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Fresh Loaf

Atlanta news and views, one slice at a time

We’re Always The Bridesmaid, Never The Bride

January 31, 2007 at 11:04 am by Curt Holman in Randomly Noted

By now the news has broken that Duluth’s fledgling theater company Red Clay Theatre has plans to make a musical of the town’s most famous fiancee, Jennifer Wilbanks. The Runaway Bride: The Unauthorized Rock Opera is scheduled to open in October of 2007 with music and lyrics by Jamie Heck and music by Jeff Senf.

I feel compelled to point out this is not the first time someone has suggested musicalizing the Wilbanks saga. In this publication’s Year in Culture issue in 2005, we suggested musicals productions of several ignominious local stories, including (and I quote):

“Runaway! The Musical. ï¿½The Runaway Brideï¿½ harks back to how a Duluth wedding became a national soap opera. In Act One, bereft groom John Mason croons Del Shannon’s ï¿½Runawayï¿½ (rights pending). Jennifer Wilbanks’ false claim that a Hispanic male kidnapped her becomes a saucy salsa number, and the curtain falls on ï¿½Community Service,ï¿½ Wilbanks’ spirited dance with a lawnmower.”

But hey, no need to thank us.