Jollyship the Whiz-Bang was conceived in 2002 by playwright Nick Jones and composer Raja Azar. The origin of the group really began with a song, "Pyrate Love," performed while the two were working for the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus. The warm response to this ballad of rape and murder became the central premise for an expanding musical and theatrical universe. After years of episodic productions, their work has culminated in a self-titled show, "Jollyship the Whiz-Bang," directed by Sam Gold, which played an extended run to sold out crowds at Ars Nova in the summer of 2008, and which garnered massive praise in The New York Times, the New Yorker, Variety and Time Out, to name but a few. It was resurrected for the 2010 Under the Radar Festival at the Public Theater.

Jollyship released their latest album, "It's Not the Moon's Fault," in January 2010. Also available is an EP from 2006, “Curse of the Ancient Legend” which followed their first album “Songs to Drown By." The last muster of crewmembers had Keith Fredrickson on lead guitar, Dan Kutcher on bass, Nick Jones on lead vocals, rhythm guitar, and puppets, Mr. Skeevy on keyboards, accordion, and puppets, Jesse Wallace on drums, Julie Lake and Steven Boyer on backing vocals and lead puppets, and Kris Anton doing video design and giving technical support.

Visit Jollyship on Myspace. . .

myspace.com jollyshipthewhizbang

And Facebook!