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'Sister Wives' News: Meri Once Directed A Polygamist 'Twilight' Parody Starring Kody And The Wives, Gwendlyn Reveals
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Christine Brown's daughter, Gwendlyn Brown, reveals that Meri Brown once directed a polygamist parody of the popular vampire saga, 'Twilight', starring the 'Sister Wives' cast.
Published on April 5, 2023
2 min read
Kody Brown and Christine Brown's daughter, Gwendlyn Brown, reveals that Meri Brown once directed a polygamist version of the popular vampire saga, Twilight, starring the Sister Wives cast. Here's what we know about this epic remake that supposedly will never be made public.
Janelle Brown, Christine Brown, Kody Brown, Robyn Brown, Meri Brown, 'Sister Wives'TLC Meri directed a polygamist version of 'Twilight' with 'Sister Wives' stars Kody and Christine's 21-year-old daughter, Gwendlyn, has been reacting to Sister Wives Season 17 episodes on her Patreon account. She also has been giving fans an inside look at the complicated Brown family dynamic by answering questions about her life.
One of Gwendlyn's Patreon followers asked her for a fun fact about each of her moms, Christine Brown, Meri Brown, Janelle Brown, and Robyn Brown.
'Sister Wives' star Gwendlyn BrownYouTube "Meri directed a polygamist parody of Twilight with the adults starring in it," Gwendlyn revealed to her followers.
What we know about the polygamist 'Twilight' parodyThe pop-culture phenomenon, The Twilight Saga, is a five-part film series adapted from Stephenie Meyer's vampire-themed young adult novels. The story of forbidden love between a teenage girl named Bella, played by Kristen Stewart, and a vampire named Edward, played by Robert Pattinson, catapulted the actors into superstardom in 2008 with its first film, Twilight.
There are so many questions about how a polygamist version of Twilight would even work. Does Edward have multiple wives? Which wife played Bella? Did Kody have sparkly skin?
Unfortunately, Gwendlyn didn't explain the plot of the parody or who plays what character. She did say that the polygamist Twilight will never see the light of day. "You'll never see it, though," she said. She did say that "it's amazing," though.
Gwendlyn's fun facts about Christine, Janelle, and RobynAfter revealing that Meri is a director of the Twilight parody, Gwendlyn told some fun facts about her other moms. "Janelle collects Western decorations," she says. "And she actually knows how to decorate with them," she adds.
Robyn, Meri, Kody, Janelle, and Christine Brown, 'Sister Wives'TLC Gwendlyn says her mom, Christine, "does a perfect, nearly perfect impression of Snow White." And as for Robyn, Gwendlyn says that she "can tell your zodiac very easily with just like a quick conversation."
Here's hoping that the Sister Wives or TLC will eventually release the parody of Kody playing Edward with glittering skin. Sister Wives Season 18 is expected to return in September 2023.
Review: 'Twihard! A Twilight Musical Parody' Gets Its World Premiere At Otherworld Theatre — This One's For The Fans
Back in 2009 at the University of Michigan, StarKid Productions staged "A Very Potter Musical," taking one of the most iconic book-to-movie franchises of the era and producing a parody musical. There was something magical about that show for people like me who were "Harry Potter" fans at the time watching it on YouTube. It toed this difficult line of making fun of some of the goofier aspects of the source material while never feeling mean-spirited or like it was also making fun of people who enjoyed that original property.
As it turns out, 2009 was also the year Tiffany Keane Schaefer started writing what would become "Twihard! A Twilight Musical Parody," now receiving its world premiere at Otherworld Theatre, which manages to capture a similar magic to that StarKid show. "Twihard" spoofs Stephenie Meyer's iconic book-to-movie franchise "Twilight," poking at ridiculous moments from the film franchise while also serving as a loving tribute for the fans who have gathered around the series since the first "Twilight" book dropped in 2005 and movie premiered in 2008.
A caveat before we move on: I've seen the movie versions of the "Twilight" series at least a couple of times years ago but have never read the books. Thankfully, the musical "Twihard!," which features a book and lyrics by Schaefer and music by Brian Rasmussen, stated early and often that it had no intention of trying to cover everything from the franchise and was sticking mostly to the first book/movie. Set in the woods of Washington state, and featuring an on-stage three-person band led by Rasmussen, "Twihard" does away with Bella Swan and Edward Culln to follow the new-to-town Bella Goose and her perpetually 17-year-old vampire love interest Edward Mullen.
