Jollyship, Pirate puppet rock opera
January 25th, 2009

Brooklyn ’s nautical rock wunderkind Jollyship the Whiz-Bang is a puppet troupe, rock band, and theater production company. The live shows are legendary – incorporating music, puppetry, video and comedy in elaborate spectacles. 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.

www.thewhizbang.org/about.html

Pirate Puppet Rock Opera Plunders and Pillages Upper Keys

ISLAMORADA, Florida Keys – In what may be its most off-the-wall show in years, ICE presents Jollyship the Wiz-Bang. This theater troupe combines puppets, pirates, rock and roll, and outrageous comedy into legendary live performances.

The show, set for Sunday, Jan. 25, at 8 p.m., at the TIB Amphitheater in Islamorada’s Founders Park, has played to rave reviews and sold out crowds from New York City and Ireland to Bankok, Thailand. The program is not suitable for children.

Conceived in Brooklyn, New York, in 2002 by playwright Nick Jones and composer Raja Azar, Jollyship the Whiz-Bang is a puppet troupe, rock band, and theater production company. Jones and Azar created a musical sea saga about pirates searching for the elusive “ Party Island, where rum flows down saltwater taffy mountains.” But because the captain can’t tell the difference between the sun and the North Star, years later and after too much time in Greenland, the pirates are still roaming the high seas.

Jones and Azar were fascinated with puppetry because it combined all of their disparate passions – “music, theatre, and making stuff up.” They incorporated those interests into one show filled with action, lighting, rock and roll music, comedy, dialogue, and even special effects.

“This show is fast, furious, and funny,” says David Feder, ICE president. “We wanted to bring something entirely out of the ordinary to the Upper Keys, and Jollyship the Wiz-Bang is it. They are inventive, crazy, and talented. You’ve never seen anything like this before nor will you ever have as much fun.”

Jollyship the Wiz-Bang concert tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the door, cash or check only. The TIB Amphitheater is located in Islamorada Founders Park, MM 87.

Concertgoers are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs. For more information about this and upcoming ICE events, go to www.keysice.com.

ICE is a non- profit organization dedicated to bringing quality entertainment and cultural events to Upper Keys residents and visitors, and provides musical and arts scholarships to local students.