Cruel Intentions Musical

Rebecca Varidel
2nd Jul 2022

Cruel Intentions opening night and the celebrities (including Sydney Scoop) where strutting their stuff on the purple carpet. On the stage, the leads nailed their songs and their respective cruel or innocent roles. Around us, the 20 and 30 somethings were guffawing as dialogues cued 'appropriate' songs. Songs that were written and performed before they were born.

Those '90s songs include Bittersweet Symphony (The Verve), Every You and Every Me (Placebo), Bye Bye Bye (*NSYNC), Sometimes (Britney Spears), Just A Girl (No Doubt), Foolish Games (Jewel), Genie In A Bottle (Christina Aguilera), Breakfast At Tiffany’s (Deep Blue Something), Kiss Me (Sixpence None the Richer), Iris (Goo Goo Dolls), Candy (Mandy Moore) I’ll Make Love To You (Boyz II Men). And like any good musical, I woke up the next morning still singing 'em.

Reminiscent vintage musicals are nothing new. '70s musical Grease is set in the '50s. 1951 American musical comedy film An American in Paris was inspired by the 1928 orchestral composition of the same name by George Gershwin. And teen romantic drama Cruel Intentions, now this musical was in 1999 adapted as a film, starring (Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon and Selma Blair) from the 1782 novel Les Liaisons dangereuses.

While the singing and acting of stars and chorus was exemplary, the storyline missed the mark with me. Maybe a sign of the times, but for me manipulation and revenge are no longer relevant. That aside, Cruel Intentions dishes up marvellous entertainment just by the delivery of its hit tunes. Costumes and staging get a big tick too.

Cruel Intentions is performing now in Sydney at The State Theatre.

cruelintentions.com.au