Coinciding almost perfectly with the 20th anniversary of the Roger Kumble film from which it is based, the new Off-Broadway musical Cruel Intentions uses hit songs from the 1990s as its central motif. Cast members pay tribute to the decade with stellar performances of The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony,” Christina Aguilera’s “Genie In a Bottle,” the Cardigans’ “Lovefool” and the lead single “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” originally by Deep Blue Something.
Created by Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin and Roger Kumble, Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical (and its cinematic predecessor) is an adaption from the classic 1792 French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. The musical debuted in Los Angeles in 2015, where it immediately became a sensation with sold out performances mandating a move to a bigger venue. In 2017, the production was recreated off-Broadway at (le) Poisson Rouge in Manhattan were it was met with critical acclaim. Vanity Fair described it as “perfect nostalgia – sweet, silly, sincere . . . and genuinely joyous.” Following a sold-out engagement in the winter of 2017, Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical returned for a six-month, thrice-extended run. In 2019 the production will hit the road for the first time, traveling up and down the East Coast, Midwest and South.
Two time Grammy-winning record producer Stewart Lerman took music director Zach Spound’s orchestrations and arrangements from Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical into his studio in August of this year. No Doubt’s “Just a Girl,” Counting Crows’ “Colorblind” and a unique version of TLC’s “No Scrubs” were brought to life by cast members Carrie St. Louis, Constantine Rousouli, Alex Boniello and Patricia Richardson, whose performances intertwine plot points with the original lyrics of these recognizable hits. The New York Times review of the musical pointed specifically to the “inspired soundtrack” as a strong suit. “The denouement, set to the Verve’s ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony,’ was worthy of Scorsese.”
Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical producer, Eva Price, commented, “We are honored to celebrate this exciting anniversary and immortalize the New York cast’s voices with this album before seeing the show live at venues across the country.”
Roger Kumble, who wrote the screenplay and directed the 1999 film, commented, “Never in my darkest fantasies would I believe twenty years later, my movie about a pair of hedonistic Manhattan step-siblings would turn into a musical – an amazing musical that even people who hate musicals would love, complete with a soundtrack loaded with the greatest ‘90s guilty pleasure songs.”
Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical (Original Cast Album)
1) Every You, Every Me (originally by Placebo)
2) I’m the Only One (originally by Melissa Etheridge)
3) Genie In a Bottle (originally by Christina Aguilera)
4) Just a Girl (originally by No Doubt)
5) I Want it That Way (originally by The Backstreet Boys)
6) Kiss Me (originally by Sixpence None The Richer)
7) Lovefool (originally by The Cardigans)
8) Bye Bye Bye (Alt) (originally by NSYNC)
9) Breakfast At Tiffany’s (originally by Deep Blue Something)
10) No Scrubs (originally by TLC)
11) Only Happy When It Rains (originally by Garbage)/Act 1 Finale
12) I’ll Make Love To You (originally by Boyz II Men)
13) Torn (originally by Ednaswap, made famous by Natalie Imbruglia)
14) Colorblind (originally by Counting Crows)
15) Iris (originally by Goo Goo Dolls)
16) Foolish Games (originally by Jewel)
17) Bitch (originally by Meredith Brooks)/Losing My Religion (originally by REM)/Kathryn’s Turn
18) Bittersweet Symphony (originally by The Verve)
2019 National Tour
Mar 29 Schenectady, NY Proctors
Mar 30 Providence, RI The VETS
Apr 2-14 Chicago, IL Broadway Playhouse
Apr 18 Louisville, KY Kentucky Center
Apr 23 Augusta, GA Miller Theater
Apr 24 Durham, NC DPAC
Apr 25-27 Charlotte, NC McGlohon Theatre
May 4 Worcester, MA Hanover Theatre
May 7 Portland, ME Merrill Auditorium
May 10-11 Hartford, CT Bushnell
May 15 Atlanta, GA Cobb Energy PAC
May 16-18 Jacksonville, FL Terry Theater
May 19 Coral Springs, FL Center for the Arts
