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.

It Shoulda Been You ***

This farcical musical with book and some lyrics by Brian Hargrove and music and concept by Barbara Anselmi has reached Broadway after a successful 2011 run at George St. Playhouse in New Jersey. It raises the question of whether loads of talent and style can overcome a lack of substance and answers it with a definite “maybe.” If for no other reason, we should be grateful that it provides employment for such troupers as Tyne Daly, Harriet Harris, Edward Hibbert and Chip Zien as well as talented younger performers including Lisa Howard, Sierra Boggess and Josh Grisetti. The hoary plot involves the wedding of a Jewish woman and a Catholic man. Both sets of parents are unhappy about the impending marriage and a former boyfriend is determined to stop it. Yes, this field has been plowed many times before, but this time there’s a mildly surprising twist that I won’t reveal here. No cliche escapes. The luxurious hotel set by Anita Louizos is very attractive, as are William Ivey Long’s costumes. David Hyde Pierce shows a real talent for directing. The music, in a variety of styles, is pleasant. The lyrics are wildly uneven. Some are fine, but others are clunkily unmusical. Five people get credits for additional lyrics. In case you are wondering how anything this slight could have reached Broadway, the fact that Hargrove is Pierce's husband certainly didn't hurt. The show could serve as the textbook definition of a guilty pleasure. You might hate yourself for laughing at some of the one-liners, but laugh you will. With its shameless pandering to two pillars of the Broadway audience, Jews and gays, it should have a long run. Running time: one hour 40 minutes, no intermission.