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)