By MIKE DUNHAM
Aaarrrgh!: The cast of "Pirates of the Aleutians."After the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Races and the Fur Rendezvous Sprint races, when you realize you forgot your Miners’ and Trappers’ Ball costume — what can you do to sustain the merriment?

Take in the Alaska Sound Celebration’s melodrama, one of the corniest, silliest and most popular events during Rondy for the past 20 years. Even with jokes like, “What’s a pirate’s favorite fast food restaurant? Arrrgghh-bees!” the annual spoof sells out over and over again. (Which is to say, get your tickets in advance.)

This year’s folly sustains the theme of piracy. “Pirates of the Aleutians: Saloon Girls Gone Wild” adds “Arrrgghhs” to the traditional boos, hisses, cheers and whistles from the crowd. And the popcorn. You don’t really need to pay a dollar for a bag; I had enough thrown on me to feast throughout the two hour shows. At times the air was filled with projected popped kernels.

The plot, such as it is, involves villainous Captain Black Berry (Dennis Sullivan) who plots with former pirate king Simon Sayez (Stephen Thorpe) to reclaim Sayez’s ship, now under the command of his old sweetheart Meg Raven (Chera Boom, who also wrote the script), who leads an all-woman buccaneer crew (the four-part harmony chorus known as the Alaska Sound Celebration). Two bumbling mates (Carolyn Ottosen and Sandy Hesson) and two competing map makers (Scott Kober and Melanie Cross) complete the onstage cast.

The off-and-slightly-above-stage presence is Melodee Risi, the pianist, dressed as a parrot, who delivers the groaner pirate jokes like the one above. Before the show, Jill Stone puts everyone into a jolly mood as the salty mistress of ceremonies.

There’s no shortage of wacky word-play. Capt. Meg is cold in Alaska because “she misses the warmth of the Spanish Man — uh, Spanish Main.” And a pair of earrings costing one dollar is saluted as being appropriately “a buck an ear.” And Sam N. Rowe, the role played by Kober, reflects on the possibility of being the only man on an all-female crew and remarks, “Talk about pirate booty!”

The songs get pretty wacky, too. “Born to be Wild,” is reset as “Born to be a Pirate.” “The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything,” of Veggie Tales fame, is delightfully delivered by the men in drag. The most traditional barbershop style number is the group’s trademark “Red, Red Robin.”

The audience is half the show; laughing, roaring, shouting out comments to the players, singing along with “What Shall We Do With the Drunken Pirate?” Even the intermission was upbeat, with almost everyone in the crowd standing and dancing along with “YMCA” led by the singers.

If you go, and you really should, consider dressing as a pirate. There are prizes (like bags of popcorn) for those who do, but it requires a little ritual humiliation on stage. (Hint: Have your “pirate name” ready.)

And be prepared for zaniness. “This is hilarious,” said one melodrama virgin, dusting the white snacks out of his hair. “I just wish someone had told me about all the popcorn.”

THE FUR RONDY MELODRAMA, ‘PIRATES OF THE ALEUTIANS,’ will be presented at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 5, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday, and at 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday at the Snow Goose Theatre, 717 W. 3rd Ave. Tickets are $23-$15 at centertix.net.

Find Mike Dunham online at adn.com/contact/mdunham or call 257-4332.