Ruthless!

Ruthless! is playing at St. Luke's located at 308 West 46th Street. It runs ninety minutes with no intermission. The show is opened ended.

The musical premiered Off Broadway on March 13, 1992 at the Players Theatre. It closed on January 24, 1993 after 342 performances. Tina was played by Laura Bell Bundy and featured Natalie Portman and Britany Spears as understudies. It won the Outer Critics Circle Award in 1998 for Best Off Broadway Musical. Joel Paley won a Drama Desk Award for outstanding lyrics.

Joel Paley is the director, author and lyricist.

Tina Denmark (Tori Murray) is eleven and very popular. She wants to be an actress. Her mother Judy (Kim Maresca) is happy being a housewife.

Sylvia St. Croix (Paul Peorino) comes to Judy’s house telling her she is a talent agent. She has seen Tina perform and wants to make her a star.

The school is having a one night musical with the students performing. It is being directed by Miss Thorn (Andrea McCullough). Miss Thorn is a frustrated actress who never succeeded as an actress so she now teaches.

Tina does not get the lead role. The part she got was a dog. Louise Lerman ( Tracy Jai Edwards) gets the role despite the fact she doesn’t sing well.

Sylvia suggests Tina learn the lead role lines, you never know what might happen.

Judy’s mother Lita Encore (Rita McKenzie) comes to see her granddaughter perform. Lita is a theatre critic.

The plot has some twist and turns. But you will have to go to see the show to find out what they are. If you think about the story it has some thoughtful meaning put in a comical way.

The cast does an incredible job. Each actress and actor sings with such conviction and depth. All you can say is WOW!

Do go and see this wonderful show, you won’t be disappointed.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich

Photos by Annazor.

To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to the left for recent photos. Click on recent photos for this and other shows.