'Escape to Margaritaville' this weekend
Also, traffic fatality involving county vehicle claims two lives
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It’s no “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” and “Come Monday” it won’t leave “A Lot to Drink About.” But this weekend’s Kokomo Civic Theatre (KCT) production of “Escape to Margaritaville” will have the audience thinking of “Boats, Beaches, Bars and Ballads.”
The Jimmy Buffett-developed musical, based loosely on the rocker’s greatest hits, will hit the stage at Indiana University Kokomo’s Havens Auditorium this weekend. Director Beth Metcalf explained the attraction of putting on this musical.
“Jimmy Buffett likes theater, and so he wanted to do a Broadway show,” said Metcalf. “It was not a big hit on Broadway, But it's a perfect vehicle for community theaters, especially in an area like this where he is very popular. He literally took his hits and wove in this totally ridiculous love story.
“If you know Buffett, you hear his songs and you go, ‘how are they going to swing this into the plot?’ And then they do, and it's so much fun. It is more than silly.”
The basic plot of the musical is a guitarist on an island meets an environmentalist visiting for a bachelorette weekend with her friend and to see an active volcano. The two meet and hit it off, but when it’s time for the girls to leave, the guitarist realizes he has fallen in love. The story eventually works its way to a “happily ever after” conclusion. In between, there are plenty of laughs, dancing, and of course, Buffett’s hit songs.
Metcalf said putting together “Escape to Margaritaville” has been easier than many other productions KCT has performed. There are few preconceived notions about what the musical should look like, which gave her freedom with casting, costuming, and sets.
“Because it didn't do really well on Broadway, there's not a lot of footage out there,” said Metcalf. “You can do whatever you want with it, which made it really fun for me. We line dance in the opening number. We tap dance. And there's lots of different styles of music. That's one of the really exciting things about it, too. It's not all island music. It has the beautiful ballads and all that stuff.”
Metcalf also wants the audience to be a part of the show.
“We are encouraging people attending the show to dress the part, kind of like they're coming to a Jimmy Buffett concert,” said Metcalf. “We're going to have an intermission, and we're going to give away two tickets to our next show. We’ll pick out the best dressed and let them walk the runway. The crowd will pick the winner. We really want the audience to have as much fun as we've had doing this.”
While “Escape to Margaritaville” is light-hearted entertainment, it is vitally important to KCT. The success of this show will feed the remainder of the theatre season.
“We always have to have one thing that we hope is going to pay for everything else so that we can do the fun things that we want to do, or the things that are more artistic,” said Metcalf. “This is the one thing we're hoping is gonna bring in the crowds. It's been minimal on expense.
“We just want everybody to feel good and have a good time and want to come back and see something else. Our No. 1 goal is just to do a good show. If we accomplish that, then people want to come back.”
Much of that responsibility rests on the shoulders of the cast. It is a mix of veteran performers and a few first-timers. Metcalf explained that choosing the actors for the production was a much different process than what is typical. As such, she hopes that the audience sees themselves on the stage, figuratively.
“My cast is so freakin’ fun,” said Metcalf. “At auditions, I was like, everybody's in. If you want to be in the show, just show up. That's all you gotta do. I didn't want a cast of 50, but literally everybody that auditioned got a part. I think we have at least three people who have never done any civic theater at all.
“You can be in this, and it fits anybody. You can be any size, any shape, any whatever, and it's okay because we're just on vacation. I think our show has a whole lot of heart.”
Peggy Frye plays Marley, an islander who owns the Margaritaville hotel and bar. She sees her character as the scene stealer of the show. And she is excited for people to see the production.
“Marley is very much like me,” said Frye. “She is an independent businesswoman, hard-working, a little bit reluctant about relationships as far as long-term but desperately wants to be in love. This show will make your heart happy. It will make your toes tap. It'll put you in an island state of mind. And you're gonna want to go home and have a nice little glass of Margarita when you're done.”
Frye has been in theatre most of her life. She began in junior high school in a production of “The Music Man” and has performed in several Kokomo Civic Theatre productions; most recently, in “Mamma Mia” in 2019.
“My grandmother actually was a member of Kokomo Civic Theatre before I was ever born,” said Frye. “So, it was kind of in my blood. But then the pandemic happened. I was working in health care at the time, so I kind of backed away from doing anything. So, I'm glad to be back. It's a blast.”
“Escape to Margaritaville” will feature three shows, starting at 7:30 p.m. on Fri., Aug. 25, and Sat., Aug. 26, and at 2 p.m. on Sun., Aug. 27. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, $16 for students, and $12 for children under age 12. The musical takes place at Havens Auditorium on the Indiana University Kokomo campus, 2300 S. Washington St. Tickets are available now by visiting www.kokomocivictheatre.org/tickets or by calling 765-454-8800.
Traffic accident involving county vehicle claims two lives
On Aug. 22, 2023, at 6:43 a.m., the Howard County 911 Dispatch Center received a call reporting a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of Ind. 22 and County Road 750 W. Howard County Sheriff’s deputies along with medics from Ascension St. Vincent and members of the Burlington, Galveston, and Russiaville Volunteer Fire Departments were dispatched to the scene.
Preliminary investigation reveals that a gray 2004 Pontiac Montana driven by 20-year-old Vincent A. Horn of Russiaville was traveling north on CR 750 W approaching Ind. 22. Once at the intersection, the vehicle failed to stop at the posted stop sign and entered the path of an eastbound red 2023 Dodge Ram 2500 driven by 32-year-old Steven R. Seward of Logansport and occupied by 51-year-old Danny E. Bowman of Russiaville. Both Seward and Bowman are employees of the Howard County Highway Department and were returning from clearing debris from a roadway. After the collision, both vehicles came to a final rest in a cornfield to the northeast with the Dodge Ram being inverted.
When medics from Ascension St. Vincent arrived, both Horn and Bowman were pronounced deceased on scene. First responders with the assistance of the Kokomo Fire Department worked diligently to extract Seward from the vehicle. He was flown from the scene to an area hospital where he remains in critical but stable condition. The Howard County Coroner’s Office, along with accident reconstructionists from the Howard County Sheriff’s Office, were called to process the scene.
Autopsies are scheduled for Aug. 23 under the direction of the Howard County Coroner’s Office. This case remains under investigation by the Howard County Sheriff’s Office and Howard County Coroner’s Office. Anyone with information is asked to contact Cpl. Myers at 765-614-3482, by submitting a tip using our mobile app or at www.sheriff.howardcountyin.gov. The Howard County Sheriff’s Office was assisted on scene by the aforementioned entities along with representatives of the Howard County Emergency Management Agency.