COMPLETE CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR NORTH AMERICAN TOUR OF CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE 90s MUSICAL

PRESS CONTACT:

Matt@bondtheatrical.com Nicole@bondtheatrical.com Tori@bondtheatrical.com

COMPLETE CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR NORTH AMERICAN TOUR OF

CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE 90s MUSICAL

CULT CLASSIC FILM CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY

“FUNNY and NOSTALGIA-FUELED. In this CRUEL INTENTIONS, high school schemers Sing the BEST OF THE ’90S… the CHOICE LINES and the INSPIRED SOUNDTRACK HITS are all there in this enjoyable show!”
– The New York Times

“I can’t believe how much I recommend the CRUEL INTENTIONS musical. IT’S PERFECT NOSTALGIA—SWEET, SILLY, SINCERE… AND GENUINELY JOYOUS.” —Vanity Fair

“Travel back to the 90s with the DELIGHTFUL CRUEL INTENTIONS—you will most certainly find yourself singing along… WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?”—New York Magazine

“RUN, DON’T WALK! This show is so much fun, and the talent is unbelievably exceptional.”—Page Six

“BRILLIANT and MAGICAL. It’s 110 minutes of pure ‘90s bliss. Top-notch performances by a supremely talented cast with stage chemistry that’s off the charts … THIS IS ONE PRODUCTION THAT YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS.”—InStyle Magazine

SCHENECTADY, N.Y.—MARCH, 5, 2019—In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the cult classic film Cruel Intentions, producers have announced the casting for the North American tour of the Off-Broadway smash hit Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical. Following sold-out runs in Los Angeles and a critically acclaimed, sold-out run in New York City, the new musical—a stage adaptation of Roger Kumble’s 1999 cult-hit film, created by Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin & Roger Kumble—will launch its first national tour at Proctors in Schenectady, NY on March 29, 2019. The production will play over 18 cities this Spring.

Tickets for Cruel Intentions, $20–$65, at Proctors 8 p.m. Friday, March 29, are available at the Box Office at Proctors, 432 State Street, Schenectady; by phone at 518.346.6204; and online at www.proctors.org.

“I couldn’t think of a more perfect day to announce our amazing new cast than the film’s 20th anniversary,” says co-creator of the stage musical Jordan Ross. “It’s been the adventure of a lifetime being a part of Cruel Intentions’ cult legacy and I’m so excited to share our best-of-the-90s bittersweet symphony with the country. Happy hunting, America!”

The tour of Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical will star John Battagliese (BAZ: Starcrossed Love) as Greg McConnell, Richard Crandle (Hairspray) asRonald Clifford, Jeffrey Kringer as Sebastian Valmont, Dara Orland (Beauty & the Beast) as Mrs. Bunny Caldwell, Taylor Pearlstein (Flashdance) as Kathryn Merteuil, Brooke Singer (The Great Pie Robbery) as Cecile Caldwell, Betsy Stewart (October Sky) as Annette, David Wright (Cinderella) as Blaine Tuttle, Nicole Medoro (This Ain’t No Disco) as the Female Understudy and Aramie Payton (The Scottsboro Boys) as the Male Understudy.

When Sarah Michelle Gellar, the film’s original Kathryn Merteuil was asked about the news, she said, “Everybody loves me and twenty years later I intend to keep it that way, with the support of the exquisite Cruel Intentions Musical and soundtrack. Not that I need support. I don’t, because I’m fabulous.”

Original film director Roger Kumble adds, “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.”

As previously announced, a cast recording featuring the original Off-Broadway company will be released on March 8, 2019 on CD and all digital formats on ABKCO Records.

Grammy-winning producer Stewart Lerman captured the dynamic arrangements from the Off-Broadway production, in his studio outside New York City in August. Featuring the stellar talents of Carrie St. Louis, Constantine Rousouli and Alex Boniello alongside Patricia Richardson, the album will contain a collection of lively tracks from Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical including ‘Losing My Religion’ ‘Bye Bye Bye’ and a unique take on ‘No Scrubs’ that is not to be missed. The album is available now for pre-order at www.smarturl.it/cruelmusical. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “Foolish Games,” and “Lovefool” are currently available to stream and as instant grat tracks.

Set to the greatest pop and rock hits of the ‘90s, Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical is an exhilarating and deceptively funny musical that pulls you into the manipulative world of Manhattan’s most dangerous liaisons: Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil. Seduced by revenge and fueled by passion, the two diabolically charming step-siblings place a bet on whether or not Sebastian can deflower their incoming headmaster’s daughter, Annette Hargrove. As the two set out to destroy the innocent girl—and anyone who gets in their way—they find themselves entangled in a web of secrets, temptation, and the cruelest game of all: love. Audience members experience the intoxicating story full of hilarity and heart, set to thegreatest throwback hits of the decade by such artists as Goo Goo Dolls, No Doubt, R.E.M., Ace of Base, Jewel, ‘NSYNC and more—in addition to songs from the film’s iconic soundtrack such as “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve and “Colorblind” by Counting Crows.

Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical debuted at The Rockwell Table & Stage in Los Angeles in 2015, where it ran for 38 sold-out performances, before being remounted for a second sold-out run at LA’s Prospect Theatre in November 2016. In February 2017, the musical played a sold-out “pop-up” engagement at (le) Poisson Rouge and returned in November 2017 to play a successful twenty-one-week engagement at the downtown NYC nightspot before its final performance on April 8, 2018.

Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical was created by Jordan Ross (“The Royals”), Lindsey Rosin and Roger Kumble (“Cruel Intentions”) with original direction by Lindsey Rosin (The Unauthorized OC Musical), Kenneth Ferrone (“RENT Live!”) is the tour director. The production features Choreography by Jennifer Weber (West End: & Juliet), Set Design by Jason Sherwood (“RENT Live!”), Costume Design by Tilly Grimes (Small Mouth Sounds), Lighting Design by Jeanette Yew (The Idiot), and Sound Design by Matt Kraus (Kathy Griffin Wants a Tony).

The Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical national tour is produced by Eva Price, Sucker Love Productions, Marty Bowen, Neal Moritz, Hunter Arnold, Blood Orange Pictures, Mark Lonow & Joanne Astrow, Tom McGrath, Rachel Weinstein and Sara Beth Zivitz.

##

CAST BIOS

John Battagliese (Greg McConnell) Credits include: Las Vegas: BAZ: Starcrossed Love (Romeo, The Palazzo Theater); Regional: Hairspray (Link Larkin, The MUNY) Have You Met Miss Jones? (Jack Cassidy, The New Theater), Grumpy Old Men (Bo, Ogunquit Playhouse); Proud CCM 2016 grad.

Richard Crandle (Ronald Clifford) National Tour: Hairspray; Australia: Kinky Boots; Upcoming: Little Richard in Rock and Roll Man (Colonial Theatre).

Jeffrey Kringer (Sebastian Valmont) Regional: The Fingerlakes Musical Theatre Festival, The Palace Theater (NH), The Axelrod Performing Arts Center, The Texas Shakespeare Festival, Clear Space Theatre Company. Originally from Upstate New York, Jeffrey is a proud graduate of Fredonia State University with a BFA in Musical Theatre.

Nicole Medoro (Female Understudy) Recent credits: This Ain’t No Disco (Atlantic Theater Co.) Broadway: The Illusionists. Brooklynettes (NBA). Performances with Madonna, Nicki Minaj and Hailee Steinfeld. Appearances on “The Tonight Show,” “SNL,” “Last Week Tonight,” and Nickelodeon. A recording artist, known as Nella Cole with music available everywhere.

Dara Orland (Mrs. Bunny Caldwell) Regional credits include Babette/Dance Capt. (Beauty and the Beast), Mayzie Le Bird (Seussical), Graziella (West Side Story), The Little Mermaid (Disenchanted), Tina (Sister Act), Ensemble u/s Ms. Fleming and Dance Captain (Heathers: The Musical). She most recently appeared in the National Tour of Cirque Dreams Holidaze as the Angel. Dara holds a BFA in Drama from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Her choreography has been featured Regionally, Off-Broadway, and Internationally at the National Theatre of Abu Dhabi.

Aramie Payton (Male Understudy) Recent credits: The Scottsboro Boys (Signature Theatre); Dreamgirls Korean Tour; Flashdance the Musical National Tour; Mamma Mia! (Marriott Theatre); Hairspray (Starlight Theatre); A Chorus Line (Gallery Players); “Nickelodeon’s Dance Battle Playlist” Winner.

Taylor Pearlstein (Kathryn Merteuil) Recent credits: Flashdance (Gateway), and as Hodel in Fiddler (Arizona Theatre Company). Taylor performs her music around NYC, and her debut album, When the Birds Wake You Up is available on all streaming platforms. She is a BFA graduate from the University of Arizona.

Brooke Singer (Cecile Caldwell) Off-Broadway: The Great Pie Robbery (The Elektra Theatre). Regional: Grumpy Old Men The Musical (Karla, Ogunquit Playhouse) Hair (Crissy), Fiddler on the Roof (Chava, Paramount Theatre) Spring Awakening (True West Award Best Actress in a Musical, Wendla).Tangled The Musical (Disney Cruise Line) Disney Dreams (Belle, DCL) 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Olive) World Premier of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane (Young Baby Jane, Theatre Under the Stars).

Betsy Stewart (Annette Hargrove) Regional: October Sky (Marriott Theatre and The Old Globe), Spring Awakening (Marriott Theatre), Godspell (Marriott Theatre). NYC: Discount Ghost Stories (Joe’s Pub and Ars Nova). Betsy is a proud Northwestern graduate, AEA member, and Iowa native.

David Wright (Blaine Tuttle) LABS: Becoming Nancy. National Tour: R&H Cinderella. Regional: Beauty & the Beast (NSMT), Newsies (Marriott Lincolnshire).

Website: cruelmusical.com
Facebook: facebook.com/cruelmusical Twitter: twitter.com/cruelmusical Instagram: instagram.com/cruelmusical

###