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Amid Fiesta’s celebrations of royalty, Cornyation returns to the Empire Theatre for a three-night, adult-themed parody skewering politics, celebrities and local culture through about a dozen satirical skits and eccentric costumes.
This year’s theme is “The Court of Radical Highfalutin Royals.” Fiesta’s official Coronation of the Queen will take place at the Majestic Theatre on Wednesday night, next door to the Empire as Cornyation mocks Fiesta’s pageantry on stage.
Cornyation started in 1951 at the Arneson River Theatre as part of Night in Old San Antonio. About a decade later, the show went on hiatus after being deemed “too modern” by the Conservation Society of San Antonio. It returned in the late 1970s with help from Bonham Exchange, later moving to the Magik Theatre before settling at the Empire Theatre.
The satire event is not only for entertainment but also raises money for scholarships and charities associated with the LGBTQ community, HIV/AIDS prevention, the Thrive Youth Center and more, according to Cornyation’s scriptwriter and former King Anchovy, Jesse Mata.
“I think Cornyation serves as a relief valve. You have an opportunity of freedom, maybe temporary to poke fun at the establishment, at the elite.” Mata said. “We take this as an opportunity to help the community deal with stress of everyday life and events. We attempt to find the silver lining or the dark humor or sometimes the unexpected joy.”
This year’s Cornyation King Anchovy LIX is Marty Schlesinger, owner of HUB MRKT Bikes in Southtown.
“The thing I love about Cornyation is that they hold a mirror up in a satirical way,” Schlesinger said. “ It started out as a pageant, kind of the antithesis to Coronation and its evolved into this great iron vaudeville variety show that every year, everybody seems to outdo each other with costumes and satire.”
Although Schlesinger said becoming King Anchovy was unexpected, he considers the role meaningful.
“My role is to help raise awareness to a lot of the marginalized organizations that serve our community. This experience has been an eye opener for me in a lot of ways. It’s nice to see that there are so many people throughout a full spectrum of our community that support this openly and helpfully. I’m grateful to be a part of this and to be brought into the Cornyation world.”
Participating actors, who are volunteers, get ready backstage, running up and down the halls 10 minutes before showtime. Laughter fills the hallways as they wish each other luck before making their way onto the stage.
The audience erupts into laughter as actors dramatically perform as well-known political figures and pop culture personalities.
Fiesta’s quirkiest event runs April 22 and 23, with two shows each night at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Limited tickets are still available here.
For audiences, it’s a different kind of Fiesta tradition, one built on satire, spectacle and a willingness to laugh at it all.
