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RUTHLESS! - THE MUSICAL by Joel Paley & Marvin Laird 2 June to 17 June 2000 Directed by Simone de Haas Musical Direction by Brad King Cast List Review Tongue-in-Cheek Musical a Winner Alison Cotes - The Courier Mail - 9 June 2000 Dull would they be of soul who could pass by a play where the theatre critic is shot in the final scene. That's just one of the details that make this witty, tongue-in-cheek musical a potential winner, and if Mixed Company don't have a hit on their hands with this one, there's something seriously wrong with Brisbane's theatre-going public. From the moment Paul Dellit comes on in full drag, with legs up to his armpits and a cigarette holder to out-Mame Rosalind Russell, we know we're in for a night of serious spoofery and delicious high-campery, and the Friends of Dorothy sitting in the row behind me loved every minute of it. But Ruthless! is about much more than drag queens. It twists the familiar theme of the Stage-Mother-from-Hell by concentrating instead on her eight-year-old daughter, who would kill to get the lead in the school play--and does. Helen Walsh is brilliant in this role, in her frilly knickers, shapeless Judy Garland frocks and hair and make-up with a disturbing resemblance to murdered child beauty queen Jon-Benet Ramsay. Nobody's going to stand in this kid's way, and her machinations to get the role would be chilling if they weren't so funny. But then her mother, having discovered her own talent, hands the child over to the law, and little Tina is incarcerated in the Daisy Clover School for Psychopathic Ingénues, where she learns from the experts, while her mother gets on with her own career. Leisa Barry-Smith, all pink gingham, rope petticoats and frilly pinny, plays this role, a 1950's American Dream (or should that be nightmare?) who needs her daughter out of the way to become the ultimate screen vamp. In and out of this crazy scenario drift third-grade teacher Myrna Thorn, who wants to get on with life and off medication (Alida Rae also doubles as the fearsome lesbian reporter); Judy Denmark's vicious wannabe PA (Lisa Cannon doubling as the murdered baby thespian); and Lita Encore, an aging theatre critic whose vitriol can close shows and bring about thespian suicides--and no, Gillian Simpson has not modeled her character on anyone we know in Brisbane. They are all gorgeous and they can all sing, almost shattering glass with their high notes. De Haas has worked wonders with costumes and sets, and the music, under the direction of Brad King, is all that could be expected. It's the book and music that make this a real winner, though. An off-Broadway hit, Ruthless! is one of those rare satires that work through resonance rather than parody. Why this show hasn't been seen in Australia before is a mystery, for it's so far removed from the standard musical schmaltz that it deserves a cult following. It's only on for another week, so make sure you don't miss it. It's the best thing I've seen this year. |
