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Denver Audiences Can 'Escape To Margaritaville'

DENVER (CBS4) - Jimmy Buffett's new Broadway musical is coming to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and bringing the party with it. "Escape to Margaritaville" plays at the Buell Theatre from December 23, 2019 to January 5, 2020.

LINK: For Tickets and Information about "Escape to Margaritaville"

Jimmy Buffett is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Some of his more memorable songs include, "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere", "Cheeseburger in Paradise", and "Margaritaville." In 2017, writers Greg Garcia and Mike O'Malley took his repertoire and weaved a story through it.

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"Escape to Margaritaville" (credit DCPA)

"It was the writers, when they decided what to hang on this clothes line included things that were more serious songs, 'He Went To Paris,' 'Pirate Looks at 40,' 'Come Monday,' those are in there because those are songs I wrote about the way I felt about certain things at the time, but how they used them in the show, and how they used the space between the fun stuff, it gave it a really nice energy I thought," Buffett told CBS4's Critic at Large Greg Moody.

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CBS4's Critic At Large Greg Moody with Jimmy Buffet (credit CBS)

The story is about a part-time bartender and singer who falls for a career-minded tourist. But the main character of this musical is Buffett's familiar, toe-tapping songs.

"Most musical theater, there's not a lot of recognition unless it's a big hit and somebody goes. This was instant recognition for everybody," Buffett explained.

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"Escape to Margaritaville" (credit DCPA)

In addition to his music, Buffett is a successful author, actor, and businessman. Now he can add "theater geek" to his credentials.

"I've always had a fascination with it, from the point of view of watching actors working. So many people on a stage together was fascinating to me as a kid. So, once I learned what it was about and kind of studied it, and kind of made the commitment to get involved with it, it was fascinating to be involved in the work process of it," Buffett said.

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"Escape to Margaritaville" (credit CBS)

"Escape to Margaritaville" is the ultimate party, a fun, light, romantic-comedy of a musical that is sure to please the "Parrothead" in everyone.

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"That they have a good time, and that's really as simple as it can be. Because, let's face it, I've sort of stumbled into a bit of a niche here where I can actually have a job selling escapism. And working in bars and singing songs was just about as far as I thought I could go, but who ever thought it went where it took me. But that's one of the magics of doing this," Buffett said of what he hopes the audience gets out of the musical.

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