Of course Jimmy Buffett’s new Broadway jukebox musical “Escape to Margaritaville” comes with a lost shaker of salt.
But what’s with the sparkly zombie kickline, fat-shaming fiancé and so-called super potato that can power appliances? Somebody’s had too many margaritas.
But so it goes in this musical that may fit the bill if you’re in the mood for a breezy but dopey diversion. A few pre-theater margaritas may enhance things.
It doesn’t take a die-hard fan — aka Parrothead— to know why the “gulf and western” singer-songwriter is so popular. Buffett songs tell character-driven stories in laid-back, amusing and randy fashion.
Two dozen songs thread through the show, including hits like “Margaritaville,” “Fins,” “License to Chill,” “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Why Don’t We Get Drunk” and “Son of a Son of a Sailor,” as well as a couple new tunes.
Shoehorning songs into a plot “Mamma Mia!”-style doesn’t exactly accentuate Buffett tunes that already tell tales of their own. And the weak and weird book by Greg Garcia (“Raising Hope”) and Mike O’Malley (“Shameless”) doesn’t help matters.
The main setting is a D-list Caribbean resort, evoked with floral shirts and rustic shelters. Tully (Paul Alexander Nolan) strums his guitar and plays for guests, hangs with bartender BFF Brick (Eric Petersen) and romances women on a one-week-only basis.
Enter Rachel (Alison Luff), who’s come from Ohio to do alt-power research and to empower her BFF Tammy (Lisa Howard) to leave her lousy fiance.
Love erupts. So does a volcano, an echo of nearby “SpongeBob SquarePants.” Add to that twist those dancing corpses (inspired by a drug flashback), a hidden plane that somehow resurfaces and a peculiar star-is-born detour. It all adds up to a show one wishes was more fun.
A saving grace is the cast, which makes the most of the material. Another is the batch of Buffett songs, easygoing ear candy — although hard-driving Broadway belts can work against the style of his music.
Strangely, special effects also detract from the production directed by Christopher Ashley (a Tony winner for “Come From Away”). Mid-air snorkeling is cute, but a fly-away bride and dancing clouds feel forced.
Same goes for when beach inflatables get tossed around. It feels like a way to justify saying that you’ll have a ball.
“Escape to Margaritaville” is at the Marquis Theatre.”
