Take a trip back to 1999, and see Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical (make sure to leave the kids at home!)
Strap yourself in, because you’re in for a hell of a ride with this deliciously saucy, exhilarating and fun flashback to the 90s. With killer tunes to boot!
by Brooke Hendry
Book in a babysitter as Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical is definitely not for kids. But it makes for a fantastic night out with your partner and/or friends (as long as you’re open-minded)! The 90s Musical is an excellent adaptation of the acclaimed cult 1999 film, Cruel Intentions, and seriously brought so many memories from that era flashing back.
Set in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, spoilt, rich and merciless step-siblings (with too much time on their hands) Kathryn (Kirby Burgess) and Sebastian (Drew West), take joy in toying with other people’s lives and emotions to benefit their own twisted desires.
The self-destructing siblings make a bet: if ‘lady’s man’ Sebastian can sleep with the sweet and innocent new headmaster’s daughter, Annette Hargrove (Kelsey Halge), Kathryn will let him finally get his wish of sleeping with her! If he loses, Kathryn gets his vintage jaguar. This is no easy feat, seeing as Annette Hargrove is determined to ‘save herself’ for true love.
You’re taken on an outrageously funny and scandalous journey full of temptation, lies, seduction, power-games and love, with iconic 90s songs cleverly woven throughout. It’s quite impressive how they’ve made these hits fit into the storyline so well.
And…WOW – All of the performers are sensational singers!
The power-house singing performances perfectly elevate the comedic moments, and help to express what the characters are going through/feeling at the time. They’ve made it work perfectly with the live on-stage band, the classic 90s ‘boy-band’ dance moves, and some amazing song mash-ups.
All of the characters play their parts to an absolute T.
A highlight of the show for me was the flamboyant Euan Fistrovic Doidge, who plays Blaine Tuttle. He’s a friend of Sebastian who’s in a secret relationship with the closeted gay football captain, Greg McConnell (Joseph Spanti).
Every time Blaine was on the stage, he was like a magnet – I just couldn’t drag my eyes away from him! He provided many of the laugh-out-loud moments, and there were a lot of those.
My jaw was actually sore after the show from laughing so much!
Naive Cecil Caldwell (Francine Cain) was also a delight to watch. She played her part so well, with the perfect mannerisms, that at times it actually felt like she was the original actress of that character from the movie – Selma Blair. Cecil’s love interest is her music teacher, Ronald Clifford (Rishab Kern) but she’s also one of the pawns in Kathryn and Sebastian’s cruel games. However, she’s always up for anything and is hilarious in her role.
Another hilarious highlight was when Ronald and the Headmistress, Mrs Caldwell (Fem Belling), performed TLC’s No Scrubs together. Really, the entire show was a highlight for me! There’s so many standout moments in this nostalgic trip back to the 90s.
It makes you want to jump up and dance in the aisles!
They also use the stage so well with a constantly, yet seamlessly, changing set (set design by James Browne and lighting design by Declan O’Neill). It was also a great touch to have the scrawled lyrics from the songs and words from Sebastian’s betraying journal overlaid on the backdrop during key moments.
Writer and director of the film Roger Kumble, along with Jordan Ross and Lindsey Rosin have done an incredible job with Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical – which even received rave reviews from the original film starts Sarah Michelle Gellar (Kathryn) and Reese Witherspoon (Annette).
Honestly, if you were a fan of Cruel Intentions the film, then you are going to ABSOLUTELY LOVE the saucy, naughty and a little twisted, Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical! The cast is outstanding and the songs will have you singing along and wanting to jump up to dance in the aisles.
The only bad thing – it made me realise how fast 23 years have passed since the movie came out….and now I just feel old!
It gets 4.5 stars for me. And now I’m off to go and re-watch the film…
What we liked: It was jam-packed show full of great energy, good vibes and power-house performances. There were so many laugh-out-loud moments, and the iconic 90s hit songs along with the memories of the film, just brought back great memories from good old times!
Things to consider: There is some ‘cheeky’ nudity. And themes of drugs, discrimination, racism and same-sex relationships. It’s definitely a musical for the open-minded.
For more information and all enquiries please visit the Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical website
What: Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical
When: 9-24 September 2022
Where: Her Majesty’s Theatre, 58 Grote Street, Adelaide
Who: Open Minded Audiences, Aged 16+
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
Image Source: Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical
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