Back By Court Order!
Back by popular demand – and court order – our 23-24 season hit musical Ruthless! is back to the big house. Eight-year-old Tina Denmark knows she was born to play Pippi Longstocking, and she will do anything to win the part in her school musical. “Anything” includes murdering the leading lady! You don’t want to miss this aggressively outrageous musical lauded by 48 Hills as “a hilarious tonic for the holiday season”.
Length: One hour and fifty minutes plus one intermission
- Score your spot on the naughty list with this ultra-campy, foul-mouthed musical comedy. It’s the funniest (and bloodiest) show you’ll see this holiday season!
“So well done that it raises the bar on camp humor…a hilarious romp of comic absurdity” – Broadway World
“A sure treat for musical theater lovers…deliciously wicked, over-the-top musical” – Local News Matters
“Joyous escape…You owe it to yourself not to miss this one” – Talkin’ Broadway
“Hilarious tonic for holiday overload” – 48 Hills
“This is the perfect way to end your 2023 theatre season” – VMedia
“A full night of fun entertainment, perfect for the holiday or anytime of year. Don’t miss RUTHLESS!” – Stage & Cinema
“Simply flawless…You must catch this show” – Queer Forty
“Even the most jaded audience members will find their outlook involuntarily brightened” – Bay Area Reporter
“If you’re in need of a break from all the non-stop saccharine holiday antics, this dark and funny musical is the perfect antidote” – Thrillist
Marvin Laird’s (Music, pronouns: he/him) recent piece, The Yiddish are Coming…! The Yiddish are Coming…! is currently playing regionally throughout North America. He has conducted and written dance and vocal arrangements for over two dozen Broadway and West End shows, including the award-winning production of Annie Get Your Gun, and the 2003 Broadway revival of Gypsy.
Joel Paley (Book & Lyrics, pronouns: he/him) directed the first production of Ruthless! at The Players Theater, which won the 1993 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical, and for which Joel won the Drama Desk Award as Best Lyricist. Additional highlights of a diversified career include: appearing on Broadway, National Tour and on television with Shirley MacLaine in Where Do We Go From Here?; directing the ABC comedy/variety series SHE-TV (Carsey/Werner Productions); conceiving and staging and all-singing, all-dancing showroom parody for Bob Newhart; and writing (with Laird) and staging the opening production sequence of the Academy Award-nominated life action short film, A Different Approach.
Dyan McBride (Director) Ms. McBride has a long history with NCTC as an actress, director, teacher and playwright. She is honored to return to direct RUTHLESS! As a performer or director Dyan has worked with notable companies such as 42nd St. Moon, Sierra Repertory Theatre, Lucky Penny, The Mountain Play, Center Repertory Theatre, Woodminster Summer Musicals, Bay Area Musicals, Diablo Theatre Company, Sacramento Theatre Company, Ray of Light, Marin Theatre Company, Laguna Playhouse, Napa Repertory, Broadway by the Bay, Utah Musical Theatre and Performance Riverside. Multimedia work includes film, TV, voice-over, print, writing, and web for companies such as Progressive, Yahoo, and Comcast. Her newest work, Persephone, has won multiple writing awards including “best web-series” at the Prague Film Festival and others. Ms. McBride is the original director of the new award-winning holiday classic, Scrooge in Love. Available through Concord Theatricals/Tams-Witmark. Awards and Nominations include: Theatre Bay Area, BATCC, Shellie, Arty, Dean Goodman, BroadwayWorld, Garland, and Irene Ryan/Kennedy Center. BA -Cal. State Fullerton (Musical Theatre). MFA -UC Davis (Acting). Member-SAG/AFTRA and AEA. Represented by Boom Models and Talent. Professor of Theatre Arts-Las Positas College. Keep up with her shenanigans at www.dyanmcbride.com
CAST
U/S LOUISE/EVE … Trixie Aballa
U/S LITA … Lisa Appleyard
U/S SYLVIA … John Cavellini
U/S TINA … Gabi Chun
MISS THORN … Andrea Dennison-Laufer
SYLVIA ST. CROIX … J. Conrad Frank
JUDY DENMARK … Mary Kalita
TINA DENMARK … Melissa Momboisse
LITA ENCORE … Jacqueline De Muro
LOUISE/EVE … Lucca Troutman
U/S JUDY & MISS THORN … Sarah Elizabeth Williams
CREATIVE TEAM
LIGHTING DESIGNER … Nic Candito
COSTUME DESIGNER … Wes Crain
COSTUME DESIGNER … Bethany Flores Deal
CASTING … Kim Donovan
PROPS DESIGNER … Jenna Forder
WIG DESIGNER … Deon Christopher Glass
SET DESIGNER … Matt Owens
STAGE MANAGER … Erin Sweeney
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT … Charlie Taumoepeau
SOUND DESIGNER … Kalon Thibodeaux
WIG DESIGNER … Laundra Tyme