Rita McKenzie News

Feinstein's/54 Below will present the triumphant return of Rita McKenzie's award-winning ETHEL MERMAN'S BROADWAY, the country's longest-running one woman musical. This special one-night-only event will be presented on Tuesday, October 27th at 7 PM at Feinstein's/54 Below as a benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Rita McKenzie has performed her critically acclaimed show throughout the world - from New York's Carnegie Hall to Pasadena Playhouse - from Canada to Europe and Asia. And now she's back in New York City for this one performance and this great cause.

Haven Burton, currently starring as Lauren in Broadway's KINKY BOOTS, attended the Sept. 21st performance of the Off-Broadway hit RUTHLESS! THE MUSICAL at St. Luke's Theatre. Burton's other Broadway credits include RENT, LEGALLY BLONDE and SHREK THE MUSICAL. Scroll down for a photo of her backstage with the RUTHLESS! cast!

Laura Bell Bundy, star of the original production of RUTHLESS!, checked out the new production this past Thursday, September 17th. Bundy played the lethally talented 8-year-old, Tina Denmark, in the original 1992 Off-Broadway production. Her two understudies during that yearlong run also did well for themselves in the intervening years; Britney Spears and Natalie Portman. Bundy was the first to lead the standing ovation at the end of Thursday's performance. Scroll down for photos!

The authors of the smash hit musical RUTHLESS!, Joel Paley and Marvin Laird, will offer two master classes for musical theater performers this Sunday, September 20th in Somerville, NJ.

Beginning Monday, October 5th, Jennifer Diamond will assume the roles of Louise Lerman and Eve Allabout in RUTHLESS! The Musical at St. Luke's Theatre in the heart of the Theatre District. She's replacing Tracy Jai Edwards who is departing the show to appear in the new musical Gotta Dance, directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell.

Joel Paley has earned accolades for over two decades with RUTHLESS! The Musical, for which he wrote the award-winning book and lyrics. He also directed the original 1992 production at the Player's Theatre, as well as in L.A., South Beach, the record-breaking concert event starring Bernadette Peters, and the current smash Off-Broadway production at St. Luke's Theatre. If that isn't enough, Paley is also starring in the show this week as the 8-year-old murderous, uber-talented Tina Denmark. The role is normally played by Tori Murray who is taking a brief, well-deserved vacation as she prepares to enter sixth grade next week. She's set to return to the role tomorrow, and Joel Paley will offer audiences his showstopping take on the role one more time tonight at 7 PM. When asked why the 59-year-old Paley was interested in stepping into this seemingly impossible assignment, he merely shrugged and explained, 'The show must go on.' Scroll down for photos!

Barbara Eden, star of NBC-TV's long-running 1960s comedy smash I DREAM OF JEANNIE, caught a recent performance of the Off-Broadway hit RUTHLESS! and she visited with the entire cast after the show. Scroll down for photos of her with the company!

Jiggly Caliente, celebrity drag queen and TV star ("RuPaul's Drag Race," "Broad City"), attended Off-Broadway's smash hit RUTHLESS! The Musical on August 10th and happily mingled with the cast after the show. The performance was a special benefit for Narcissistic Fibrosis, a cause which was at the center of Ms. Caliente's 2009 campaign landing her the coveted title of Ms. Universo Latina Plus.

The cast of Off-Broadway's smash hit RUTHLESS! The Musical met the stars of the live dance sensation BALLROOM WITH A TWIST, which is currently touring the country. And the sparks flew! It was a love-fest for the talented showmen and women after the August 10th performance of RUTHLESS! when the stars of both of both shows mingled and posed for photos. Scroll down for backstage shots!

The stars of Ruthless! The Musical appeared at 'Broadway in Bryant Park,' presented by 106.7 Lite FM, last Thursday, August 6th. Kim Maresca,Paul Pecorino, Tori Murray, and Rita McKenzie performed with composer Marvin Laird at the keyboard.

