All the wacky and wild things we saw at San Antonio’s Fiesta Cornyation

San Antonio’s Fiesta Cornyation let freak flags fly Tuesday night as the satirical show kicked off a three-night, six-show run at the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre.

The annual event serves as a major fundraiser for San Antonio nonprofits including BEAT AIDS, Pride Community Clinic, San Antonio AIDS Foundation, The KIND Clinic, The Robert Rehm Theatre Arts Scholarship and Thrive Youth Center.

This year’s Cornyation — The Court of Marmalade Morass Madness — is already nearly sold out, with just a few tickets available for the remaining shows. The run continues Wednesday and Thursday with performances at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.

As usual, no topic was taboo in this raunchy and raucous review, which has been known for its wit and sharp political parody since it started in 1951.

The name “Cornyation” itself is a parody of Fiesta’s official Coronation of the Queen of the Order of the Alamo. To thumb its nose at this tradition, Cornyation crowns its own King Anchovy. This year’s king is a woman — Blanca Aldaco, owner of Aldaco’s Mexican Cuisine, a San Antonio dining staple since Aldaco moved here from Guadalajara in 1989.

“Our Anchovy is a proud immigrant,” declared Master of Ceremony Suzi Ingram, who shared the duty with Mindy Miller Hill, trading witty banter between skits.

Performances by local artists, queerdos and allies featured topics ranging from San Antonio’s measly Michelin Guide recognition to Ozempic, bird flu, RFK Jr., bitey baby hippo Moo Dang, Olympic “breakdancer” Raygun, Buc-ee’s, Luigi Mangioni, Chappell Roan and even San Antonio’s Krampus Parade.

But looming large — literally — over the entire production was President Donald Trump, who was depicted as a giant baby in diapers in one of the evening’s skits.

The review also serves as a showcase of elaborate work by some of the best artists in San Antonio. These included Cruz Ortiz, last year’s King Anchovy, who worked with his wife and fellow artist Olivia Ortiz to design King Anchovy’s throne. Other creatives who made sets, props, costumes and backdrops for the show included Rudy Herrera, Chris Sauter, Mauro de la Tierra and many more.

As usual, a traditional Mexican dance number by Ballet Folklorico served to ground the performance in San Antonio and honor the cultural heritage of the community.

This year’s Cornyation was a moment of catharsis for an intersection of communities frequently under attack in Texas, particularly during what the show’s announcer dubbed “a golden age for satire and despair.”

“With the whole world burning down, all we have is each other,” Master of Ceremonies Ingram said at the close of the performance.