Photo credit: North Shore Camera Club
While I am familiar with many musicals, I was not familiar with Citadel Theatre’s current production of Ruthless! The Musical. As I sat down and read through the director’s note, I was intrigued to learn that writer Joel Paley and composer Marvin Laird originally intended to adapt The Bad Seed into a musical, but when they couldn’t secure the rights, created this parody instead. Having seen The Bad Seed and remembering its deeply unsettling tone, I wasn’t quite sure what I was walking into. And Ruthless! is certainly dark—but dark in a heightened, satirical, and often humorous way.
My curiosity turned to laughter as the show opened and eight-year-old Tina Denmark (Catharina Araujo) tap danced onto the stage in her gingham, petticoated dress. With her deadpan smile and the quick flashes between innocence and something far more sinister, Araujo makes it clear from the start: Tina is not your typical child star. At the same time, there’s something just slightly off about the world around her. Judy Denmark (Annie Beaubien) feels almost too composed, too polished, raising questions about what lies beneath her perfect housewife exterior- and where her husband is. When talent scout Sylvia St. Croix (Bob Bullen) enters the picture, the story leans further into its exaggerated, off-kilter tone. From the start, the show signals that this is not a world grounded in realism, but one that thrives on heightened character and absurdity.
The plot doesn’t always follow a straightforward path, and the show’s sense of time and place can feel intentionally ambiguous. But within that, Ruthless! leans fully into its campy, over-the-top style, delivering moments that are undeniably funny—often in ways that catch you off guard. The humor is dark, sometimes uncomfortably so, as the audience finds itself laughing at situations that, on paper, are anything but light.
The cast clearly commits to the show’s heightened style. Beaubien brings a strong vocal presence to Judy, and her performance evolves in interesting ways as the story unfolds, particularly in the second act. Araujo’s Tina is consistently eerie and captivating, walking a fine line between charming and chilling. I found myself especially drawn to several of the supporting characters, including Bullen’s Sylvia, who is delightfully unpredictable, and Melody Rowland’s Eve, whose Act II arrival adds another layer of complication—and camp—to an already off-kilter world. Across the board, the performers embrace the show’s unique tone, even as that tone shifts and stretches throughout.
As always, the Citadel makes impressive use of its intimate space. Bob Knuth’s set transitions smoothly from a picture-perfect home to a school stage, and then opens up in Act II to reveal a more expansive penthouse setting, offering a strong visual contrast between the two halves of the show. Taylor Pfenning’s costumes lean into the heightened world of the play, with Judy’s pristine housewife look and Tina’s bold Act II costume standing out as particularly memorable.
Director Christina Ramirez describes Ruthless! as “quirky,” and that is certainly an accurate description. It’s a show that fully embraces its own strangeness and dark humor, creating an experience that is distinct and, at times, surprising. For audiences looking for something unconventional—a musical that leans into satire, camp, and the unexpected—Ruthless! offers a theatrical experience unlike most.
Ruthless! The Musical is now playing at the Citadel Theatre, 300 S. Waukegan Rd., Lake Forest, through May 17. Performance times vary; check the website at Citadel Theatre. Find more information about current plays on our Current Shows page and at theatreinchicago.com.