The audience reaction was a lot colder than it should have been considering that there were a great detail of fans in the audience. As Whizzer said, the lack of variety to the original material also lets the show down. There’s very little variety onstage and the repetition wears on the audience.  I can’t imagine this going further than On Your Feet which wasn’t my favorite but thanks to Gloria’s music at least had some energy!

Oh, one plus! The Margaritas were cheaper than I thought they'd be!

[grumpyoptimist]

Posted: 2/21/18 at 2:08am

deleted
 

Updated On: 3/1/18 at 02:08 AM

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 2/21/18 at 10:10am

I’ve noticed there has been no mention of the dancing clouds? Have those been cut?? That was probably the most laughable part of the entire show, imo.

Edit: oooops. Missed Dave’s review. Gosh they need to rethink that.... love kelly and Chris, but what were they smoking during this creative process?

Updated On: 2/21/18 at 10:10 AM

[billyelliotfan123]

Posted: 2/21/18 at 10:45am

OHHHHHHHHHHHHH they are still in there...don't worry

[darquegk]

Posted: 2/21/18 at 11:11am

So the takeaway I'm getting from this is that the show is weird, but gratuitous weird and not Jimmy Buffett weird. Given that Buffett has done fairly well as a novelist (I liked his Vonnegut-meets-Big-Lebowski "Where is Joe Merchant" back in high school), it's a shame he didn't put his hand in and craft something a little more adventurous but on-brand.