Stage Review - Ruthless! The Musical (SecondStory Rep)
Stage Review - Ruthless! The Musical
Presented By: SecondStory Rep - Redmond, WA
Show Run: February 27 - March 15, 2026
Date Reviewed: Saturday, March 07, 2026
Run Time: 2 Hours, 10 Minutes (including a 15-minute intermission)
Reviewed by: Greg Heilman
Theatre has always had a bit of a fascination with ambition—especially the kind that begins at a young age. Ruthless! The Musical takes that idea and turns it into a wildly entertaining satire of show business dreams and the sometimes alarming determination required to achieve them. SecondStory Repertory’s production, now running in Redmond through March 15, captures the show’s over-the-top spirit while delivering an evening that is musically lively, mischievous, and fully aware of its own theatrical excess.
The musical has enjoyed a long life as a cult favorite since its Off-Broadway premiere in 1992. Featuring music by Marvin Laird with book and lyrics by Joel Paley, Ruthless! draws inspiration from stories like Gypsy, The Bad Seed, and All About Eve, blending them into a darkly comic tale about ambition, talent, and the unsettling lengths some performers might go to in pursuit of the spotlight. At the center of the story is eight-year-old Tina Denmark, whose sweet exterior masks a determination that proves far more dangerous than anyone initially realizes.
Director and choreographer Harry Turpin clearly understands the tone of this piece and shapes the production accordingly. The staging carries many of the hallmarks of his work—joyful, delivered with expertise, and filled with movement that keeps the stage in constant motion. Harry also demonstrates once again a strong instinct for casting and for bringing out the best in the performers assembled on stage. His quick pacing and energetic staging keep the story moving briskly while allowing the musical’s humor and theatricality to shine.
The strength in his casting starts with Allie Nolan, a wonderful and refreshingly energetic Tina Denmark, a talented young actor who brings a bright stage presence to the role of the bratty and mischievous child whose sweetness barely conceals a relentless ambition to perform. Allie captures that balance beautifully, presenting Tina as both charming and just unsettling enough to make the story’s darker turns believable. Emily Courcy, meanwhile, delivers an excellent performance as Judy Denmark, Tina’s mother, navigating what is essentially a Jekyll and Hyde role with impressive control. Emily’s expressiveness may be the only quality that rivals her vocal delivery. One moment she embodies the picture-perfect suburban housewife, and the next she reveals the diva just beneath that carefully maintained façade. The ability to shift so convincingly between those extremes makes Emily’s performance one of the most entertaining of the production. Additionally, Emily grasps the timing of the musical as well, especially in the song “Tina’s Mother”, a number which highlights the best of Harry’s direction.
Outside of the Denmark family, the production follows the tradition of casting male actors as the flamboyant talent agent Sylvia St. Croix, and that continues here with Brad Cerenzia in the role, and the part seems tailor-made for him. Sylvia is written as a full-fledged diva, and Brad approaches the character with a theatrical confidence that fits perfectly within the show’s heightened style, delivering a performance that is bold, dramatic, and entirely in keeping with the musical’s camp sensibility. Vocally, Brad brings so much humor as well, in Act 1‘s “Talent” and later in “I Want the Girl”, showing his character’s more devious side.
The rest of the ensemble supports the story effectively. Kristie “Kiki” Werner appears as Lita Encore, the sharp-tongued theatre critic with a surprising connection to the Denmark family, while Marnie Wingett takes on the dual roles of Louise Lerman and Eve. Mark Chenovick even steps in to lend his voice to the cast as Frederick Denmark, Tina’s father. Together the cast embraces the exaggerated tone of the show, presenting performances that balance humor, melodrama, and musicality while maintaining the story’s forward momentum, and providing their collective vocal ability to the musical.
For me, however, the highlight of the evening is Olivia Lee as Myrna Thorn, Tina’s overworked third-grade teacher who harbors dreams of theatrical glory herself. Olivia proves to be an undeniable scene-stealer, displaying excellent comic timing and making the most of every moment she appears on stage. Her performance during the number “Teaching Third Grade” stands out as one of the evening’s most memorable comedic moments.
From a design standpoint, the production reflects the reliable craftsmanship audiences have come to expect. Mark Chenovick’s scenic design is commensurate with his other work, maintaining the standard of quality that has become something audiences can rely upon. His work here, combined with the lighting, sound, and projection design, supports the action cleanly and allows the show’s rapid shifts in tone and location to occur without interruption. The Act II move to Ginger’s New York apartment offers a visual change that fits neatly into the unfolding story, while Krista Lofgren’s costumes complement the production’s playful aesthetic, including a particularly amusing look for Tina following her time in prison that humorously evokes a child-sized prison uniform.
Ruthless! is unapologetically campy, and this production embraces that identity wholeheartedly. The musical thrives on melodrama, outrageous twists, and humor that openly acknowledges the absurdity of its premise. In the hands of Harry Turpin and this well-cast group of performers, those elements come together in a way that keeps the audience laughing while enjoying the sheer theatricality of the piece.
SecondStory Repertory’s production of Ruthless! embraces everything that has made the musical a cult favorite for more than three decades—its outrageous humor, its memorable characters, and its unapologetic theatricality. With Harry Turpin guiding a cast that clearly understands the style of the piece, the result is a lively and thoroughly entertaining evening that reminds audiences just how much fun musical theatre can be when it isn’t afraid to laugh at itself.
The SecondStory Rep production of Ruthless! The Musical runs on stage in Redmond through March 15. For more information, including ticket availability and sales, visit https://www.secondstoryrep.org/.
Photo credit: Michael Brunk