Broadway in Bryan Park continued its 2015 program this week - and BroadwayWorld was on hand to capture the first day. This week's line-up included performances from the casts of ALLEGIANCE, Amazing Grace, Something Rotten!, A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER, and RUTHLESS!. Check out photos from the special day below!

The stars of RUTHLESS! The Musical are set to perform live on "Pix11 Morning News" tomorrow (Thursday) on Channel 11.

Due to overwhelming demand, the producers of New York's newest hit, RUTHLESS! The Musical, today put a new block of seats on sale through January 2, 2016. RUTHLESS! opened Off-Broadway July 13th to unanimous rave reviews led by Entertainment Weekly which called the show, "Uproarious! A mash-up of THE BAD SEED, GYPSY, ALL ABOUT EVE, plus the films of Douglas Sirk and John Waters!" Book and lyrics are by Joel Paley with music by Marvin Laird. Paley also directed the original production of RUTHLESS! as well as productions in L.A., South Beach and the record-breaking concert event starring Bernadette Peters. He once again serves as director of the new production, with Marvin Laird on board as music supervisor as well.

RUTHLESS! The Musical will appear at "Broadway in Bryant Park" this Thursday, August 6th at 12:30 PM on the Lawn. Author/director Joel Paley and composer Marvin Laird are scheduled to appear with cast members Kim Maresca, Tori Murray and Rita McKenzie, along with performers from Broadway's A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER, SOMETHING ROTTEN, ALLEGIANCE, and SYLVIA. The event is being presented by 106.7 Lite FM and will be hosted by radio personality Rick Kaminski and the cast of AVENUE Q.

NBC's popular daily lifetime show "New York Live" will feature RUTHLESS! The Musical tomorrow (Tuesday) between 12:30 & 1 PM on Channel 4. RUTHLESS! opened Off-Broadway July 13th to unanimous rave reviews led by Entertainment Weekly which called the show, "Uproarious! A mash-up of THE BAD SEED, GYPSY, ALL ABOUT EVE, plus the films of Douglas Sirk and John Waters!" Book and lyrics are by Joel Paley with music by Marvin Laird. Joel Paley also directed the original production of RUTHLESS! as well as productions in L.A., South Beach and the record-breaking concert event starring Bernadette Peters. He once again serves as director of the new production, with Marvin Laird on board as music supervisor as well.

RUTHLESS! The Musical's leading man, Peter Land, collapsed onstage at the top of the second act on Friday evening, July 17th. EMT's arrived on the scene and Mr. Land was transported to the hospital where he received emergency surgery for a tear in the aorta. His recovery is going extremely well and he was even discharged from the hospital earlier this week. Paul Pecorino has assumed the role of Sylvia St. Croix and Mr. Land hopes to return to the show in the near future. Author Joel Paley bravely filled in for several performances in the week following the accident (triumphantly, according to all eyewitnesses).

Saturday matinees for RUTHLESS! The Musical will begin at 1:30 PM effective August 1st at St. Luke's Theatre, 308 West 46 Street (just west of Eighth Ave.)

A brand-new featurette goes behind the scenes of RUTHLESS! The Musical, encapsulating the fun and frantic journey of this new production, and you can check it out below! RUTHLESS opened Off-Broadway this past Monday night.

Romance was in the air at last night's opening of RUTHLESS! off-Broadway. 

RUTHLESS! THE MUSICAL just opened Off-Broadway last night, July 13th at St. Luke's Theatre. Book and lyrics for RUTHLESS! are by Joel Paley with music by Marvin Laird. When THE BAD SEED meets GYPSY it's fun for the whole dysfunctional family! Tina Denmark is a pretty, charming and diabolical eight-year-old who 'was born to entertain.' With the encouragement of slick and overbearing potential agent Sylvia St. Croix, Tina will do anything to play the lead in her school play. The question is, where does such remarkable talent and unstoppable ambition come from? The answer is shocking in this award-winning Stage Mother of all musicals. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the opening night after party below!