Needs More Salt

Jukebox musicals may be the hottest thing on Broadway, but Escape to Margaritaville is a bland ode to wastin’ away.

- Chris Rovzar

For the show’s investors, it may not matter that Escape to Margaritaville isn’t very good. It blends the greatest hits of Jimmy Buffett, a set of cheery cardboard characters, and a simple—if occasionally demented—plot into a concoction syrupy enough to taste sort of like a Broadway show. But like the worst versions of its namesake beverage, it’s too watered-down to be much fun.

The production is the first in a coming onslaught of shows gambling on the songs of pop acts: In 2018, Broadway is set to stage music from the likes of Cher, the Go-Gos, and Donna Summer. The producers behind each hope to replicate the success of Mamma Mia!—which grossed $625 million in New York and was spun into the most successful movie musical ever—and Jersey Boys, which has made more than $2 billion worldwide.

But the jukebox musical can be a tricky cocktail to master. For every Beautiful, the Tony-winning Carole King story, there’s a Lennon, which ran for a mere 49 performances. In Margaritaville, writers Greg Garcia (My Name Is Earl) and Mike O’Malley (