By Laura Wise | NB Indy
— Photo by Matthew Murphy ©
Jimmy Buffett’s whimsical Broadway musical “Escape to Margaritaville” had the audience setting their watches to “island time” at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa on Tuesday night.
The musical, which is on the local stage through Sunday, follows two Cincinnati girls, the workaholic and sensible Rachel (portrayed by Orange County native Sarah Hinrichsen) and the soon-to-be-wedded Tammy (portrayed by Shelly Lynn Walsh) as they escape to a tropical island for a girl’s weekend getaway, including a stay at the Hotel Margaritaville. Little do they know that the changes in latitude will change both their attitudes towards life and romance.
Full of puns, innuendoes, and more than two dozen iconic Buffett hits, “Escape to Margaritaville” had the audience laughing, joking, and singing along with the cast.
Hinrichsen and co-star Chris Clark, who plays the care-free island musician Tully, blended their voices perfectly in duet renditions of classic Buffett hits such as “Tin Cup Chalice” and “Coast of Marseilles.”
A Buffett musical wouldn’t be complete without “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” sung masterfully by Walsh and accompanied by Peter Michael Jordan, who portrays the island bartender and her forbidden love-interest, Brick.
The fully-stocked Margaritaville tiki bar was brought to life with a five-piece band, a vibrant ensemble, and dazzling dance numbers, choreographed by Tony Award-Nominee Kelly Devine, “Escape to Margaritaville” delivered everything a “parrothead” (nickname for Buffett fans) could ask for: Colorful characters, island rhythms, sun-kissed love, and Buffett’s witty wordplay.
For tickets and more information, visit SCFTA.org.
— Photo by Matthew Murphy ©
