“Escape to Margaritaville" at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse -- July 12 through September 9.
Wednesday, July 12, through Saturday, September 9
Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse, 1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island IL
With its delightful assemblage of songs including “Fins,” “Volcano,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” and the iconic "Margaritaville," the Jimmy Buffett celebration Escape to Margaritaville enjoys a debut run at Rock Island's Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse July 12 through September 9, this uplifting musical stage treat lauded by the Hollywood Reporter as "the theatrical equivalent of sipping on a frozen drink while lying on a beach chair in the blazing sun."
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 more than 50 albums, most of which have gone gold, platinum, or multi-platinum, and his sold-out concert tours are annual rites of summer passage for his legions of fans affectionately known as Parrot Heads. Born in the Gulf Coast town of Pascagoula, Mississippi, he was raised in Mobile, Alabama, is a fourth-generation sailor and fisherman, and is also a frequent traveler to remote and exotic places of the world. As a best-selling author, Buffett is one of only nine authors in the history of the New York Times Bestseller List to have reached number one on both the fiction and non-fiction charts, and the artist has received two Grammy nominations, numerous Country Music Association Awards, and induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
The new musical Escape to Margaritaville celebrates the music and island-living lifestyle of Buffett through his original story about the choices we make, and the people we become, once we’ve had a change in "latitude." Revolving around a part-time bartender/singer who falls for a career-minded tourist, the show combines original songs with classic Buffett tunes, the most famous of them all – “Margaritaville” – inducted into the 2016 Grammy Hall of Fame for its cultural and historic significance.
Returning to Circa '21 to direct Escape to Margaritaville is Amy McCleary, a theatre artist from Fort Myers, Florida who also helmed the venue's 2023 presentation of the Queen musical We Will Rock You. Local favorite Ron May again assumes music-director duties, having also done so for Circa '21's recent productions of Mamma Mia!, Grumpy Old Men: The Musical, and Irving Berlin's White Christmas. And with the show's ensemble including such familiar Rock Island performers as Bobby Becher, Brad Hauskins, and Taylor Lynn, the Escape to Margaritaville ensemble is completed by Matthew Brightball, Melissa Campbell, Kaleeha Clark, Samuel Colina, Joshua Crawford, Liam Fisher, Abigail Graham, Kiera Lynn, Cameron Nies, Damaria Quick, Madison Stepnowski, and Riley Vogel.
In addition to its 7:30 p.m. public previews on July 12 and 13, Escape to Margaritaville runs in Rock Island from July 14 through September 9, with performances on Fridays, Saturdays, and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 5:30 p.m.; and Wednesday afternoons at 1:15 p.m. All shows will be preceded by meals and pre-show entertainment by the theatre's performing wait staff of Circa '21 Bootleggers, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)786-7733 extension 2 and visiting Circa21.com.
