'The Root Beer Bandits' round up some family friendly musical theater fun

BURBANK (KABC) -- The cast of "The Root Beer Bandits" takes us to a kid-friendly wild, Wild West of 1860. The musical, at The Garry Marshall Theatre in Burbank, was written when Marshall was still alive.

"It's a huge, huge family musical with tons of songs and dances and great messages and great storylines about all the things we need to be hearing about, reminded about--family, the importance of friendship and relationships and that everyone gets a second chance and everyone, deep down, has the ability to do anything they want," said Joseph Leo Bwarie, the show's director and co-writer. "Everyone is capable of greatness."

"I'm excited for audience members to come and see that, yeah, I can play, you know, whatever I want to play--on stage," said cast member Grace Yoo.

Yoo and her cast mates are proud of the diversity in the cast; as well as the fact that it may empower kids.

"It's not just to go home and feel good," said performer Clayton Snyder. "It's to be inspired and to take action, you know? Like if you see the show one night, what is it going to mean tomorrow morning, you know? That's what I want to give."

"This show is not just for children. It's for adults, too," said cast member Kelly Brandeburg. "And you'll find the bandits have secret hearts of gold and reasons why they are bandits and maybe some surprises in the end, too."

One actor says he was born to be in a show like this.

"I was actually named after the 'Outlaw Josey Wales,' so Clint Eastwood's always been a favorite of mine," said Josey Montana McCoy. "And, yeah, I love westerns!"

"The Root Beer Bandits Wild West Musicale" runs through April 28th at the Garry Marshall Theatre in Burbank.