#1Britney Spears did Ruthless?
Posted: 6/15/08 at 1:09amOn BroadwayUnderstudies.com, in Fun Facts, it said that she understudied Laura Bell Bundy in it. Is this true?
LadyRosecoe
Broadway Star Joined: 8/4/07
#2re: Britney Spears did Ruthless?
Posted: 6/15/08 at 1:10amYes, Britney was replaced later by Natile Portman. I wonder if I spelled her name right... hmmm?
TooDarnHot
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/7/08
#3re: Britney Spears did Ruthless?
Posted: 6/15/08 at 1:10amyes. But it was an ILLEGAL production so I emailed the writers of the show...
#6re: Britney Spears did Ruthless?
Posted: 6/15/08 at 1:14amHaha good one, TDH
"I told you, NO Rodgers and Hammerstein!"- Bart Simpson
#8re: Britney Spears did Ruthless?
Posted: 6/15/08 at 1:55amI just did the most obnoxious chuckle ever.
#10re: Britney Spears did Ruthless?
Posted: 6/15/08 at 4:54am
TDH, noob question here-
but how long does it take for the rights to be released for a show? If a high school does a show that has yet to release rights, is it considered illegal? Also, is it only illegal if the audience to that high school show are fee-paying- what if the high school puts up a production of an unreleased show for free?
In Soviet Russia, Wicked hates you too!
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#11re: Britney Spears did Ruthless?
Posted: 6/15/08 at 5:16am
Here's a quote from a thread dated March 29, 2008 by Smaxie. He actually did see Ms. Spears as Tina back in 1993's Off-Broadway gem RUTHLESS!
Yes. Laura Bundy did about 95% of the performances, but was out for two different weeks during the run to film movies. Britney went on as Tina for one of those weeks. As a young girl, Britney had huge eyes and light brown hair and looked much like a smaller version of Donna English, who played her mother. I recall her singing it well and landing all of the jokes. It was quite similar to Laura's performance, but without the little extra glint of crazy that Laura brought to it. Britney left the production soon thereafter and was replaced by Natalie Hershlag (later Portman). I don't think Natalie ever went on as Tina. A teeny tiny girl named Priscilla Behne was brought in for the other week that Laura was out and then went on to play the role in the Chicago company.
Here's Laura Bell Bundy in the original 1992 Off-Broadway production of RUTHLESS!: 
Here's a photo of Britney rehearsing on the stage of The Player's Theatre 
About the Tina Denmark role Britney said: "I played a little girl who looks sweet and innocent but is really the devil in disguise. It was a lot of fun to play her, because she couldn't have been more the opposite of me: Tina is spoiled rotten and she would kill literally to be a big star."
The story cracked Britney up the first time she read the script. Britney got to be spoiled, mean, even evil. When people would meet her afterwards they'd say, "Wow! You're really nice after all."
After almost 2 years in a show, Britney was growing homesick. She said: "As an understudy, I had to be in every performance whether I got to go on or not, but I only got to go on when the star was sick. I had to know every line by heart. I did get the role when the original actress left, but by then I was growing tired of it and was eager to move on myself."
When Britney left the show the role was given to Lindsay Ridgeway. Natalie Portman also left RUTHLESS! because she was given the main role in the film LEON (aka THE PROFESSIONAL).
Here's Britney Spears: 
Here's Natalie Portman (circa 1994): 
#12re: Britney Spears did Ruthless?
Posted: 6/15/08 at 5:18amANY unauthorized production of a show whose rights haven't been released is considered illegal, whether the audience is paying or not. the theater/school must have a performance license to legally perform the show.
#13re: Britney Spears did Ruthless?
Posted: 6/15/08 at 5:19am
I don't know how long it takes for rights to be released, but if you put on a production of a show without getting formal permission, you're breaking the law. Even if it's a school, even if it's not for profit, whatever. Might seem harsh, but playwrights and composers gotta eat. ^_^
Jon
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
#14re: Britney Spears did Ruthless?
Posted: 6/15/08 at 11:17am
Let's put it this way - if your high school is putting on a show, and they have photocopies of scripts and music that they bought in a store or the internet, and they don't have actual orchestrations, or a full score with all the scene change music and undrescoring, they are doing an illegal production.
In other words, if the music doesn't say "Property of Music Theatre International" or "Tams-Witmark" or "Rodgers & Hammerstein Theatrics" or something, it's not the official licensed material.
#15re: Britney Spears did Ruthless?
Posted: 6/15/08 at 11:44ami find it kind of bizarre that natalie portman and britney spears would become so famous later...like what are the odds?
"The good news is I have an excellent Tony speech. The bad news is I've had it for forty-five years."-Elaine Stritch
#16re: Britney Spears did Ruthless?
Posted: 6/15/08 at 3:26pm
Aww, Laura Bell Bundy used to be cute. Natalie Portman looks . . . kind of the same. Less pretty.
And it amuses me that Britney was unable to bring the crazy.
I chose, and my world was shaken. So what?
The choice may have been mistaken. The choosing was not.
blaxx
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/05
#17re: Britney Spears did Ruthless?
Posted: 6/15/08 at 3:28pmCute to see her original nose...I say that was SO much better, hello?! MUCH better!
Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE
#18re: Britney Spears did Ruthless?
Posted: 6/15/08 at 3:32pmdude, do you do this much research so you can start a new thread every 10 minutes? have you tried responding to existing threads for a change? try watching a show on broadway and post a review. jeez!
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#19re: Britney Spears did Ruthless?
Posted: 6/15/08 at 3:43pm
Hey! Thanks to some cold medicine, I managed to post that detailed response WITH those rare photos. Give ME some credit, at least. 
blaxx
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/05
#20re: Britney Spears did Ruthless?
Posted: 6/15/08 at 3:44pm
BOO! to mtf3
YAY! to Brody
Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#21re: Britney Spears did Ruthless?
Posted: 6/15/08 at 3:48pm
Thank you, blaxx.
Someone needs to throw me a bone every once in a while. I DO need some validation on occasion. 
blaxx
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/05
#22re: Britney Spears did Ruthless?
Posted: 6/15/08 at 3:53pmYou're right - thanks for all your valuable contribution to this message board.
Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE
#23re: Britney Spears did Ruthless?
Posted: 6/15/08 at 3:59pm
LBB looks like such a typical stage-kid with a crazy stage-mom
Britney Spears actually looks adorable.
"I told you, NO Rodgers and Hammerstein!"- Bart Simpson
