Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Opinionist: <em>Jollyship the Whiz-Bang</em>
By
John Del Signore
Published Jun 8, 2008
Modified Jun 8, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Jun 8, 2008
Modified Jun 8, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Photo courtesy Carol Rosegg.
Do you enjoy ingeniously crafted rock tunes with clever lyrics and arrangements for accordion, keyboard, ukulele, guitar, bass and drums? Do you like pirates? How about puppets? Rum based drink specials? Laughing until your sides hurt? If you answered yes to even one of these questions, you’re ready to set forth on the dread ship Jollyship the Whiz-Bang, the rollicking “pirate puppet rock odyssey” that’s currently docked at Ars Nova.
Personally, I don’t need to hear anything more than ‘pirate puppet rock’ to get excited, but the cynic in me was a tiny bit worried I’d signed up for a half-assed execution of an inspired concept. But creators Nick Jones and Raja Azar have been polishing this project since 2002, and it gleams as brilliantly as One-Eyed Willie’s treasure. The sharp seven member ensemble switches off between instruments and puppets with assured finesse to tell this ironic tale of a sodden pirate captain who can’t tell the North Star from the sun, and his five year quest to find Party Island, where “the rum flows down the valley twixt salt taffy mountains.”
Of course everything goes deliriously wrong. The cabin boy, who holds the captain’s heart medicine (as well as his heart) disappears; the crew grows disillusioned and longs for rape and plunder; the captain finds religion through a pious crab. Nick Jones has a gift for twisting his dialogue to surprising degrees of absurdity, and he’s assisted here by some charmingly goofy puppets built by Paul Burn. Donyale Werle’s set is as delightful as it is economical and Sam Gold’s direction keeps the ship surging forward so briskly that you don’t have time to realize it’s not actually going anywhere. If there was a message buried in all this silliness, it might be that Party Island is a state of mind – albeit one that’s only enhanced by rock, laughs and pirate puppets.
Jollyship the Whiz-Bang continues through June 28th at Ars Nova [511 West 54th Street]. Tickets cost $25.
Tagged
ars nova
comedy
Jollyship the Whiz-Bang
musical
pirates
play
puppets
review
rock
show
theater
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
Before they attempt to fend off LeBron James and the 76ers on Tuesday, the Knicks will have a chance to show off their winning mentality through their tunnel fits.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 19, 2026
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Arts & Entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .