Review: ESCAPE TO MARGARETAVILLE at Cornwell’s Turkeyville

Escape to Margaretaville has been one of my bucket list shows as long as I have known they made it a musical.   I was supposed to originally see it back in 2020, when it was part of a season ticket I had to the Broadway Grand Rapids season, but ultimately it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  So imagine my excitement seeing it was coming to a theatre only a few hours away, and even better, it was going to be at a Dinner Theatre.

On a small island in the Caribbean, vacationers and the laid-back staff of the Margaritaville bar flirt, unwind, and sip drinks under the sun. When an ambitious tourist named Rachel arrives with her friend Tammy for a much-needed vacation, she finds an unexpected romance with Tully, the island bartender and musician. As paradise collides with real life, both are faced with deciding what they want beyond the sandy beaches of Margaritaville. This tropical romantic comedy has plenty to laugh at and a sweet love story – all underscored by Jimmy Buffett’s classic tunes, including “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Margaritaville,” “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” “Fins,” “Volcano,” and many more. With a book by Emmy Award winner Greg Garcia (My Name is Earl, Raising Hope) and Emmy nominee Mike O’Malley (Survivor’s Remorse, Shameless), this hilarious, heartwarming musical is the party you’ve been waiting for!

 With the talented Jesse Plourde leading as Tully, who is completely content with the life he’s chosen as the singer/bartender at a tropical resort.  Rachel, played by Lucy Harmon, is a vacationer who upends his heart. Fully committed to her job and helping the world. Willing to put in as many hours of hard work as it takes and expects everyone else to do the same. She is not easily distracted from her life plan until she meets Tully, who seems to get her to open up more. They play the roles very well.  

Accompanying them are their friends Brick, played by Ethan Badders (Ethan Interview), who is the Island bartender and has a big heart and is a good friend to Tully, and Lauren Quigley playing Tammy (Lauren Interview), who is a loyal friend to Rachel.   She sees the best in people and has a zest for life that is often squelched by her fiancé, Chad. Her low self-esteem manifests itself as denial in her own life; she meets Brick, who, although he is not the brightest bulb, is sensitive and thoughtful and gets her to start realizing there is more to her than she may think.

Together they all go on adventures, from a hike to the volcano for soil samples, to a treasure hunt for JD’s hidden treasure.   JD is played by Darren Mangler; he is a funny, endearing older man who always has a parrot on his shoulder. He’s losing his vision and his hearing, but won’t acknowledge it. A good-natured drunkard, he’s always writing his memoirs on bar napkins and, as it turns out, he’s lived a full life.  Rounding out the main cast is Cheyanne Marie, who plays Marley, who runs the resort and keeps everyone in check, but clearly cares about her employees, her customers, and J.D. 

Rounded out by an incredible ensemble: Gregory Coulter, Leonardo Hamilton, Brooklynn Grace, Chrissy Noble-Speedie, Jake Pieplow, Gavin O’Meara, Hildarelis Troche-Carmona.   I was interested to see how a show like Escape could translate to a smaller stage, and it worked.  Using aisles, stairs, and a combination of entrances and props, the whole show flowed flawlessly from one scene to the next.  Along with the challenge of what a smaller stage can sometimes bring comes the challenge of bringing the music of a legend to life.   This cast brought the crowd to their feet at the end and had us singing along from start to finish, with plenty of crowd involvement, giving it the true “Jimmy Buffett” experience.  With the harmonies and vocals like that, this cast could go on tour with the Coral Reefer Band today!

What happens when Rachel and Tammy leave the island and head back home? Will the Brick ever get to express how he really feels, and will Tully finally settle down and find love?  What will happen with Marie and JD?  To find that out, come out to Cornwell’s Turkeyville Dinner Theatre and enjoy dinner and a show!

I mentioned it being a Dinner Theatre, so of course, I want to mention the dinner part of that.  A unique experience in its own respect, they start you off with your soup and salad course and drinks at your table, and from there you then go up and get served your staple Turkeyville Dinner- think Thanksgiving dinner.  Appropriate for the name Turkeyville, a turkey main course, with sides like mashed potatoes, dressing, cranberries, and veggies.  In addition, they also host some show-specific themed dishes, such as the soup being dill pickle soup, cheeseburger casserole, and for dessert, a choice of coconut cream pie, key lime pie, or ice cream.   I recommend the key lime pie!  Also, between the dinner and the play, take a walk, check out the gift shop, and go visit the resident turkeys out back.

The next show after Escape To Margaretaville is A Closer Walk With  Patsy Cline, opening Tuesday, September 1st and running through October 17th! This musical retrospective will feature all of Patsy's most beloved songs, including "Walkin' After Midnight," "I Fall To Pieces," "A Closer Walk With Thee," and “Crazy.”  Starring Lauren Quigley, playing the titular role of Patsy,  and Darren Mangler.

Escape To Margaritaville is currently running through August 22nd, 2026, at Cornwell’s Turkeyville Dinner Theatre, as part of the 2026 season! Ticket and show information can be found at https://turkeyville.com/dinner-theater/

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