Photo Flash: RUTHLESS! THE MUSICAL Begins Tonight Off-Broadway

Broadway lovers (and haters) rejoice, because the funniest and bloodiest musical about what it takes to make a child a star is returning to Off-Broadway. RUTHLESS! is set to begin performances tonight, June 25th at St. Luke's Theatre in the heart of the Theater District, with the official Opening Night on Monday, July 13th. Book and lyrics are by Joel Paley and music by Marvin Laird. Joel Paley also directed the original production of RUTHLESS! as well as productions in L.A., South Beach and the record-breaking concert event starring Bernadette Peters. He will once again serve as director of the new production, with Marvin Laird on board as musical supervisor as well. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the stars!

When THE BAD SEED meets GYPSY it's fun for the whole dysfunctional family! Tina Denmark is a pretty, charming and diabolical eight-year-old girl who "was born to entertain." With the encouragement of slick and overbearing potential agent Sylvia St. Croix, Tina will do anything to play the lead in her school play, and we mean anything. The question is, where does such remarkable talent and unstoppable ambition come from? The answer may shock you when you see this award-winning Stage Mother of all musicals.

But make no mistake - this is not your mother's RUTHLESS! This is no mere revival, but a newly imagined meditation on narcissism, talented tykes and stage mothers in a world that has since been introduced to such gems as "Toddlers and Tiaras" and Honey Boo Boo.

Featured in the cast of RUTHLESS! are Peter Land (CABARET, ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL, MY FAIR LADY), Kim Maresca(Westport's TWELFTH NIGHT), Rita McKenzie (ETHEL MERMAN'S BROADWAY, RUTHLESS! L.A.), Andrea McCullough (URINETOWN, GREASE), Tracy Jai Edwards (HAIRSPRAY, LEGALLY BLONDE), and introducing Tori Murray (Paper Mill's NEW VOICES OF 2014: OH, WHAT A NIGHT!)

RUTHLESS! is produced Off-Broadway by Maxine Paul, Evan Sacks and Ken Schur. The playing schedule will be Mondays at 8 PM, Thursdays at 7 PM, Fridays at 8 PM, and Saturdays at 2 PM at St. Luke's Theatre, 308 West 46th Street (just west of Eighth Ave.) Tickets are available through www.RuthlessTheMusical.com or by calling 212-239-6200.

Photo Credit: Carol Rosegg

Tori Murray as Tina Denmark and KIM MARESCA as her mother Judy Denmark in RUTHLESS!

Tori Murray as Tina Denmark in RUTHLESS!