Ruthless!
Book and Lyrics by Joel Paley, Music by Marvin Laird
Directed by Justin Been
Choreographed by Sara Rae Womack
Stray Dog Theatre
August 2, 2024
Sarah Gene Dowling, Finley Mohr, Sarajane Clark
Photo by John Lamb
Stray Dog Theatre
Ruthless! is an apt title for the latest production from Stray Dog Theatre. A combination send-up/tribute to “Old Hollywood” and showbusiness in general, the show debuted off-Broadway in 1992 and become something of a cult favorite. In the hands of director Justin Been and an enthusiastic, talented cast, this show becomes an especially hilarious camp-fest, although I think it helps to be at least somewhat familiar with the material and genres that inform this musical.
At the heart of Ruthless! is an affectionate parody of various “Old Hollywood” and showbiz tropes, and more specifically stories like All About Eve, Gypsy, The Bad Seed, and Inside Daisy Clover. The story follows child prodigy Tina Denmark (Finley Mohr), whose mother, Judy (Sarah Gene Dowling) loves and supports, although she herself doesn’t know where her daughter would have gotten her talent, considering Judy herself sees herself as an untalented “typical” suburban housewife. Suddenly, the mysterious and ambitious talent agent Sylvia St. Croix (Sarajane Clark) appears, determined to make Tina a star. For Tina, however, stardom begins with getting the lead role in her school production of a Pippi Longstocking musical that was written and directed by her frustrated third grade teacher Miss Thorn (Anna Langdon), who once had Broadway ambitions of her own. When fellow student Louise Lerman (Sarah Lantsberger)–whose wealthy parents are bankrolling the show–threatens to get in the way of Tina’s ambitions, the story takes an even darker turn, and that’s only Act 1. Act 2 carries the saga to even greater, and campier, heights of raw ambition, complicated parent-child relationships, and power struggles as the show speeds up the pace on the way to living up to its title in frenetic, darkly hilarious fashion.
While the first act can be a little slow at times, the players give memorable and committed performances, led by Dowling in a versatile turn as the initially upbeat but conflicted Judy, who later undergoes a somewhat radical transformation. Clark is also fantastic as the mysterious, haughty Sylvia, and young Mohr is a delightfully disturbing blend of perky and (dare I say?) ruthless as Tina. There’s also a scene-stealing performance from Laura Kyro as Judy’s adoptive mother, theatre critic Lita Encore, who will not let anyone forget that she hates musicals. Langdon also has excellent moments as Miss Thorn, and Lantsberger offers strong, amusing support in a dual role as Louise Lerman and as Judy’s assistant “Eve” in Act 2. It’s a cohesive cast, and the chemistry between Dowling, Clark, and Mohr is especially memorable, with a ferocity that adds to the overall dark-comic atmosphere of this production.Â
The look of this show is a well-realized mid-century marvel, as well, with an effective set by Rob Lippert and marvelous costumes by Colleen Michelson that add to the overall classic showbiz look. There’s also strong work from lighting designer Tyler Duenow and sound designer Been. The small band, led by music director Randon Lane, adds much to the overall sound of the catchy score and lending able support to the excellent singing.
Another fun touch in this show is all the references to the shows and films it’s parodying, which is another reason it’s helpful to be familiar with a lot of those stories. While it does have it’s slow moments, Ruthless! is, for the most part, a whole lot of fun. If you’re looking for a campy, fiercely dark showbiz musical with the glamour of the “old days’ and energetic performances, SDT’s current production is a good place to go.
Sarajane Clark, Sarah Gene Dowling, Laura Kyro
Photo by John Lamb
Stray Dog Theatre
Stray Dog Theatre is presenting Ruthless! at Tower Grove Abbey until August 24, 2024