Playhouse’s Jimmy Buffett musical booked for Broadway
Broadway, meet Buffett.
“Escape to Margaritaville” — the world-premiere, Jimmy Buffett-centric musical that just opened at La Jolla Playhouse — has officially booked its Broadway dates and venue for early 2018.
The show will begin previews at Manhattan’s Marquis Theatre on Feb. 16, and will open March 15, producers Frank Marshall, Mindy Rich, Anita Waxman and Beth Williams announced Monday morning.
Presales for tickets to the Broadway production are now in progress; same for tickets to the post-Playhouse engagements in New Orleans (Oct. 20-28), Houston (Oct. 31 to Nov. 5) and Chicago (Nov. 9 to Dec. 2).
“Escape to Margaritaville,” which is built around many of Buffett’s best-known songs, runs through July 9 at the Playhouse.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, Buffett said that “going to Broadway is a dream come true, but to be coming to the Marquis is like having a great margarita with a tequila floater.”
Playhouse artistic chief and “Margaritaville” director Christopher Ashley said that “we’ve had such a fantastic adventure at La Jolla Playhouse bringing this production — filled with Jimmy Buffett’s iconic music — to theatrical life, with such a terrific team of artists.
“We’re in the midst of an amazing run here, and I’ve rarely seen such an enthusiastic response to a show. As a now-official Parrot Head, I am overjoyed to continue the journey of ‘Escape to Margaritaville’ across the country — and on to Broadway.”
The Marquis Theatre has previously hosted a couple of other Playhouse-bred musicals: “Thoroughly Modern Millie” in 2002, and “Cry-Baby” in 2008.
The place is just around the corner from the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, current home to the Playhouse-launched musical “Come From Away.”
That show, which is up for seven Tony Awards this Sunday, won three Drama Desk Awards over the weekend, including best musical.
For more info on the Buffett show, go to escapetomargaritavillemusical.com.
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Review: ‘Escape to Margaritaville’ goes down easy at La Jolla Playhouse
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Twitter: @jimhebert
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