Feature: Bridesmaids: The Unauthorized Movie Musical Parody of cult classic debuts in Las Vegas at The Orleans.

Bridesmaids: The Unauthorized Movie Musical Parody, based on the 2011 hit movie Bridesmaids, debuted at The Venue inside The Orleans Hotel & Casino to rousing laughter and applause.

Las Vegas, the marriage capital of the world, also remains the desired destination for bachelorette parties, with the show bringing all the comedy, bad decisions, and female camaraderie to the stage.

Presented by Lynn Shore Entertainment and Ivory Star Productions, the female-driven musical follows a group of girlfriends and their shenanigans. Two rivals want to be the bride's best friend, while others want to party. The adult, heartwarming 90-minute show pays homage to the movies keeping the laughter and outrageous antics.

The script and lyrics are written by Valerie Witherspoon; the show is directed and choreographed by Sarah Lowe with musical direction by Chris Lash and music by Mark Vogel and Lynn Shore.

Valerie wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the music for Sex and the City: The Super Unauthorized Musical parody, so she is very familiar with the genre. She is also the associate director and swing of FRIENDS! The Unauthorized Musical Parody also performed at The Venue.

"Lynn approached me, and she knew my background, so Mark [Vogel] and Lynn [Shore] took my lyrics and added the music," explains Valerie.

Valerie watched the movie Bridesmaids to really understand the themes and ideas to transform it into an onstage musical parody. "I took some of the scenarios to make the play heightened and exaggerated. We took elements of a rom-com and added some new characters along with the beloved characters from the movie."

As for the original characters from the movie, Valerie admitted that the character portrayed by Melissa McCartney (for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for a Performance by a Supporting Actress) was the most challenging.

"I needed her character, Megan, to never have a boring moment, to be funny and feature iconic moments that are so funny," says Valerie. "Rita was not a huge part of the movie, and I wanted to give her more of a presence in this show."

Cast members include Nicole Unger as Annie, Maile Onsaga as Lilian, Erin Baltsar as Helen, Luke Striffler as Rhodes/Becca, Caitlin Ary as Megan, and Jackson Tobiska as Rita/Ted/Air Marshall. The female Swing is McKena Silva, and Male Swing is Jerod Perez.

"The show is fun, light, and a great date night or girls' night out," adds Valerie. The humor is adult but light-hearted, with a chance to laugh out loud.

Bridesmaids: The Unauthorized Movie Musical Parody is performed at The Venue at The Orleans Hotel & Casino, 4500 W. Tropicana Ave. The Venue offers an intimate space, with every seat being a great seat. Showtimes are Friday and Saturday at 9:15 p.m., with doors opening at 8:45 p.m. Guests must be 18 years old or older. VIP tickets are available and include priority seating, and Platinum VIP tickets include priority seating at a cocktail table, unlimited champagne or champagne spritzer, and a souvenir photo. For more information, visit www.bridesmaidshit.com, and follow @bridesmaidshit on TikTok and Facebook.

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