Casting Announced for Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical

David Venn Enterprises (The Wedding Singer, Bring It On: The Musical) has announced its all Australian line up for the national tour of Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical which kicks off from 25 May. Tickets are on sale for Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide via www.cruelintentions.com.au
Featuring a soundtrack ‘90s hits, this story of romance and seduction is based on the cult 1999 film which was re-released to cinemas in 2019 and currently has a new TV series in development.

Laced with back-to-back songs including “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), “Candy” (Mandy Moore), “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” (Deep Blue Something), “Kiss Me” (Sixpence None the Richer), “Iris” (The Goo Goo Dolls), “I’ll Make Love To You” (Boyz II Men), and more.  

Kirby Burgess plays the scheming seductress Kathryn, the role made famous by Sarah Michelle Gellar. Triple threat Kirby’s career highlights span stage and screen, having previously starred as Baby in the 10th Anniversary Tour of Dirty Dancing and most recently as the villainous temptress Linda in The Wedding Singer and Campbell in Bring It On: The Musical. 

Kirby is thrilled to be taking on the role of the intoxicatingly complex Kathryn. “Cruel Intentions is the perfect send up of the ‘90s, and shows us just how far we’ve come since. Kathryn is basically the villain, and while she does some very bad things, she’s demonised for being sexually liberated. I love that she takes a stand about this, with such great lines,” says Kirby.

Drew Weston will be the brooding ab-fest as Ryan Phillippe's character Sebastian. Drew’s stage credits include Danny Zuko in Grease, MTC’s Hay Fever, Dream Lover and Mary Poppins. 

Francine Cain’s mainstage principal role credits include ‘Regina’ in Rock of Ages, and ‘Frenchy’ in the national tour of Grease. Francine will play the naive Cecile, made famous by Selma Blair, who becomes entangled in Sebastian and Kathryn’s plot of revenge. 

Kelsey Halge wil play Annette Hargrove, the subject of Sebastian’s desires, played by Reese Witherspoon in the movie.   

Euan Fistrovic Doidge has been cast in the role of Blaine. He previous roles includes Felicia in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever, Marius in Les Misérables and Paul San Marco in the Australian revival of A Chorus Line.

Joseph Spanti will take on the role of Greg. Joseph also recently toured as Joey in Friends! The Musical Parody.

Rishab Kern will make his professional stage debut as Ronald. 

Australian Jazz vocalist, violinist and musical theatre star Fem Belling stars as Mrs Caldwell. Fem’s previous roles include principal characters in Hairspray, Fame, Footloose, Cats & Liza Minnelli in the 2011 production of The Boy from Oz.

The ensemble which ounds out the cast features Etuate Lutui, Daniel Erbacher (Legally Blonde, It’s Only Life, Grease), Sheridan Adams, Morgan Heynes and Darcey Eagle (Billy Elliot, the Musical, Lazarus, Tommy). 

Leading the creative team is Alister Smith (The Wedding Singer and Bring It On: The Musical). Daniel Puckey (Muriel’s Wedding The Musical, The Book of Mormon) is Musical Director, and Freya List (Chess, Next To Normal, RENT) is choreographer. 

Isaac Lummis (Hello, Dolly!, A Gentlemans Guide to Love & Murder) is Costume Designer,  James Browne (Ghost the Musical, Velvet, Cabaret) is Set Designer and Declan O’Neill (The Wedding Singer, Bring It On: The Musical) is Lighting Designer. Craig Wilkinson and the team at Optikal Bloc will take on Video design for the national tour. 

Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical  is penned by the writer and director of the film Roger Kumble, along with Jordan Ross and Lindsey Rosin.
Tickets are on sale now for the Melbourne season, opening at The Athenaeum Theatre from 25 May, and Sydney’s State Theatre from 30 June. Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall follows from 27 July, the Adelaide’s Her Majesty’s Theatre from 8 September. 
The national tour is supported by the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund – an Australian Government initiative.

www.cruelintentions.com.au

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