Buckle up for Ruthless! The Musical,  the hilariously twisted comedy where the spotlight can be deadly, launching Island City Stage’s 14th South Florida season on November 6.

Meet eight-year-old Tina Denmark—a pint-sized diva who knows she was destined to play Pippi Longstocking in her school musical, and if she has to knock off the competition to get the part? Well, that’s showbiz! This Off-Broadway cult favorite is a deliciously campy satire packed with sharp wit, outrageous twists, and over-the-top characters. The show will run through December 7.

The book and lyrics of Ruthless! The Musical are by Joel Paley, music by Marvin Laird, and the production is directed by Island City Stage’s Artistic Director, Andy Rogow.

Ruthless! The Musical opened at the Players Theatre in New York City’s Greenwich Village on March 13, 1992 and ran for 342 performances. The lead role of Tina was originally played by nine-year-old Laura Bell Bundy, best known today as a highly successful country music artist and TV, stage and screen actress. A bit of trivia: two other stars of tomorrow, Natalie Portman and Britney Spears, served as understudies for the original production. The show won the 1993 New York Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical. The show opened in Los Angeles in 1993, in Miami in 1995 and in London in 2002, among many other venues since then.

Island City Stage’s production of Ruthless! The Musical stars nine-year-old child actress Daisy Tanner (Tina Denmark), Lindsey Corey (Judy/Ginger), Leah Sessa (Louise/Eve), Maribeth Graham (Miss Thorn/Reporter), Michael Ursua (Sylvia St. Croix) and Aaron Bower (Lita).

Individual show tickets start at $50. A Mimosa Sunday Brunch sponsored by Murl Casey, Chuck David, Chuck Jackson & Steve Laskin will take place November 16 with tickets priced at $67. Women’s Night at the Theatre, sponsored by Leslie Fine, takes place on December 5 with tickets at $50. The show runs for two hours with an intermission.