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PARROTHEADS, UNITE!
‘‘Death on the Nile’’ it’s not. But once I’d thrown my inner critic overboard, I was ready to embark on Margarita’s Mystery Cruise, which combines the thrill of a murder mystery with a Jimmy Buffett theme. The premise is this: Legendary entertainer Timmy Bucket has launched a comeback tour, and another bartender has turned up ‘‘wasted away again.’’ (If you can’t tolerate puns, you’ll be feeling queasy before the boat leaves the dock.) As I came aboard, host Margarita Daiquiri handed me a tip sheet and a pencil and encouraged me to start questioning the suspects. Most passengers instead reached for a cocktail, then headed to the upper decks for a view of the harbor. But the suspects weren’t far behind, giving up the goods as if they wanted to be caught. Murder is only one of many small crimes the mystery cruise commits. The story is silly, the costumes outrageous — backup singer Mumbo Jumbles prances around in a psychedelic pink and orange muumuu, while Shelly Shellfish has stuffed lobsters pinned to his shoulders — and the food forgettable. But the actors were so game that I found myself playing along, scribbling down clues, even shaking a maraca to the music. The murder isn’t difficult to solve, but serious crime-fighting isn’t the point. It’s dancing mid-deck as the DJ spins the Beach Boys and the butt of the joke, Mr. Buffett himself, who could only approve of such a well-wasted evening.
Margarita’s Mystery Cruise departs from Boston’s Long Wharf Saturdays from 7-10 p.m. through Sept. 30. The cruise is put on by Comedy Theater Productions. Tickets: $59. 800-697-2583. www.mysterycafe.com