Bon Qui Qui a crowd favorite

Anjelah Johnson is thinking about addressing a tweet to her Twitter followers in Baton Rouge.

She wants some suggestions for places she can sit down to some of the area’s best Louisiana food.

Johnson’s been to Louisiana only once, and that was a few years ago when she brought her comedy show to Northwestern State University in Natchitoches.

She remembers making a joke about the strange pronunciation of the city’s name, but she doesn’t remember having the chance to chow down Louisiana-style.

Maybe there wasn’t enough time in her schedule. Bon Qui Qui is in demand, you know.

Oh wait, you aren’t familiar with Bon Qui Qui? No way. She’s only Anjelah Johnson’s most popular character, introduced when Johnson was a cast member on the comedy series MADtv.

And she’ll be bringing Bon Qui Qui, along with a comedy show filled with new material, to the LSU Union Theater on Thursday, Sept. 27.

This is why she’s going to be sending out a tweet about good places to eat.

“Maybe I’ll get some suggestions,” Johnson said.

She spoke from her home in Los Angeles, where she lives with her husband Manwell Reyes of the band Group 1 Crew. He’s the source of some of the new material in her show.

“I used to talk about being single and how men hit on me,” Johnson said. “Now that I’m married, my material has changed.”

She performs anecdotes stand-up style. Still, there’s always room for Bon Qui Qui.

“It’s sort of like a rock band,” Johnson said. “They have new material, but the crowd wants to hear their old hits. So, they perform the hits with the new material.”

And Bon Qui Qui is definitely a hit.

For those unfamiliar with Johnson’s character, Bon Qui Qui is a rude cashier in a fast food restaurant called King Burger.

“I’ve met a lot of people like Bon Qui Qui, but I based her on a rude girl working in the drive-through window at a Burger King in Memphis, Tenn.,” Johnson said.

Bon Qui Qui fusses at customers and calls for security when customers place a complicated order.

“But Bon Qui Qui is a rap star now,” Johnson said. “She’s been fired from King Burger, and she’s recording music now. Her songs can be downloaded at iTunes, and she even recorded one with the Vietnamese nail salon lady.”

That’s another of Johnson’s popular characters.

Johnson incorporates the nail salon worker into her story, perfectly affecting her accent.

As for Johnson, she was born and reared in San Jose, Calif., and began her career as an Oakland Raiderette.

She eventually moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of acting and became an Internet sensation with her viral video, “Nail Salon,” which led to performance opportunities and her eventual cast member stint on MADtv, where Bon Qui Qui made her debut.

In 2010, Johnson starred in Our Family Wedding, alongside Carlos Mencia, Regina King and Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, and she is a live action character in Alvin and the Chimpmunks: The Squeakquel. Johnson recently has completed a television special featuring her new material.

In the meantime, she’s looking forward to some good Louisiana food.

Any suggestions?