Puppet troupe, ribald pirate-themed comedy act, kick-ass rock band: the performers known as Jollyship The Whiz Bang are all three, and their seemingly incongruous mix of irreverent comedy and high energy new-wave retro rock make their self-titled new show Jollyship the Whiz-Bang, at Ars Nova, an evening of gleefully ridiculous fun.

True, the show is as much a concert as it is theater, but it all coheres since both the comedy and the music are delivered with the same often naughty playfulness and infectious energy under Sam Gold's direction. The second act is less successful than the first at integrating the rock songs into the mix, but that doesn't kill the party buzz. The rough edges are [...]