Escape to Margaritaville

World-Premiere Musical

Escape to Margaritaville

May 9 - July 9, 2017 EXTENDED AGAIN! | Mandell Weiss Theatre

Book by Greg Garcia and Mike O'Malley | Music and Lyrics by Jimmy Buffett

Directed by Christopher Ashley | Choreography by Kelly Devine

Imagine a place where the sun is hot, the ocean’s warm, and the drinks are as cold as they are plentiful. Welcome to Margaritaville, the island paradise where city folk get away from it all and the locals get into the kind of trouble you can almost always sweet talk your way out of.

Featuring both original songs and your most-loved Jimmy Buffett classics, this new musical is the story of a part-time bartender, part-time singer, and full-time charmer named Tully who thinks he’s got life all figured out. Until a beautiful career-minded tourist steals his heart and makes him question everything.

Production Sponsors:

US Bank
Dr. Howard & Barbara Milstein

Recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New Play Award

Click here to learn more about the production and read cast and crew bios.

Photo credit: Alison Luff and Paul Alexander Nolan in Escape to Margaritaville, photo by Matthew Murphy.

Cast & Creators
  • Creators
  • Cast
  • Design
Image of Jimmy Buffett Jimmy Buffett Composer/Lyricist

Singer/songwriter/author Jimmy Buffett has become a legend of popular culture as the composer of such classic songs as "Margaritaville," "Come Monday," and "Cheeseburger in Paradise." He has recorded over fifty albums, most of which have gone gold, platinum or multi-platinum. His sold-out concert tours are an annual rite of summer for his legions of fans, affectionately known as Parrot heads, many of whom are professionals by day and who dress in spectacular and outrageous tropical outfits and headwear when Jimmy comes to town. Born in the Gulf Coast town of Pascagoula, Mississippi, he was raised in Mobile, Alabama. He is a fourth-generation sailor and fisherman, a pilot, a surfer, and a frequent traveler to remote and exotic places of the world, having become addicted to National Geographic magazine as a child. The lyrics to many of his songs are influenced by his tr

Jimmy Buffett Composer/Lyricist
Image of Greg Garcia Greg Garcia Bookwriter

Greg Garcia created three back-to-back syndicated comedies: Yes Dear, My Name is Earl and Raising Hope. He has written on a variety of other sitcoms, including Family Matters and Family Guy and won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in A Comedy Series for the pilot of My Name is Earl. His latest show, The Guest Book, airs in August on TBS and is inspired by the dark and twisted fictitious stories he would write in the guest books of rental cabins in an effort to freak out the next renters. Garcia entered the world of musical theater for the sole reason of hoping his oldest son Camden, a very talented actor at Boston University, would think he was cool. When he’s not writing, directing and producing TV shows he likes to watch his son Nathan play hockey, play board games with his son Trace and walk Mabel the dog with his amazing wife Kim. He also somehow finds

Greg Garcia Bookwriter
Image of Mike O'Malley Mike O'Malley Bookwriter

Mike O'Malley is the creator of the award-winning television series Survivor’s Remorse, which premieres its fourth season this summer on Starz. He also wrote on Showtime’s Shameless for the first four seasons. As an actor, he was nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of Burt Hummel on Glee and recently appeared in the films Sully and Concussion. Television acting credits include: Yes, Dear; Justified; My Own Worst Enemy; My Name is Earl; Welcome to the Family and The Mike O’Malley Show. Film acting credits include: 28 Days, Deep Impact, Cedar Rapids, Eat Pray Love and Meet Dave. Way back when, he hosted the Nickelodeon shows Get the Picture and Guts. He is the author of two plays that have been published by Samuel French: Three Years from Thirty and Diverting Devotion. His play Searching for Certainty was adapted into the film Certainty, which won the B

Mike O'Malley Bookwriter
Image of Christopher Ashley Christopher Ashley Director

Christopher Ashley has served as Artistic Director at La Jolla Playhouse since October, 2007. During his tenure, he helmed the world premieres of Come From Away, The Darrell Hammond Project, Claudia Shear’s Restoration and Arthur Kopit and Anton Dudley’s A Dram of Drummhicit, as well as John Guare’s adaptation of His Girl Friday, Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Xanadu and Memphis, which went on to Broadway, winning four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical. In addition, he spearheaded the Playhouse’s Without Walls site-specific theatre series, the Resident Theatre program and oversaw the world premieres of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Hands on a Hardbody, Milk Like Sugar, Little Miss Sunshine, Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin, Surf Report, Bonnie & Clyde, Doug Wright’s adaptation of Creditors, the Page To

Christopher Ashley Director
Image of Kelly Devine Kelly Devine Choreographer

La Jolla Playhouse: Come From Away, Peter and the Starcatcher, Zhivago, Private Fittings. Broadway: Come From Away, Zhivago, Rocky (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Award nominations), Rock of Ages. International: Rocky (Germany), Rock of Ages (West End, UK tour, Toronto, Australia ~ Helpmann & Green Room Awards). Opera: Faust (The Met & ENO), Wozzeck (San Diego Opera). Off-Broadway: Rock of Ages, Fat Camp, Frankenstein, Anne Wrecksick. Regional: Come From Away, Toxic Avenger, A Christmas Story, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. Stratford Shakespeare Festival: Cabaret, Romeo and Juliet. Film/TV: Mozart in the Jungle, Dear Dumb Diary, Noami and Elf’s No Kiss List, Happy Texas, Zombie Pro, Untouchables starring Nicole Kidman, Bryan Cranston, Kevin Hart.

Kelly Devine Choreographer
  • Christopher JahnkeMusic Supervisor, Vocal & Incidental Music Arranger
  • Gary AdlerDance Music Arranger
  • Mike UtleyOrchestrator
  • Mac McAnallyMusic Consultant
  • Walt SpanglerScenic Designer
  • Paul TazewellCostume Designer
  • Howell BinkleyLighting Designer
  • Brian RonanSound Designer
  • Leah J. LoukasWigs, Hair & Makeup Designer
  • Flying By FoyAerial Effects
  • Eva BarnesDialect Coach
  • Telsey +Company;
    Rachel Hoffman, C.S.A.
    Casting
  • Gabriel GreeneDramaturg
  • Kim VernaceStage Manager
  • Janet TakamiAssistant Stage Manager
  • Jessie MedoferAssistant Stage Manager
  • Benjamin SeibertProduction Manager
  • Jacole KitchenAssociate Director
  • Andrew TurteltaubAssociate Choreographer
  • Amanda ZieveAssociate Lighting Designer
  • Harry PlattAssociate Sound Designer
  • Colin ScottMoving Lights Programmer
  • Craig CassidySound Engineer
  • Matthew HermanScenic Design Assistant
  • Amanda BergmanCostume Design Assistant
  • Brandon RosenLighting Design Assistant
  • Jackie MullenStage Management Assistant
  • Matthew BantockProduction Assistant
  • Jacob BruceFight Consultant
Venue Info

Mandell Weiss Theatre

The Mandell Weiss Theatre is a 492-seat proscenium arch theatre, with two front rows of removable seats allowing for a greater stage length. The theatre also maintains an upstairs wooden deck for parties, receptions and outdoor gatherings, and a small outdoor amphitheatre for pre-show entertainment.

View Seating Chart

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