Review: RUTHLESS! at Tower Grove Abbey

Ruthless!, now onstage from Stray Dog Theatre, is a romp of camp hilarity that fires on all cylinders. Filled with black comedy and wonderful musical numbers, the show delightfully satirizes the trappings of fame. Generational trauma has never been this much fun!

Tina Denmark is a precocious, talented and ambitious child whose singular goal in life is stardom. Unfortunately, to get there she must nab the starring role in Pippi In Tahiti, a new work written by her teacher. It is a role she will literally kill for.

Supporting her is Judy, an overly cheerful mother who reminds her of the benefits of getting an education while encouraging her to develop her talent. A doting parent who secretly wants more from her life, she is unaware of the lengths to which her daughter will go to achieve her dreams.

For the Denmarks, fame comes calling when Sylvia St. Croix, a cunning and ambitious theatrical agent, enters their lives. Unflinching in her resolve to make Tina a star, her motives are not as altruistic as they seem. As Ms. St. Croix fills her head with dreams of stardom, Tina's obsession grows.  

Driven by an all-consuming desire for celebrity, Tina crosses the edge. As for Judy, Sylvia’s arrival, a revealed family secret, and the dastardly deed committed by her daughter change her life forever.

While the first act is filled with gusto, the shorter second act is much more melodramatic. Set one year later, it focuses on Judy’s transformation into a blustering starlet.

While unfortunate circumstances have dispatched Tina to the Daisy Clover School for Psychopathic Ingénues, her mother has reinvented herself as Ginger Del Marco, a Tony-Award winning diva with plenty of hutzpah.  Shedding her 1950s housewife vibe she crushes anyone who stands in her way, inlcuding her timid assistant.

As the second half unfolds, family secrets lead to over-the-top theatrics. Things get even more outrageous when the truth of her lineage comes out.

From here the musical descends into a freefall as shocking revelations pile on top of one another, leading to seismic changes in the characters' lives. The ensuing arguments rise to a crescendo, causing Ruthless! to end with a bang!

An Off-Broadway hit that debuted in 1992, Ruthless! was written by Marvin Laird with music by Joel Paley. For this production Randon Lane has assembled a talented quartet to provide accompanying music. Aesthetically, Rob Lippert’s Mid-century Modern sets and Colleen Michelson’s vibrant costumes give the production visual juice.

The amount of talent featured here is prodigious. Sarajane Clark returns to the company as Sylvia. Conniving, ruthless and delightfully crass, her performance, loaded with quips and jabs, is fun.

Sarah Gene Dowling’s well-rounded Judy starts off as a mild-mannered mom concerned about her kid in act one to an all-out scene chewing chanteuse in the second act. Her charged presence onstage is the heart and soul of the show.

Laura Kyro nearly steals Ruthless!  Her “I Hate Musicals” number near the end of the first act is a highlight and her scenes in act two are uproarious.

Finley Mohr’s capricious Tina is the epitome of a child star gone bad. Holding her own in a seasoned ensemble, she delivers a promising company debut. 

Directed by Justin Bean, Ruthless! sizzles. This dark comedy/musical hybrid uses rapid-fire dialogue and tongue in cheek wit to create an energetic atmosphere. It is top heavy with catchy songs, delivered crisply by a dynamic ensemble.

Lovingly lampooning shows like Gypsy or The Bad Seed, this relentless frolic is a snarling commentary on the trappings of fame. Loaded with laughs, over-the-top characters and plenty of high drama, Ruthless! is a quirky and quick on its feet show loaded with gleeful shenanigans.

Ruthless plays at Tower Grove Abbey through August 24th. For tickets and information visit: https://www.straydogtheatre.org/

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