Carrick family sticking together for ‘Ruthless! The Musical’

Micah and Larissa Carrick rehearse for the Little Theatre’s performance of “Ruthless! The Musical.”

When the Little Theatre of Tuscarawas County opens its doors to Joel Paley and Marvin Laird’s “Ruthless! The Musical,” it will be a family affair for Larissa, Micah and Elena Carrick. While Larissa plays one of the main characters on stage, Micah serves as music director and 16-year-old Elena will be running lights.

Although the family has been involved in music and theater all their lives, this is the first time they have been able to do a show together. Their fourth family member, 13-year-old daughter, Sofia has Cerebral Palsy.

“Being a special needs family presents its own set of challenges from scheduling to childcare,” Micah said. “Time that we have available for artistic pursuits is limited so we really lean on those who can support us. Larissa’s mom has been extremely helpful when we both need to be a the theater at the same time. Usually, we take turns being in shows so that one of us is always home.”

Larissa was raised in Kent by parents, Nadine and Dennis Nygren. Her father was a music professor at Kent State University, and her mother had been a music major.

“I grew up listening to classical and show tunes music,” she said. She said that during her years at Kent Roosevelt High School, she was involved with the show choir, ETC and did not participate in musical theater. Larissa attended the university, took a few months off to investigate AMDA, the prestigious American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York, and found it not to her liking. She returned to Kent but this time, she began participating in community theater where her first major role was in “God Spell” at the Canton Player’s Guild.

“It’s still one of my very favorite roles,” she said.

Following graduation from Kent State, Larissa took a job with Penguin Publishing in New York, and then when a position at Barber Publishing opened up in New Philadelphia, she moved back to Ohio

Micah’s story took a straighter path. Raised in Millersburg by parents, David and Teresa Carrick, he participated in every band and choral program available at West Holmes High School. At Baldwin Wallace College Conservatory of Music, he majored in Music Education with an emphasis on trumpet. Later he took private piano lessons which enabled him to become very much in demand today as an outstanding accompanist.

Just out of college, Micah accepted a job with the Dover City Schools, and has been there ever since, working with both high school and middle school students in concert and marching bands and accompanying choirs.

“It’s really nice to work in one supportive community for a lengthy time,” he said. “Dover has been so good to us. I think my greatest enjoyment has been watching my students from fifth grade through high school grow.”

He is currently finishing up the year with concerts and already planning for next year’s schedule, especially the music department’s trip to Orlando, Florida to perform at Disney World.

Elena attended the Little Theatre Children’s Workshop and was as taken with theater as her parents. She has played in the Dover High School orchestra pit, worked lights for the production, “The Little Mermaid,” been on stage and backstage. This is her first time working lights in the community theatre.

Larissa said she is drawn to the character she plays.

“She is an iconic 50’s sitcom housewife whose daughter, Tina, is the apple of her eye … a real ‘stage mother’. I can kind of relate when I watch my own daughter work in the theater,” she said. The family agrees it has been a joy working together on this production and are hoping it may become a tradition.”

“Ruthless! The Musical” opens for a three week run this Friday. Director, Don Irven, said, “This spoof has enough plot twists to fill several classic movies, and the references to musicals are very clever. If you know and love theater, this brilliant script is expecially for you!”

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