On Saturday, June 10 from 10 a.m. to noon, La Jolla Playhouse is partnering with The Lodge at Torrey Pines to host a Cast Meet and Greet brunch in honor of Jimmy Buffett’s first official musical, “Escape to Margaritaville.” The performance’s world premiere is currently taking place onstage at the La Jolla Playhouse, before it is scheduled to be performed on Broadway in 2018. “Escape to Margaritaville” will run through July 9, with eight performances each week, two on both Saturdays and Sundays, and none on Mondays.
Guests at the Cast Meet and Greet will be able to enjoy a Margaritaville-themed brunch cooked by The Lodge’s chef Jeff Jackson, meet some of the cast members of “Escape to Margaritaville” and be entertained as the cast performs musical numbers from the show on the Arroyo Terrace.
Cast members who will be present at the show include Paul Alexander Nolan, playing the part of Tully; Alison Luff, who plays Rachel; and Andre Ward, playing the role of Jamal.
The Lodge’s senior vice president of sales and marketing, Ilsa Butler, says she estimates about 120 guests will attend the brunch. Tickets cost $95 and are all inclusive of Jackson’s Margaritaville-themed brunch, alcoholic beverages, taxes and service charge, as said by Stephanie Chavez, public relations and community outreach manager of Evans Hotels.
The brunch’s design will be centered on a tropical island theme to promote the blissful, relaxing atmosphere that is so prevalent in Margaritaville. Although the menu is still being finalized, Chavez says guests can expect dishes of coconut milk and lime ceviche served with taro chips, Tropical Shrimp Kebabs, Cheeseburger in Paradise and Chicken Fafa—chicken thighs with coconut milk, spinach, ginger and garlic. Rest assured there will also be plenty of margaritas. Tickets are being sold quickly, so Butler suggests guests buy their tickets sooner rather than later.
“It’s a great opportunity to really preview the show and give people a taste of what they can see,” says Butler.
According to Butler, the whole concept started with The Lodge wanting to celebrate their 15th anniversary by giving guests special experiences throughout the year, such as the brunch.
Jackson wanted to partner with one of the arts in La Jolla, says Butler, and La Jolla Playhouse was a natural decision given how often the Playhouse and The Lodge have worked together in the past.
Similarly, the theater district will also be decorated to create a Margaritaville vibe, according to La Jolla Playhouse managing director Michael Rosenberg.
On Friday nights before the show, La Jolla Playhouse will provide a food truck in addition to their restaurant and, of course, more margaritas for sale. Before the evening performance on Saturdays, there will be a live band playing to entertain guests. Rosenberg encourages guests to come hang out, get some food and enjoy the beauty of La Jolla evenings.
The response from the community in regard to the musical has, in Rosenberg’s words, been overwhelmingly positive.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” he says. “People are really happy with it, people are coming back to see it more than once. People are over the moon.”
Ticket prices for the musical start at $69. Customers that they can enter a daily mobile ticket lottery, hosted by TodayTix, to win a limited number of $20 front-row tickets. The lottery will be available for nearly every evening performance of the show. Download the TodayTix app and select the “Escape to Margaritaville” lottery in the Los Angeles city category. La Jolla Playhouse was chosen as the location for Escape to Margaritaville’s world premiere due to the Playhouse’s tradition of developing new musicals, particularly rock musicals.
For more information about “Escape to Margaritaville,” visit www.escapetomargaritavillemusical.com or lajollaplayhouse.org.