Paul Alexander Nolan, Alison Luff and Lisa Howard to Lead ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE at La Jolla Playhouse

La Jolla Playhouse announced today the principal leads for Escape to Margaritaville, the new musical featuring the songs of legendary singer-songwriter-author Jimmy Buffett. Paul Alexander Nolan will lead the cast as Tully, and will be joined by Alison Luff as Rachel and Lisa Howard as Tammy. Additional information, including complete casting, will be announced shortly.

"To borrow a nautical term, it seems our ship is readying to set sail," said composer and lyricist Jimmy Buffett. "Our cast is signing on and what a crew! I am very much looking forward to working with everyone in the process of getting the good ship Escape to Margaritaville ready for the road in our home port of La Jolla."

Imagine a place where the sun is hot, the ocean's warm, and the drinks are as cold as they are plentiful. Welcome to Margaritaville, the island paradise where city folk get away from it all and the locals get into the kind of trouble you can almost always sweet talk your way out of. This new musical is the story of a part-time bartender, part-time singer, and full-time charmer named Tully who thinks he's got life all figured out. Until a beautiful career-minded tourist steals his heart and makes him question everything.

As previously announced, Escape to Margaritaville will have its World Premiere steps from the ocean at the Tony Award-winning La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, California in May 2017, will play New Orleans' Saenger Theatre, Houston's Hobby Center, and will make its last stop before Broadway at Chicago's Oriental Theatre in November 2017. Escape to Margaritaville will sail into Broadway in the Spring of 2018. Visit www.EscapeToMargaritavilleMusical.com for more information.

Escape to Margaritaville will include brand new music, specifically written for the musical by Jimmy Buffett, along with many of his hit songs that are near-and-dear to fans' hearts. The original story was created by co-book writers Greg Garcia ("My Name is Earl") and Mike O'Malley ("Survivor's Remorse," "Shameless").

Two-time Tony Award nominee Christopher Ashley will direct, and the creative team will also include Tony-nominated Choreographer Kelly Devine, Scenic Designer Walt Spangler, Tony Award-winning Costume Designer Paul Tazewell, two-time Tony Award-winning Lighting Designer Howell Binkley, two-time Tony Award-winning Sound Designer Brian Ronan, Tony Award-nominee Christopher Jahnke as Music Supervisor, and 101 Productions, Ltd. as General Management.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Paul Alexander Nolan (Tully). In 2016 he earned a Drama Desk nomination for his work in Bright Star on Broadway at the Cort Theatre then went on to play Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady at Bay Street Theatre directed by Michael Arden. In 2015 he received an OCC nomination for his work in Doctor Zhivago. Other starring roles on Broadway include Once and Jesus Christ Superstar. In 2015 Paul made his off-Broadway debut with Daddy Long Legs directed by John Caird. He was most recently seen on Broadway as Billy Flynn in Chicago. His regional credits include Aida (Kansas City Starlight), Jesus Christ Superstar and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (La Jolla Playhouse), and six seasons with the Stratford Festival. paulalexandernolan.com | @_PaulNolan

Alison Luff (Rachel) was most recently seen in the Broadway revival of LES MISERABLES as Fantine. She originated the title role of Charlie Jane in the world premiere ofBreaking Through at Pasadena Playhouse. She was also seen on Broadway as Miss Honey in Matilda. Prior to that, she spent the year starring as Elphaba on the 1st National tour of Wicked. Broadway credits include: Scandalous, Ghost the Musical and Mamma Mia! Alison is also passionately a part of the singer/songwriter duo known as The Bones, which she founded with her husband Matt Magnusson in the fall of 2015.

Lisa Howard (Tammy) most recently appeared on Broadway as Jenny in It Shoulda Been You (2015 Drama Desk Nominee: Outstanding Actress in a Musical; 2015 Drama League Awards Nominee: Distinguished Performance). Other Broadway credits include Diva 1 in Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert; Missy Hart in 9 to 5 The Musical, Head Nurse in Lincoln Center's revival of South Pacific and as Rona Lisa Peretti in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, for which she won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance. She toured the US in the national company of LES MISERABLES, where she played many performances as Madame Thenardier, and has played leading roles regionally at Pittsburgh CLO, St. Louis MUNY, Olney Theater Center, Human Race Theater and Kansas City Starlight. Lisa made her feature film debut as Siobahn in the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn Part 2 and has also been seen on television in "Ugly Betty." Her debut solo CD, "Songs of Innocence and Experience" is available on iTunes. Lisa is a graduate of the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. www.lisahowardnyc.com | @lisahowardnyc

The Tony Award-winning La Jolla Playhouse is internationally-renowned for creating some of the most exciting and adventurous work in American theatre, through its new play development initiatives, innovative Without Walls series, artist residencies and commissions. Currently led by Artistic Director Christopher Ashley and Managing Director Michael S. Rosenberg, The Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire and Mel Ferrer, and reborn in 1983 under the artistic leadership of Des McAnuff. La Jolla Playhouse has had 28 productions transfer to Broadway, garnering 35 Tony Awards, among them Jersey Boys, Memphis, The Who's Tommy, as well as Billy Crystal's 700 Sundays and the Pulitzer Prize-winning I Am My Own Wife, both fostered as part of The Playhouse's Page To Stage Program. Visit LaJollaPlayhouse.org for more.