Expect laughs, but not realism, in Harlequin’s unpredictable ‘Ruthless’

Harlequin Productions’ “Ruthless,” opening this weekend, is a larger-than-life musical comedy about a devious diva who’ll stop at nothing to get her dream role.

The ambitious actress, Tina Denmark (Aubrey Thomas), is 8 years old, and she’s burning to play the part of Pippi Longstocking in a school play.

Yes, it’s as ridiculous as it sounds.

“It’s fun — and funny,” said Aaron Lamb of Seattle, the play’s director and Harlequin’s associate artistic director. “I first music directed and played piano for this show back in 1996 and have wanted a chance to (direct) it ever since.

“It’s about as hard as you might be able to laugh for two hours, and certainly not in any sort of predictable fashion.”

The 1992 cult favorite, which the New York Times’ Alexis Soloski called “a spiked Shirley Temple of a show,” spoofs such movies as “The Bad Seed” and “All About Eve” along with musical classics like “Annie” and “Gypsy.”

And it makes no attempt at realism. (It does evoke reality TV, though; in fact, Soloski also compared it to “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” TLC’s 2012-14 series about a child beauty-pageant contestant.)

One illustration of the gulf: The production’s Tina is played by a child (Aubrey, of Seattle, is 11) while her rival, 9-year-old Louise, is played by 20-something Martha Kathryn Smith.

“Having Louise played by a child would lend too much authenticity,” Lamb said. “We needed to find that balance between shocking and absurd without falling into realism.”

Talent scout Sylvia St. Croix is played, in “Ruthless” tradition, by a man in drag — in this case, Gregory Conn, who was last seen at the State Theater as a priest in Harlequin’s 2013 “Jesus Christ Superstar” and is also well known for his involvement with Capital City Pride.

“The drag aspect is much different now than it was in 1992 when the play first came out,” Lamb said. “This role was difficult to cast. … I was lucky to find Gregory.”

Tina’s mother, Judy Denmark, is played by Charlotte Darling, recently seen as the sweet Hope Cladwell in Saint Martin’s University’s “Urinetown.” Also in the cast are Eleise Moore and Janette Oswald.

The original off-Broadway production’s cast was worthy of note, Lamb said. Broadway and TV actress and country singer Laura Bell Bundy, who went on to originate the role of Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde,” played Tina. Her now-even-better-known understudies were Natalie Portman and Britney Spears.

Aubrey, who’ll be following in those famous footsteps, is staying with her Olympia relatives, including grandparents Lloyd and Barb Schneider, during the run. She’s an experienced actress whose credits include Brigitta in the 5th Avenue Theatre’s 2015 “The Sound of Music.”

“She’s a firecracker,” Lamb said.

This story was originally published August 16, 2018 at 12:09 PM with the headline "Expect laughs, but not realism, in Harlequin’s unpredictable ‘Ruthless’."