Forgotten Musicals: 'Ruthless!' (1992)

Forgotten Musicals: 'Ruthless!' (1992)

 

Music by Marvin Laird 

 

Lyrics & Book by Joel Paley

History:

Ruthless! The Musical is an all female musical with music by Marvin Laird and book and lyrics by Joel Paley that spoofs Broadway musicals, like Gypsy and Mame and movies such as The Bad Seed and All About Eve. Although it is written for an all-female cast, it has become somewhat of a tradition to have the role of Sylvia St. Croix performed by a man simply because Joel Vig gave the best audition for the original 1992 production.

It opened Off-Broadway at the Players Theatre on 13th March 1992 and closed 24th January1993 after 342 performances. It was directed by Joel Paley with musical direction by Marvin Laird.and discovered young performers including Britney Spears and Natalie Portman. It was then produced in Los Angeles at the Canon Theatre, where it opened on 15th November 1993, and won the 1993 New York Outer Critics Circle Award for ‘Best Off-Broadway Musical’. It made its West End premiere at the Arts Theatre opening on 27th March (previews from 16th March) for a limited run until 23rd June 2018, directed by Richard Fitch, choreography by Rebecca Howell and music supervision by Gareth Valentine.

Plot:

The musical tells the story of the beautiful and talented eight year old Tina Denmark, who lives with her housewife mother, Judy. Tina will do anything to play the lead in her school play, ‘Pippi in Tahiti’......ANYTHING !

In a Nutshell: 

How far would you go to become a star ?

Production:

I went to see the Arts Theatre production, a month into its run. Tina’s mentor Sylvia St. Croix was being played by ‘Dancing on Ice’ pantomime villain, Jason Gardiner, with Tracie Bennett (who I first saw in ‘She Loves Me’ with Ruthie Henshall many years ago) and Harriet ‘The Brittas Empire’ Thorpe playing her critic grandmother and failed-actress schoolteacher respectively. Tina was being played in rotation by four fourteen year old actresses, with Fifi Bloomsbury-Khier playing the part on the evening I attended. However, the acting plaudits must go to Kim Maresca playing Judy, Tina’s mother, who was amazing in both halves playing two very different versions of the character. The cast was rounded off by Lara Denning, playing first Tina’s rival for the lead role, then another part in the second Act.

The production was very funny, and everyone got a chance to shine, building up to a wonderful climax. I think the review quoted on the posters from the New York Observer, summed it up best – ‘Malicious and Delicious....A total joy’. Catch it while you can.

Ruthless! The Musical runs at the Arts Theatre, Leicester Square, London from 16th March 2018 to 23rd June 2018.

Signature Song:

No doubt this time – the wonderfully meta ‘I Hate Musicals’ – made all the more funny by its being sung by Tracie Bennett, who in recent years has been in so many successful musicals. I also liked ‘Teaching Third Grade’, Tina’s teacher’s mourning the loss of her acting career.

Links:
 

Production Website: http://www.ruthlessthemusical.com

Interview with Creators: Laird and Paley (talkinbroadway.com)

 

Sherlockian Sojourns #11: ‘Abominable’ Bristol

Travelling to Swansea to meet a few ‘Sherlock’ guest stars, I decided to go via Bristol where a number of scenes for the Christmas Special ‘The Abominable Bride’ were filmed. Catching a coach from Victoria Coach Station, I spent the journey listening to the Doctor Who audio “The Behemoth”, featuring the Sixth Doctor and his companions, Constance and Flip, which featured the slave trade in and around Bristol and Bath. Exiting the coach in the city centre, I made my way to the first location, Queens Square, passing a plaque that reminded me of the audio that I had just finished.

The first location was that of the ‘Ricoletti Home’, and the balcony from which the Bride is seen to shoot two pistols.

Walking past the Theatre Royal (home of the Bristol Old Vic) which was undergoing some works, I found myself next at ‘The Famous Royal Navy Volunteer’ Public House, which appeared as the ‘Criterion Bar’ in the Victorian version of Holmes and Watson’s first meeting, as it was here that Watson (Martin Freeman) met Stamford (played by David Nellist who also played the modern-day version in ‘A Study in Pink’).

After around a ten minute walk, I found myself at Colston Hall, Bristol’s Concert Hall, whose cellars were used for the mortuary where they encountered Hooper (the lovely Louise Brealey). Unfortunately only the cafe was open due to an event being set up, and the cellars are not open to the public. I therefore had to make do with a photograph of the outside. 

