A pirate’s life is not for everyone, but when it comes to the possibility of treasure, perhaps anyone might be willing to learn.

Widely interactive with its share of comedic pop culture references and more, musical comedy Toothy’s Treasure by Brayden Martino and composed by John-William Gambrell arrived for one weekend only at Boston Center for the Arts live and in person from Wednesday, May 31 through Sunday, June 4.  The production was 95 minutes with no intermission and offered pay-what-you-can tickets.  Click here for more information.

What is great about the day in the life of a pirate is that every day is different and the same can be said for Toothys Treasure.  Part sink-or-swim improvisation, musical comedy, and interactive tale, Toothy’s Treasure is never the same production twice.  The core plot may remain the same, but Toothy’s Treasure steers in various directions and with the amount of improvisation actually involved, it can be tricky to keep this type of show from starting to veer off course.  However, it does keep the cast and the audience on their toes. 

He’s a Pirate or otherwise known as the Pirates of the Caribbean Theme song, Under the Sea, and Ruth B’s Lost Boy are just a few of the mood setting preshow tunes piped into the Black Box Theatre to warm up the crowd as cast members humorously mingle.  Easter eggs such as a cereal box, skeleton, a cardboard rudder, and multi-purpose wooden boxes hold a purpose or two as the show progresses.

As pirates are often in peril, a crack team of multi-talented actors are on hand to weather the storm, albeit like all pirates, with more than a bit of self preservation.  Cait Winston is more than up to the challenge as not only a lively parrot puppeteer, but with a knack for maneuvering other humorous roles along the way.  Creator Brayden Martino, in lavender threads, is commanding, foppish, and egotistical as Captain Moldy Bones who leads a crew including Chloe Gardner and Mabel White to replace a certain missing crew member on their voyage to locate Toothy’s buried Treasure.  Charlize Vermaak and Dylan Gombos also lend spontaneity and playfulness to various roles.

The musical aspect holds promise, especially as certain lyrics are cleverly altered to fit ever changing scenarios performed by an onstage musical trio.   A few highlights include the catchy opening number Thank you Scurvy which explores the next quest for this dastardly and swashbuckling crew.  My Lady the Sea is a charming piece delivered with devoted fervor by Mabel White as Squid Lips and the introspective What Would I Do boasts humorous and well timed sound effects skillfully engineered by Bella Cario, Brayden Martino, and Evelyn Dumeer.  Break the Mold by Chloe Gardner, who depicts humble and earnest Wet Shoe, brims with boldness and sincerity. 

The show is strange, silly, humorous, and adventurous with a sincere message, but features a bit more improvisation for its own good and might benefit from sticking a bit more to structure.  However, Toothy’s Treasure is a funny and entertaining piece of theatre that allows the audience to be part of the story and to decide if it’s indeed a pirate’s life for you.

Toothy’s Treasure by Brayden Martino and composed by John-William Gambrell arrived for one weekend only at Boston Center for the Arts live and in person from Wednesday, May 31 through Sunday, June 4.  Toothy’s Treasure has taken the stage off-Broadway and in Boston.  Click here for more information and when it will return Off-Broadway in New York.