Jimmy’s great big ‘Escape’
EVEN if you don’t know this week’s US tax code, you know Jimmy Buf
fett. But if some Martian who knew from borscht blew in, how would Jimmy Buffett describe Jimmy Buffett?
“Can’t believe this Martian wouldn’t have some sophisticated device to play my songs — but I’d tell him, ‘Come with me to the beach. I’m a product of the Gulf Coast, enjoys life, and is lucky to have a job.’ ”
His current job’s Thursday, the Marquis Theatre, opening his own Broadway musical, “Escape to Margaritaville.”
“But I remember other jobs. Key West, Fla. When nobody showed up. Jan. 1, the night after New Year’s Eve, was stormy. I was under the weather, but my job’s to perform. So I did. Not one soul came. Only bartenders were there, so I had a few drinks and asked what they’d like to hear.
“The first job made me some money. I bought a boat for $500. Itty-bitty. Too small to call a boat. I just about fit in. Even being born Christmas, I don’t miss anything. One year, my mother gave me socks and a tie. Listen, I was the last person around to get a driver’s license.
“I wrote new songs for ‘Escape to Margaritaville.’ No way to describe the process. You hear something, hum something or on an airplane figure out a tricky phrase. Working on it four years, things change. New character needs different songs. Ever since my mom took me to a musical in Mobile, Ala., I loved theater. So, in Florida, I had a chance to work on this, and people believed there was a show.
“It’s about escapism. Opening night’s a big deal. Party time. I’m attentive, not nervous. We worked hard, fixed things, and I watch the audience having fun. My wife, daughters and sisters are coming. I bought my parents a house, but they’re in heaven. After the opening, I’m off to Florida. My daughter’s getting married. She’ll be pissed if I say what I’m giving her. It’s not money.”
And Jimmy Buffett, who knows Warren Buffett, says: “We even tested saliva to see if, from some distant village, we were related.”
Thursday, tequila will pour, triple sec will run, a boat-shaped bar will open for VIPs and SRO will stand for Soused Room Only.