Murder, Music, and Maniacal Talent Collide in Island City Stage’s Outrageous Season Opener, Ruthless! The Musical.

November 6th, 2025

Island City Stage opens its 14th season with Ruthless! The Musical — a gloriously unhinged celebration of greed, talent, and theatrical excess that proves the apple doesn’t fall far from the melodramatic tree. Under Andy Rogow’s direction, this production is a camp confection served with a heaping helping of mirth and mayhem.

Written by Joel Paley with music by Marvin Laird, Ruthless! skewers everything from Gypsy and All About Eve to The Bad Seed, delivering a satirical love letter to musical theatre and the monsters it occasionally creates. A savvy audience will catch the inside references, but even if they don’t, it’s all terribly clever. A standout moment is the reference to “The Daisy Clover School for Psychopathic Ingenues,” where young Tina is sent for her bad behavior.

The story centers on Tina Denmark, an eight-year-old dynamo desperate to play Pippi Longstocking in her school play—and willing to do whatever it takes to snag the spotlight. “Whatever it takes,” in this case, includes some disturbingly cheerful and unapologetic homicide!

Nine-year-old Daisy Tanner’s Tina is equal parts adorable and alarming—a winning combination in a show that gleefully embraces bad behavior. Sure, she sings and dances, but the real surprise is that Tanner is such a skilled actress at such a young age. Her intention is always clear, she’s fully invested, and she remains grounded through Tina’s many moods.

Michael Ursua turns in an admirable performance in the nearly exhausting role of Sylvia St. Croix, Tina’s fiercely supportive agent. Ursua’s portrayal is a high-camp marvel filled with drag glamour, Broadway grandiosity, and a touch of insanity. Yet beneath the flurry of energy and ambition lies a commentary on the desperation born of Broadway dreams gone gloriously wrong.

As Judy (and later, Ginger), Lindsey Corey shamelessly hams it up—all in the best possible way. She drives the plot forward, and her transformation from Judy to Ginger is a mini masterclass in musical mischief.

Leah Sessa shines as Louise (and Eve), the ultimate understudy with delusions of grandeur. Maribeth Graham finds hysterical notes in every line as Miss Thorn, while Aaron Bower blusters and bellows as Lita Encore, the acid-tongued Broadway gossip columnist, like Ethel Merman on crack.

Director Andy Rogow keeps the pacing crisp and the comic timing sharp. His staging is brisk, knowing, and perfectly in tune with the show’s satirical bite. The production design complements the madness: a bubblegum-bright set, witty costumes, and clean musical direction by Eric Alsford all blend to create polished chaos amidst the greasepaint and tap shoes.

Island City Stage, long celebrated for its social commentary and inclusive sensibility, couldn’t have chosen a more fitting opener for its 14th season. Ruthless! is both a riotous parody and a slyly feminist take on ambition, fame, and the roles women—and little girls—are told to play. Beneath the outrageous humor lies an intelligent satire that asks: What happens when the dream of stardom turns into an obsession?

Ruthless! The Musical runs through December 7 at Island City Stage, 2304 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m. Tickets start at $50. For tickets and information, visit www.islandcitystage.org or call (954) 928-9800.