Escape to Margaritaville

C-

Maybe it was the long, cold winter that made the idea of a vicarious escape to a Caribbean island for a couple of hours seem irresistible. So, when this jukebox musical of Jimmy Buffett songs turned up on TDF, I decided to take a chance on it. When I arrived at the Marquis Theatre, many audience members were wearing tropical shirts and quite a few were sipping margaritas from the lobby bar. (I reluctantly abstained so as not to dull my critical faculties.) The tropical theme of the scenic design overflowed into the auditorium. The show itself is a collage of 29 Buffett songs strung together by a simplistic, thoroughly predictable book by Greg Garcia (“My Name is Earl”) and Mike O’Malley ("Shameless"). There are sporadic efforts to be timely with mention of Sheryl Sandberg and Russian internet interference. The integration of the lyrics and the action ranges from clever to clunky. Buffett’s music has slightly more variety than I expected, but the songs became a blur long before reaching #29. The saving grace is that they are performed by an attractive, talented cast. Tully (Paul Alexander Nolan; Bright Star) is the resident singer/guitarist at a seedy island resort run by Marley (Rema Webb; The Color Purple). Brick (Eric Peterson; School of Rock), is the dim but kindhearted bartender. J.D. (Don Sparks; Take Me Out) is the one-eyed geezer who regales bar patrons with tall tales. Jamal (Andre Ward; Something Rotten!) is the dishwasher/handyman with one arm in a sling. Among the arriving guests are Tammy (Lisa Howard; It Shoulda Been You), on a bachelorette trip before her impending wedding to an unappreciative lout, and her best friend Rachel (Alison Luff; Les Miserables), an uptight environmental scientist interested in the island’s volcanic soil. By evening’s end three couples will pair off and you don’t need an advanced degree to figure out who. Walt Spangler’s (Tuck Everlasting) set and Paul Tazewell’s (Hamilton) costumes are appropriately garish. The highlight of Kelly Devine’s (Come from Away) choreography is a lively tap number for a group of insurance agent ghosts (Don’t ask!). Director Christopher Ashley (Come from Away, Memphis) has included a few nice touches that include flying effects and dancing clouds. It all goes down very easily, probably even more so with a few margaritas. I’m still not sure whether anything this mindless can fill a large theater at Broadway prices. A shorter version would be perfect as cruise ship entertainment. Running time: two hours 20 minutes including intermission.

Come from Away

B+

This Canadian musical with book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein could not have arrived on Broadway at a better time. With our national psyche bruised by angst, doubt, resentment and divisiveness, it is comforting to be reminded that people can behave with kindness, charity, openness and unity. The show tells the story of what occurred in Gander, Newfoundland where 38 flights were forced to land after U.S. airspace was closed on 9/11. 7,000 passengers and crew — and a few animals — were housed, fed, comforted and entertained by the residents of a town whose population barely exceeded the number of unexpected guests. An excellent ensemble of twelve play both the residents and the guests, changing roles faster than you can blink. The book is based on actual interviews the creators conducted during the tenth anniversary observance of the event. The locals include the mayor (Joel Hatch), a teacher, the librarian (Astrid Van Wieren), the head of the striking bus drivers union, an animal welfare lady (Petrina Bromley) and a newly arrived television reporter (Kendra Kassebaum). The passengers include a woman (Q. Smith) whose son is a NYC fireman, a gay couple both named Kevin (Chad Kimball and Caesar Samayoa), a rabbi (Geno Carr), an Egyptian chef, an African family who speak no English, a young African-American man (Rodney Hicks) and an unlikely couple —a middle aged Texas divorcee (Sharon Wheatley) and a shy Englishman (Lee MacDougall) who take a fancy to each other. If a character can be singled out as the lead, it would be Beverley (Jenn Colella of High Fidelity and Closer Than Ever), a pilot, who gets the show’s only solo. The style of the music is mainly Celtic folk. Many of the songs sounded alike to my untrained ear. There is one lovely number where several passengers pray, each according to his or her custom. There’s  a rousing foot-stomping number set in a bar when some of the “come-from-aways” are initiated as honorary Newfoundlanders. The set by Beowulf Boritt features a forest of tree trunks on either side of the stage behind which the musicians are seated, a slatted back wall suitable for projections, a dozen or so mismatched wooden chairs and a turntable. Near the center of the back wall stand two damaged tree trunks possibly symbolizing the twin towers. The costumes by Toni-Leslie James help distinguish the characters. Kelly Devine is credited for “musical staging,” rather than as choreographer. Christopher Ashley’s direction keeps things flowing smoothly. The musicians get a well-deserved chance to show off during the curtain call. Judging from the audience’s enthusiasm, Broadway will welcome this feel-good musical. Running time: one hour 45 minutes; no intermission.

Leap of Faith **

(Please click on the title to see the full review.)
As a fan of Raul Esparza, I jumped at the opportunity to see this much-maligned Broadway musical at a steep discount. Although the part does not show him to best advantage, it still offers the pleasure of seeing him onstage again. The show has many flaws, but it is not the total disaster some of the critics would have you believe. Jessica Phillips is fine as the love interest/antagonist and Kecia Lewis-Evans is terrific as leader of the gospel choir. Alan Menken's music is an improvement over his score for Newsies, but still unmemorable. Glenn Slater's lyrics are bland. The set by Robin Wagner moves around effectively without calling too much attention to itself. The costumes by William Ivey Long are suitably colorful. Don Holder's lighting unfortunately illuminates the bald head of the conductor, who is awkwardly placed right up against the stage. The choreography by Sergio Trujillo is pedestrian. The book by Janus Cercone (who wrote the screenplay for the 1992 film) and Warren Leight has its bumpy spots. It's one of the rare shows that improves in the second act. Christopher Ashley directed. The big question for me is why they undertook this project in the first place. If you've seen 110 in the Shade, The Music Man or Elmer Gantry, you've already seen a far better version of the story of a con man descending on an innocent Midwestern town. Leap of Faith adds nothing to the mix, except that is does provide employment for several fine black actors and therefore is drawing a more racially diverse audience than is usual on Broadway. Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes including intermission.