Continuing along, I made my way to Bristol Cathedral, and having wandered around the building several times, finally found the statue of Queen Victoria, which identified the part of the courtyard where the Bride’s second attack was filmed.

Having wandered around the cathedral itself, I made my way to a nearby bus stop, pleased to find that Bristol buses take contactless payment. Catching an X9 bus, I made my way to the outskirts of Bristol, namely Wraxhall, getting off a stop too early for my destination, Tyntesfield, a National Trust property. This country house was used for the home of the Carmichaels (Tim McInnery & Catherine McCormack), but the scenes set in the maze were filmed somewhere very well-known to myself and my closest friends – Longleat House, which used to have a permanent ‘Doctor Who’ exhibition, and ran annual signing events.

Walking up a very long drive, I finally found myself at the house, but it then became clear that I needed to have bought a ticket from the visitors centre, which was by the entrance that I should have used. A twenty minute walk there and back, and I was stowing my bag, and taking some photos of the outside.

Entering the house, I managed to find the dining room that appears in the story as Watson’s dining room.

Many of the other rooms in the house were closed due to the ongoing installation of a new fire alarm system, and so I was soon making my way back to the bus stop that I had alighted opposite, catching a bus back into central Bristol.

Making my way to Bristol Temple Meads station, I caught a train to first Newport and then Swansea, making my way to my accommodation near to the prison.

The next day, I finally found the location of the Comic Con (which seemed to be at the top of the world), meeting Claire Gutteridge and Keith Bristow, who played the younger versions of Sherlock’s parents in the flashbacks in ‘The Final Problem’.

Both chatted enthusiastically about their time on the show, telling me that a total of forty minutes of footage had been filmed. Claire also described how she was hit in the face by a beach ball thrown by one of the children.

“I’ve now got all the Holmes family”, I boasted.

“Even Redbeard ?”, asked Claire.

“Yes”, I said meaning the dog, but it turned out that Claire was referring to ‘Victor Trevor’, whom I pointed out was not actually a member of the family.

Another signing table had a scribbled sign above it that indicated someone who had been in ‘The Abominable Bride’ (and DW spin-off ‘Class’), but there was never anyone sitting there for the whole time that I was there, so I could not get his signature also.

My straight-forward journey home was scuppered by the lack of any trains running between Cardiff and Newport, but I finally managed to make other arrangements having failed to get on two replacement buses.

Sherlockian Sojourns #10: ‘Something’s Fishy’

As a curtain-raiser to my planned tour of ‘The Abominable Bride’ locations, I decided to recreate the denouement of ‘The Six Thatchers’ by visiting the SEA LIFE London Aquarium on one of its ‘Lates’ events. I had got a deal advertised in ‘Time Out’ so was not able to go in until 8.30pm. I therefore spent the time between work and my booked entry time watching ‘Black Panther’ at a cinema by work, before catching a bus to the far-side of Vauxhall Bridge where Sherlock has his sudden epiphany and rushes off to the Aquarium.

Having taken a photo, I was a short distance down Milbank before realising that Sherlock had run the other way across the bridge, and I was on the wrong bank of the Thames. Retracing my steps, I was soon rushing along the South Bank until I reached Westminster Bridge, where I had to climb up to the bridge, dash across two lanes of traffic and go back down to join the South Bank on the other side. A short distance along, I joined a short queue for entry.

My bag having been checked and then placed in the cloakroom with my coat, I made my way into the Aquarium, picking up a glass of Prosecco and crossing a glass bridge with sharks and fish swimming below. It was here that a complimentary photograph was taken using a camera with a light so bright it could probably be seen outside.

On the other side of the bridge, I caught a lift down to the Aquarium proper, where I slowly made my way round. Not having checked screenshots online before going, I found myself taking photos of any tank that might have been the one Mary gets shot in front of. However, I soon recognised the tunnel that Sherlock runs through and sure enough the tank on the other side was the correct one.

Unfortunately this tank along with the others was surrounded by other participants sitting and drinking alcohol from the several bars that had been set up for the night, blocking any attempt for me to get a clear shot (If only Mary had had the same problem).

I finally found myself in the Jellyfish area which included information on the ‘Lion’s Mane’ jellyfish. 

Having walked around this and a new Rainforest area, and it being only fifteen minutes until closing time, I made my way out through the shop, to beat the rush in picking up my cloakroom items.