The premise: There are two master chefs (Red Chef and Green Chef) who battle over who can make the best food with the help of their sous chefs (Cutie Chef, Iron Chef, Sexy Chef, and others). Throughout the show, audience members "order" food from all over the world, like sushi, Chinese noodles, and pizza. ("order" is in quotation marks because they don't actually get to pick what kind of food, but the audience is still involved.) Hilarity ensues as audience members find themselves in situations like a date set up in a fake "Italian restaurant" to go with the pizza, joining in the group's dances, etc. For the grand finale, the chefs face off cooking Korea's famous dish: Bibimbap! (Bibimbap is a mix of rice, vegetables, and beef)
Now, let me tell you about my part of the show... all my years of theater in high school did me good today!
During the introduction to the show, Green Chef came out and greeted all the audience members. He talked with us, asking some of the audience where they were from and things like that. When he saw me, he stopped and said, "WAH!" He came down to my seat and asked where I was from, then called me up to the stage with him. (luckily, the performers spoke English) He had me sit down on a chair in the middle of the stage and, much to my delight and horror, started serenading me, all the while folding a napkin rose that he gave to me at the end of his song. Just then, Red Chef burst in from the opposite side of the stage and serenaded me with a song of his own, throwing my napkin rose on the ground and replacing it with a real rose! The chefs began arguing over who's girl I was, which ended with Green Chef grabbing my rose, throwing it at Red Chef, and both of them storming off in opposite directions. Leaving me awkwardly alone and roseless on stage. Much to my relief, a stagehand motioned for me to go sit back down in the audience.
I watched the rest of the show from my own seat.
...... until the final cooking showdown.
And it was a showdown indeed! Both chefs cooked like mad to make their very best bidimbap! At the end, they called me back up to the stage to settle the competition once and for all! Although the food for most of the show had been fake, they brought out real bowls of bidimbap for me. I was so nervous as I tried them that my hands were shaking! Cutie Chef even asked if I was okay. I was, it was just so much pressure having to decide! They even brought me water between trying one bowl and the other, to be sure I cleansed my palate between the dishes.
When it came time for my decision, I was actually caught in a moral dilemma. You see, I liked Green Chef better, because he was funnier. But I liked Red Chef's bidimbap better!! I know it shouldn't have mattered to me who won, but I was caught between who to vote for. In the end, I decided I had to make it fair, judged solely on their cooking. Red Chef was the winner.
There was a short dance number, during which Cutie Chef told me to stay right where I was and not leave the stage! And then everyone else left.... except Green Chef. Awkwarddddddd! For a while, he just glared at me from across the stage. Then he pulled up a chair for me and told me to sit. Scared of his anger, I quickly obeyed. Then, to my terror, he pulled out a huge sashimi knife!! (and by "pulled out a huge sashimi knife," I really mean, "pretended like his arm was a huge sashimi knife," which was a running gag from the rest of the show.) He "threw" his knife, and I pretended to dodge them in my chair. He got frustrated with my lack of enthusiasm, insisting that I scream. I let out a half-hearted fake scream, which just left him more exasperated than before. He actually had one of the chefs come out and mime with him the proper response he was looking for. This time when he threw the knife at me, I let out a loud, heartfelt scream and flailed my arms like mad! Luckily, my terror satisfied him, and we could move on with the show.
At long last, Green Chef opted to try Red Chef's so-called amazing bidimbap. When he did, a look of rapture crossed his face and a new musical number started! And, much to my surprise, the cast dragged me into it with them. I followed their lead, dancing, jumping, and even taking props off set like they instructed! It was all horridly fun. In the end, I got to take a bow with the cast and head back to my seat. But before I could get there, Red and Green Chefs yelled, "STOP!" The look of condescension on their faces was horrid. They pointed to a chair left on the far right side of the stage. REALLY?! They were upset I left a chair on stage? I wasn't even part of the cast! But, regardless, I ran back up on stage to take it away as my final part of the show.
Overall, it was so fantastic! It was a ton of fun, especially since they involved me directly. They gave me a commemorative Bibap mug, too, as a souvenir. It was definitely an experience I will never forget!
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