‘Always A Bridesmaid’ opens 2015-16 entertainment series

COLDWATER  — The Tibbits Opera House 2015-16 entertainment series opens with the hilarious comedy, “Always A Bridesmaid,” which runs Sept. 25 through Oct. 3.

"Always A Bridesmaid" is the story of four friends who have sworn to keep the promise they made on the night of their senior prom: to be in each other’s weddings ... no matter what.

Directed by Charles Burr, this Jones, Hope, Wooten comedy takes place more than 30 years later with these Southern friends-for-life still determined to honor their vows to each other.

Libby Ruth, the hopeful romantic played by Donna Schulte, believes that her friends can also find the perfect marriage. Suzanne Marie Stewart plays headstrong Deedra who has just discovered her husband of many years has a wondering eye and hands to match.

Flashy, high-spirited and self-involved Monette is played by Gloria Logan. Monette continues to test her friends’ love and patience with all-too-frequent trips down the aisle. And salt-of-the-earth, tree-hugging Charlie, played by Deb Culver, discovers the hard way that marital bliss is not the end of her rainbow and panics in outrageous style when the opportunity presents itself.

Also in the cast are Diane Long as Sedalia, owner of the wedding event center, and Lindsey Dakota Spencer as Libby Ruth’s daughter, Kari. All of the cast members are veterans of Tibbits Summer Theatre.

The show takes audiences on a comic journey with these beleaguered bridesmaids as they navigate the choppy waters of love and matrimony. Libby Ruth, Deedra, Monette and Charlie are committed to the notion that careers, waistlines and even marriages may disappear, but real friendships last a lifetime. Forsaking all others, in sickness and in health, they repeatedly struggle to stage the perfect wedding in spite of fistfights at the altar, runaway brides and the mistaken, and unfortunate, release of a flock of white doves on the first day of hunting season.

“Always A Bridesmaid” is the rollicking tale of four loyal and determined women who definitively answer the question, “Just how far are you willing to go to keep a promise to a friend?”

Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten enjoy the reputation of being three of the most widely-produced playwrights in America. Their plays have achieved rapid popularity and given them the reputation in theatre today for laugh-out-loud comedy.

Performances of “Always A Bridesmaid” are at 7 p.m. Sept. 25-26 and Oct. 2-3, with matinee performances at 2 p.m. Sept. 27 and Oct. 1. Tickets are $28 for reserved seating, with discounts for members, groups and students. General seating in the upper balcony is available for $12; all prices include fees. Tickets are available online at www.Tibbits.org, by calling (517) 278-6029 or stopping at Tibbits office during business hours at 93 West Chicago Street.