June 21 - July 21, 2024
at Gateway Playhouse

Dan's Papers

The Gateway's 'Escape to Margaritaville' Is a Mesmerizing Musical for the Masses

The Gateway’s latest theatrical production is Escape to Margaritaville, the jukebox musical written by Greg Garcia and Mike O’Malley based on the music of late Sag Harbor music legend Jimmy Buffett. Unsurprisingly, a show utilizing the catalogue of the tropical rock icon comes with a built-in audience — namely Buffett’s devoted fanbase, affectionately known as “Parrotheads” — but Margaritaville is more than a love letter to those fans, it’s a wildly fun experience even for viewers unfamiliar with the source material.

Best described as a romantic comedy, Escape to Margaritaville focuses on two main pairings, alike in their “will they, won’t they” setup but uniquely enthralling beyond that. On a pre-wedding girls’ trip from Cincinnati to the Caribbean, bright-eyed bride-to-be Tammy and her best friend Rachel, an environmental scientist researching biomass energy, check in at the run-down Margaritaville hotel and are taken aback by the staff, specifically the handsome, smooth-talking Tully and his goofy sidekick Brick. While Tammy and Brick hit it off almost immediately, the betrothed intends only to flirt and not to cheat on her fiancé, Chadd. Meanwhile, Tully initially comes off as a womanizer with his target this week set on Rachel, who wants nothing to do with his flirtatious shenanigans.

The way in which the romantic pairings are introduced adds a surprising bit of tension to this light-hearted island romp and shapes how each audience member engages with the story — rooting for one possible ending or another. Will Tammy lead Brick on and ultimately cheat on her fiancé? Considering Chadd’s tendency to fat-shame Tammy and ignore her feelings, should she break off the engagement? And what of Rachel, who is dedicated to her potentially world-changing research? Will she eventually give in to Tully’s unrelenting advances? Even if the beach troubadour’s feelings prove genuine, should the workaholic Rachel really abandon her goals for a relaxing life with him?

The chemistry of The Gateway’s actors makes these questions all the more complicated to answer. Both Katelyn Lauria as Tammy and Hunter Brown as Brick are the funniest characters on stage in any given scene, and together they are utterly hysterical. They play up their similar comedic styles — running around with childlike whimsy and cracking absurd puns — while also emphasizing their character quirks, such as Tammy’s exaggerated guilt-laden lust and her unquenchable thirst for adventure, frequently sabotaged by her low stamina, and Brick’s general dumb-as-bricks vibe and hyper-specific fear of dancing zombie insurance salesmen. On the other side of the love triangle, Brendan Coulter as Chadd takes each of the few scenes that he’s given to stack on evidence that the shallow “dude bro” may not be right for Tammy — or for anyone.

The captivating dynamic of Sarah Ellis as Rachel and Cody Craven as Tully is one of polar opposites. Rachel is hardworking and prioritizes her perceived duty to humanity over self-care, while Tully is laidback and enjoys self-indulgent pleasures without worrying about things he can’t change. As he begins to overcome her rejections with his Carolina charm, it seems as if the show is painting his mindset as the correct one and expecting her dedication to science to dissipate at the first sign of romance. Instead, the second act finds a compromise that best serves each character’s wants and desires.

In terms of this musical’s jukebox element, the songs of Jimmy Buffett fit into the tone and narrative of Margaritaville flawlessly and seldom feel out of place or shoehorned into a scene — a rare accomplishment in the jukebox musical genre. As the resident troubadour, Tully serenades the audience (beachgoers in the context of the play) with velvety renditions “Son of a Son of a Sailor” and “King of Somewhere,” and songs like “Why Don’t We Get Drunk and Screw” sung by Bill Carmichael as JD feel right at home in a setting where hotel guests are drunk on margaritas. Even the iconic “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” which easily could’ve been thrown into a filler scene where a character randomly orders a burger, is made into a triumphant anthem marking the completion of Tammy’s arc and the payoff to a plot point established in the show’s second scene.

The romantic chemistry of the play’s leads shines in duets including Tammy and Brick’s “We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us About” and Rachel and Tully’s “Three Chords.” And the strength of the supporting cast is evidenced by some of the production’s most memorable numbers, such as “Volcano” sung by Patrick Saint Ange as Jamal and Ebony Marshall-Oliver as Marley.

From curtain to the final bow, much of the choreography in The Gateway’s Margaritaville is entertaining but relatively simple — the delightfully over-the-top “Cheeseburger in Paradise” performance and Brick’s Rockettes-inspired dance notwithstanding. However, the show saves its grand, showstopping full-company number until after the cast takes their bow, so audiences should keep that in mind when timing their standing ovation. As with all jukebox musicals, the music is the star of the show, and Escape to Margaritaville is elevated by the powerful vocal delivery of its performers and by the soothing sounds of steel drum and guitar. It’s like paradise for the ears.