‘Escape to Margaritaville’ coming to Segerstrom Center
By Lynda Lacayo
Calling all parrot heads, laid-back lotharios, and girls who just wanna have fun; let’s “Escape to Margaritaville” at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts February 4-9. Even Type A personalities will kick off their wing tips for flip flops, grab a margarita and groove to Jimmy Buffet’s unique blend of Caribbean, country, rock, folk and pop, otherwise known as “trop rock.” Let’s face it; this is a jukebox musical in its purest fun form. Relax, kick back and enjoy the show.
“Wastin’ away in Margaritaville” isn’t such a bad way to spend a couple of hours being entertained. Just ask Patrick Cogan, who plays J.D., in Jimmy Buffett’s autobiographical musical. Cogan claims that “it’s cheaper to buy a ticket to the show than fly to the Bahamas, and fans, parrot heads or not, will get the same ‘license to chill’ thrill. The island vibe is so pervasive and engaging that this show is unlike any other.”
Patrick Cogan has the chops, not only as an actor but from a personal perspective, to hype “Escape to Margaritaville.” He has been a professional actor for over 40 years, although he recently returned to the game after a 15 year hiatus working at Mason-Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. He says, “I always had this nebulous plan that I would go back to the touring life once the kids were older. The stars seemed to align and my last day at the office was Jan. 1, 2019. And by January 2, I was on the road to Charleston to direct and perform in my tenth production of ‘Annie.’’”
Cogan continues, “The audition notice for ‘Escape to Margaritaville’ was another way in which there was an alignment of celestial bodies hooking me up at the right time and the right place,” Cogan says. He continues, “I’m an original parrothead. I went to school in Cincinnati and caught Buffett’s concerts every summer when he played there.”
Cogan, who is a self-described “singer, actor and mover” now adds pretty good ukulele player to the list. He says, “I had to learn to play ‘Why Don’t We Get Drunk and Screw’ on the ukulele for my audition. Later, one of the producers told me that when I walked in with the ukulele, I had the gig.”
“It’s best to set your mind on island time when escaping to Margaritaville,” Cogan says. “It’s the music that helps me to get into the island vibe. We have an amazing band and audiences will be hearing it in a stage setting designed to suggest chilling out in paradise. Interestingly a lot of familiar Buffett tunes are not sung. Folks will hear little Easter eggs of song lyrics a dialogue or visual images, carrot juice for example, that will trigger a memory. This is a hidden gem of a thing that true parrot heads will recognize as a tip of the hat to them.”
There is no denying that “Escape to Margaritaville” is a jukebox musical, but what makes the four interwoven classic boy meets girl stories within the show work so well is as Cogan says, “Jimmy’s songs easily lend themselves to the musical because the lyrics are so deep and thick they can become spoken dialogue and still make sense. Buffett himself said that it was fascinating to see the stories he had told in song come alive on stage.”
“Escape to Margaritaville” has been dubbed as a take on Jimmy Buffett’s life. Buffett started his career playing for drinks in Key West’s Pier House Hotel, and the Tully character, a guitar-strumming languid lothario may hit closest to Buffet’s younger self. However, Cogan claims, “All four principal male characters are an amalgamation of Jimmy. Jimmy is a multi-faceted human being and the show’s characters reflect the many facets of his personality.”
“As for J.D.,” Cogan claims with a chuckle, “my character’s handle stands for ‘Just Drinking.’ Well, not really, but that’s his brand. J.D. is a one-eyed old renegade who has designs on Marley, the feisty owner of the Hotel Margaritaville. He’s one of those seasoned barflies who have captivating tales to tell. To those who don’t just walk on by, he’s an undiscovered treasure.”
There are 25 Buffett tunes in “Escape to Margaritaville.” Among the many ditties of laid-back limericks, Buffett’s favorite is “He Went to Paris.”
Cogan agrees, saying, “I’m a little biased because my guy, J.D., went to Paris and singing that song reveals his backstory. It hints of his becoming this lovable rapscallion and a rough customer with a heart of gold. The song brings a breath of life into J.D.’s story and of all the characters, his development goes the deepest.”
Cogan considers himself a laid-back, easy-breezy sort of fellow so he has that in common with his musical alter-ego. The show opened on Cogan’s 61st birthday and he says, “I’m happy to have embraced all my peccadillos and triumphs in my earlier years. They have enriched my life today so when my friends learned I’d landed this role and said to me, ‘Pat, you won’t have to act,’ I just laughed.”
“‘We don’t know where we’re going to go when the volcano blow’ is a brilliant opening to Act II,” explains Cogan. “Everyone is fairly familiar with the famous Buffett song. It’s a loud, rocking good time that propels us into the deeper stories. The show’s first act is light and kind of expository. The second act is where we really dive into the character’s chronicles. Starting off with ‘Volcano’ is a great way to do that.”
“It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere;” time to belly up to the tacky tiki bar, grab a “Cheeseburger in Paradise,’ and enjoy your “Escape to Margaritaville,” playing at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts February 4-9. For tickets and information, see SCFTA.org, go to the box office at 600 Town Center Dr. in Costa Mesa, or call 714-755-2787. The center’s hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
