What’s in the burger? “Mystery Meat” has a whole new flavor thanks to evil villains Cadwell Von Fowl and Lickpenny, who have cornered the fast food action in Bonita. Luckily for the community, a Bonita Vista High School biology student and her friends are on the case.
San Diego County’s longest running theater tradition featuring its most enduring characters is celebrating its 38th anniversary this year with a world premiere musical-comedy “Really Fast Food.” Written by Bonitafest Melodrama artistic director Max Branscomb, the popular show is loosely based on the story of a real incident when hamburgers were not what customers expected.
This year’s Melodrama will run Sept. 23-26 at the Sweetwater Community Church Theater near the intersection of Sweetwater and Bonita roads. Curtain time each evening is 7:30 p.m. The annual dinner-on-the-plaza will celebrate opening night beginning at 6 p.m. on Sept. 23. Tickets are available by calling (619) 850-7126.
“Really Fast Food” focuses on six recent Bonita Vista High School grads working at Hunkaburger Hamburger Restaurant in Bonita to earn money for college. Cadwell and Lickpenny scheme to take over the chain and boost profits by tampering with the food supply. It features 10 new songs and scores of new laughs.
Marc LaPointe reprises his role as the wicked villain Cadwell Von Fowl and Timothy Paul Evans returns to play his sidekick Lickpenny. LaPointe is the pastor of the Sweetwater Community Church and an experienced stage and radio actor who recently appeared in “Mary Poppins.” Evans is a popular San Diego stage and film fixture whose credits include “Terminator 3” with Arnold Schwarzenegger and “The Cat in the Hat” with Mike Myers.
Besides creating the endearing role of Lickpenny 38 years ago, Evans has earned acclaim for his performances as Satan and Soledad in “La Pastorela” and won the Aubrey Award for Best Actor for his role as Fagin in “Oliver!”
Also featured in this year’s production are Kaede Muller, Bianca Quilantan, Liliana Topete, Myra Mondregon, Emily Ince, Conner Rodriguez, Andy Rios, Kieler Muller and Danika Clowers.
Kerie Muller is the stage manager and co-producer; Ken Santinalla is the musical director and Dan Jones is the technical director. Victor Santander is the art director; Mike Clowers is the set designer and Dolly Engen is the assistant stage manager.
Branscomb, resident playwright of Teatro Mascara Magica, has written the company’s award-winning “La Pastorela” series for 23 years. His Mexican-inspired Christmas musicals have been produced in cities throughout the United States and Mexico.
His Dia de los Muertos dramatic comedy “Journey of the Skeletons” was produced last year at the La Jolla Playhouse and will be produced again in November at El Centro Cultural de la Raza in Balboa Park.
Musically diverse, the score of “Really Fast Food” features rock, blues, hip hop, country, a duet, jingles and show tunes.
The Bonitafest Melodrama was born in 1978 when Branscomb and Loren Tarantino wrote and staged “Thin Skins and Hayseeds,” a musical based on the stories of two pioneering Sweetwater Valley families and punctuated by the disastrous flood of 1916.
Since then the Melodrama has developed 15 original musicals on Sweetwater Valley and Chula Vista history. More than 2,500 theater artists and 26,000 audience members have been served in that time.
The Melodrama has been honored with numerous performing arts, educational, human rights and community service awards for its stories based on South Bay history that honor its multicultural past.
It is funded in part by the San Diego County Community Enhancement Program and Chula Vista Cultural Arts Commission.
