‘Always a Bridesmaid’ delivers lots of laughs

Men may come and go, but as women, it’s your girlfriends who tend to stand the test of time.

Through happy or unhappy marriages and tragedies, they’re the ones there with advice, Kleenex and sometimes a stiff drink.

Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten not only zero in on the effects a Southern wedding have on those who are actually in the wedding, but what the wedding planner goes through as well in the Paramount Acting Company’s latest production, "Always a Bridesmaid."

The show is heartwarming and hilarious, much like the hit play "Dixie Swim Club," but with less seriousness.

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Definitely well-cast by director David Anthony Wright, these women personify the characters. Although Bethany Briggs Baker’s Monette is a bit of a departure from other roles she’s performed, she shines. As the successful owner of the largest country music bar in Virginia, Monette likes the finer things in life, and although her track record hasn’t been in the best in love, her best friends Libby Ruth (Jane McLelland), Charlie (Sally Fox) and Deedra (Julie Hanford Lewfew) stand behind her. Libby Ruth’s daughter Kari (Ashley Phipps) serves as the show’s narrator, of sorts, swirling a glass of champagne and introducing snippets from the women’s past weddings. Another constant in the show is the wedding planner Sedalia (Pat Shumate) who refuses to let the brides’ nerves or "what-ifs" ruin her successful business.

The four women made a vow at their senior high school prom, in which none of them had dates, that they would be bridesmaids in each other’s weddings, no matter what. Their 40-year friendship plays out on stage and like a clip from "The Carol Burnett Show," there are plenty of outrageous costumes. Costumer Jeannie Proctor definitely got a workout on this one. From a slip to a Marie Antoinette costume and a French maid outfit, well, these women bravely wear them all.

While Jones/Hope/Wooten’s shows typically feature women in the roles, and will most definitely attract women and their groups of friends, men will enjoy the fact that they know these women. They’re either married to them or they have daughters like them.

Phipps is adorable as Kari; think a blend of Hollywood actresses Julia Roberts and Kyra Sedgwick. She’s amazing to watch and believable in this role. Sally Fox, who starred in "Dixie Swim Club" as well, seems to have known exactly what Jones/Hope/Wooten wanted in this character — she’s spot-on.

These women not only play friends on stage, but the fact they are friendly off-stage as well definitely carries over into their performances.

Summer is ending, but the fun doesn’t have to end. "Always a Bridesmaid" is a feel-good show that will leave you smiling hours after it’s over. Although there’s some adult material, it’s appropriate for teens and up.

It’s being performed at the Paramount Theater, 128 E. Front St., Burlington, for one weekend only — 8 p.m. today through Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students, seniors and groups of 10 or more and $11 for groups of 20 or more and can be purchased between noon and 3 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and one hour prior to showtime.

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