RUTHLESS! The Musical Takes Camp in the Next Stage

Ruthless! The Musical, a fast-paced and funny musical, satirizing old movie classics like The Bad Seed and All About Eve, opens at Theatre Memphis in the Next Stage November 8 and runs through November 23, 2019.

The plot reveals a talented eight-year-old, Tina, who declares her show biz ambition. Enter Sylvia St. Croix, an overbearing, sleazy talent agent with a secret, who encourages her to audition for the school play.

Tina "accidentally" hangs her major rival to get the part ... only to be sent up the river and swept aside by her mother, Judy Denmark, who finds her own voice and soars to stardom. Once Tina is released from incarceration, she returns for her own revenge with dreams of a comeback and more murderous mayhem as it is revealed that there are many who are not who they have seemed to be.

According to director Ann Marie Hall, "Ruthless is the ultimate 'campy' musical. You know that when your mocking over-the-top black and white movies from the past that the end of the plot just isn't going to end well." She laughs, "Especially when you issue a content warning: THIS PRODUCTION CONTAINS SOME ADULT LANGUAGE, MURDER, DECEIT, AND ABUSE OF WIGS." Hall has experience with this show due to the fact that she has performed in it twice before. The cast includes Emily Armistead, Renee Davis Brame, Randall Hartzog, Nichol Pritchard, Elizabeth Dell'Orco, Carly Crawford, and Emily Garrett.

"The complete outlandish concept of Ruthless is fun enough," Theatre Memphis Executive Director Debbie Litch exclaims. "But when you add the comedic eye of Ann Marie Hall and the veteran stage performers we have in this cast ... well I'm not sure outlandish is going far enough." She continues, "We wanted something in this slot that everyone could have a lot of fun with: actors, designers, the audience. I think we hit just the right note with Ruthless."

For more information visit: www.theatrememphis.org

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