Next stop, Margaritaville: Musical using laid-back Jimmy Buffett songs in the works

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Parrottheads, rejoice — there’s a Jimmy Buffett musical in the works.

Producers said Thursday that the show will have Buffett’s blend of rock and country tunes and an original story by writers Greg Garcia and Mike O’Malley. Christopher Ashley will direct.

A world premiere production is expected to be announced for 2017.

Buffett has had hits with such beach-bum classics as “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” ”Margaritaville,” ”Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” and “Cheeseburger in Paradise.”

He also teamed up with the Zac Brown Band with the No. 1 country hit “Knee Deep” in 2011. His diehard fans are known as “Parrotheads,” and often turn up to his concerts in pirate costumes and parrot suits.

“The idea of turning Margaritaville into a musical has been percolating for quite a while, but finding the right people to tell the right kind of story to go with the right songs from my catalogue took some time,” Buffett said in a statement. “Now we have found our crew and I am happy to sail with them to Margaritaville. It’s going to be a fun voyage.”

The producers of the musical are Frank Marshall, Mindy Rich, Anita Waxman and Beth Williams.