Truthfully, the plot of the musical itself doesn't wind up mattering much. It loosely follows the first book, with Bella and Edward meeting and falling in love, and other vampires being very unhappy that a human like Bella knows about vampires. But the heart of this show is all about the fans. The show opens with a monk chant as the holy book "Twihard" is lifted high, and fans are represented throughout the show by ensemble members wearing homemade "Twihard" t-shirts.
Even if you only know the broad strokes of what goes on in "Twilight" from coming across references in pop culture, there's plenty to enjoy. For instance, you may have come across a meme of Edward covering his nose at the smell of Bella, or him creepily staring at her in that same infamous science class scene — moments that Schaefer and Rasmussen hilariously capture in song. There are, in fact, no less than four entire songs dedicated to Edward's weird staring. Those with slightly more knowledge of the series are treated to unforgettable movie lines like, "Hold on tight, spider monkey," with Bella clinging to Edward's back and, of course, a good ol' fashioned vampire baseball scene.
But what really hits the "this is for the fans" point home is the meta moments that step outside the confines of the story being told by the first "Twilight" movie. For instance, Jacob, the third member of the love triangle, isn't really in the first movie that much, a fact that "Twihard" acknowledges. (Don't worry, he still appears in this show — after all, you have to give the fans what they want.)
"Twihard" also gleefully riffs on fanfictions, veering into fan-created romantic pairings between characters that weren't necessarily explicitly in Meyer's original work. Suffice it to say, exploring one such pairing in the musical, through an eye-popping number between the patriarchs of the Mullen and Goose families, certainly explains why Otherworld dedicated the first row of the audience as the "daddy burlesque zone."
There are moments when the story turns its attention away from the central couple to focus on side characters where "Twihard" may lull for the more tangential fans, but anytime that happens, you'll quickly be brought back in by the songs.
Under all of the laughs, there's a surprising amount of heart in "Twihard," thanks in no small part to this music. Songs like "The Lion and the Lamb," a duet between a smitten Bella and an Edward who sees himself as too dangerous to be with her, soar in a way that you'd expect from a Broadway musical number. Rasmussen bounces between Broadway ballads, tap numbers and spoken word/rap effortlessly, leaving a desire to hear the score performed by a more robust pit orchestra. Throughout, Rachel Arianna as Bella and Casey Huls as Edward smoothly flit between the goofiness of the parody script and the heartfelt nature of some of the songs, somehow capturing a sweetness in this story that even the movies never did for me.
Nicholas Ian, Ginny Weant, Maxwell Peters, Rachel Arianna and Kyra Young in "Twihard! A Twilight Musical Parody" by Otherworld Theatre. (Nadir Waxali) There are things to nitpick about this show, like trouble seeing some of the blocking when actors were on the floor of Otherworld's stage or struggling to see parts performed behind a semi-translucent scrim, and sure it felt like there were some overindulgent bits that added more length than laughs. But when the biggest complaint is that people were laughing so much and so hard that I'd miss a line or two here or there — it's hard to fault a show for being too much fun.
Schaefer was a jack-of-all-trades here, adding directorial and costuming duties alongside sharing props duties with Ben McClymont and of course writing the books and lyrics. "Twihard" feels like a labor of love for Schaefer. More than just the obvious time commitment from all of those responsibilities, the love of this story and its fanbase seeps from every pore of this show. There's no telling what's next for Schaefer and Rasmussen, be that another production of this, the teased sequel of "Twihard 2: Twiharder," or something completely new. But with "Twihard," they captured something magical, a hilarious, loving, musically gorgeous tribute and riff to a series that means a lot to a lot of people.
Jerald Pierce is a freelance writer.
Review: "Twihard! A Twilight Musical Parody" (3.5 stars)
When: Through March 24
Where: Otherworld Theatre, 3914 N. Clark St.
Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Tickets: $30 at otherworldtheatre.Org
Originally Published: March 5, 2024 at 12:30 PM CST
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