Review: ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre
Playing now through April 2!
ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre tells the love story of a free-spirited island singer and a job-focused tourist who meet at Margaritaville. The story is told through many famous Jimmy Buffett songs along with some songs original to the show.
The cast features Dale Obermark as Tully, Caitlin Lester-Sams as Rachel, Shannon Connolly as Tammy, Victor Legarreta as Brick, Leiah Lewis as Marley, and Paul Thompson as J.D., along with a several other actors rounding out the ensemble. This was a very talented cast with a lot of on-stage chemistry. Each of them were great singers, and I loved all of the dancing they do in the show. Kudos to Director and Choreographer Amy Marie McCleary for all of the fantastic choreography, which added such fun and lightheartedness to the show.
Alongside Amy Marie McCleary, the creative team includes Set Designer Evan Adamson, Lighting Designer Chris McCleary, Costume Designer John P. White, Sound Designer Abbey Dillard, and Musical Director Loren Strickland. Each person did an excellent job bringing the tropical island vibe to the Broadway Palm stage.
The show is a lot of fun and the cast is excellent, but there were also many jokes throughout that just were not my sense of humor (though they did appeal to much of the audience). I also didn't particularly like some of the plot points, which included the way several characters told Rachel she had to to "loosen up" and not focus on her work (something she was evidently passionate about) and have a fling with Tully, many jokes about and instances of Tammy almost cheating on her fiance (though her fiance was most definitely awful), the way J.D. kept trying to convince Marley to sleep with him, and some other moments that felt a bit outdated to me. Many of the plot points came right from Jimmy Buffett's songs. It's no fault of Broadway Palm, as they did do a great job, but the show itself just was not my favorite.
However, I suspect many people attending the production are there to drink a margarita, hear some recognizable songs, and enjoy some good entertainment for a couple of hours, which will certainly happen. It's still a great afternoon or evening of fun, and I loved that they had margaritas and other tropical drinks available. They are even selling special drinks at a tiki bar in the lobby before the show, and I appreciated those theming details very much.
A lot of the run is already sold out, so get your tickets soon! The show runs through April 2. For more information and to buy tickets, click here: https://broadwaypalm.com/shows/jimmy-buffetts-escape-to-margaritaville/
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