If “Why Don’t We Get Drunk (and Screw)” is your idea of an idyllic Escape to Margaritaville, this is the show for you. If you’re a Parrothead and can sing along to all the Jimmy Buffett songs offered here (as many in the audience apparently are), you’ll be right at home. Despite a talented cast and the obvious technical expertise it took to put on this production, I found myself yearning for The Band’s Visit and Come from Away, musicals with real heart and better tunes. What I do like are summer books, mindless fluff to read at the beach or in the serenity of an air-conditioned room on a scorching hot day. The plot is always the same: a successful woman, with something she needs to change about her dreary life, finds herself somewhere more exotic, on the water, and falls for the local bad boy. The attraction is fast and physical, even though he puts her down, and the whole affair is illogical, even to her. But wait…it turns out the poor slob is actually a wealthy and successful author or Duke or owner of a fabulous fleet of yachts, not the hapless loser he first seemed to be. This scenario is about as close as you can get to the plot in this show, but not quite as much mindless fun. Dedicated environmental scientist Rachel (Alison Luff) wants to save the world, but first, she has to save her best friend, Tammy (Lisa Howard), who is about to marry a shallow jackass. Obviously, they need to get away, so why not a glamorous resort on a Caribbean island (Monserrat?). Unfortunately, the place turns out to be a total dive, not to mention that the local volcano is about to blow. The scene at Margaritaville is, in the Hawaiian phrase, very “hang loose and suck ‘em up.” Tully Mars (a greased-up Paul Alexander Nolan), is the singer/songwriter with a guitar and no visible means of support, so of course, he’s irresistible to Rachel. Tammy is equally drawn to Brick (Eric Petersen), a bartender whose major job is to shoo away the chicks who foolishly think they’ll be seeing Tully again after their week-long affair is over. Of course, in typical summer-reading fashion, Tully becomes a wealthy rock star, and Rachel realizes she’s made a terrible mistake in choosing potato technology over the erstwhile beach bum. Will Tully take her back? You bet he will! Strangely enough, the major problem with MU “Cheeseburger in Paradise”? No thanks, I’d rather have a steak.
