Brooklyn’s nautical rock wunderkind Jollyship the Whiz-Bang is (alternately or simultaneously) a puppet troupe, rock band, and theater production company. They have performed in festivals the world over, invited on the renown of their legendary live shows, which incorporate music, puppetry, video and comedy in elaborate spectacles.

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. A mission was forged to create a massive live musical pirate puppet sea saga, to be performed in sequential episodes developed and presented over the course of many years. Years later, this has yielded 10 full length multimedia productions (or “episodes”), including several full scale theater productions (“Sleepless Fishes,” and its sequel “Crabquistador: Scavenger of God”). Their work has culminated in a self-titled show, "Jollyship the Whiz-Bang," 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.

Jollyship released an EP in 2006, “Curse of the Ancient Legend” following their first album “Songs to Drown By." A new album, featuring songs from their recent show, is forthcoming. 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!