Rehearsals are now underway for Centenary Stage Company’s upcoming summer production of “Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville.” The musical will run from Thursday, July 10 through Sunday, July 20 in the Sitnik Theatre of the Lackland Performing Arts Center. Performance times are Wednesday, July 16 at 2:00 p.m.; Thursdays at 7:00 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.; and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Tickets range from $29.50–$35.00 and vary by performance, with discounts available for students and children under 12 on select dates. Special Buy One Get One (BOGO) tickets are available in person at the box office beginning at 5:00 p.m. on the day of Thursday evening performances. These BOGO tickets are not available online or in advance.
“Escape to Margaritaville,” with a book by Greg Garcia and Mike O’Malley and music and lyrics by Jimmy Buffett, combines tropical vibes and feel-good humor with a collection of the singer-songwriter’s most beloved hits. The story centers on Tully, a part-time bartender and singer at a run-down hotel in the Caribbean, who falls for a career-minded tourist. The production features well-known songs including “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Fins” and “Margaritaville.” A musical celebration of relaxation, romance and island life, “Escape to Margaritaville” invites audiences to kick off their flip flops and settle into the summer spirit.
Directing this production of “Escape to Margaritaville” is Lea Antolini-Lid. Antolini-Lid is an assistant professor of theater and dance as well as the director of CSC’s Young Audience Series Tour and the producer/director of the NEXTstage Rep. Summer Stock Musical Series. Most recently, she co-directed “Carrie the Musical” this spring, “The Lightning Thief” in the spring of 2024, “The Little Mermaid” in winter 2023, “Seussical the Musical” in summer 2023, and “The Addams Family” in April 2023. She also directed “RENT” in summer 2022, as well as the Young Audience Series productions of “Miss Nelson is Missing,” “Miss Nelson Has a Field Day,” “A Year with Frog & Toad” and “Grace for President” at CSC this past season. Antolini-Lid has been a longtime creative force behind CSC’s Summer Stock Musicals, with additional directorial credits including “Hair,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Always…Patsy Cline” and more. She was most recently seen on stage at CSC as the Stepmother in “Cinderella.”
Performance dates and times for “Escape to Margaritaville” are Wednesday, July 16 at 2:00 p.m.; Thursdays, July 10 and 17 at 7:00 p.m.; Fridays, July 11 and 18 at 8:00 p.m.; Saturdays, July 12 and 19 at 8:00 p.m.; and Sundays, July 13 and 20 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets range from $29.50–$35.00 for adults with discounts available for students and children under 12 for select performances. Special Buy One Get One tickets are available in person only at the box office window beginning at 5:00 p.m. on the day of Thursday evening performances.
“Escape to Margaritaville” is presented through special arrangement with Broadway Licensing Global.
For more information, visit centenarystageco.org or call the Centenary Stage Company box office at (908) 979-0900. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 1:00–5:00 p.m. and two hours prior to performances. It is located in the Lackland Performing Arts Center on the campus of Centenary University at 715 Grand Ave., Hackettstown, N.J. Centenary Stage Company can also be found across social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter. Like and follow to receive the latest CSC news and updates.
The 2024–25 season of performing arts events at the Centenary Stage Company is made possible through the generous support of our sponsors and grantors like the NJ State Council on the Arts, the Shubert Foundation, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, the Sandra Kupperman Foundation, the John and Margaret Post Foundation, the CSC corporate sponsors including Explore Warren, the House of the Good Shepherd, Hackettstown Medical Center Atlantic Health System, Heath Village, Visions Federal Credit Union and Fulton Bank, and Centenary Stage Company members and supporters.
