Cruel Intentions NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (129)
See it if based on, and loosely based on Les Dangerous, has some very good directing. It is well written and edgy.
Don't see it if If you do not like this type of Avant Garde type of show. It is more drawing toward the young crowd.
See it if you want a fun & faithful adaptation of the 90s film w/period pop music & the sexiest villain (Zakrin) since Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct.
Don't see it if you don't like the film or the original source (Les Liaisons Dangereuses); you're not a fan of 90s pop music; you hate jukebox musicals. Read more
See it if you enjoy a wonderfully entertaining and modern version of Dangerous Liaisons. Music from nineties sung by talented young cast.
Don't see it if you don't like modern musical versions of Dangerous Liaisons or any production of it. Read more
See it if You’re looking to have fun!! NB there are food/beverage minimums
Don't see it if You’re super prudish.
See it if you have a friend or five excited to go w/ you. Not just for theatergoers but don’t bring ppl w/ antipathy toward 90s teen flicks/pop songs.
Don't see it if you’re hoping for cross-generational appeal. It’s just not there. Don’t even think about it if you don’t know the listed bands. Read more
See it if you want an evening of light entertainment. Follows the same story as the movie with 90's pop songs cleverly interpolated into the scenes.
Don't see it if you're looking for something high-brow. This is lowest common denominator entertainment with a wider appeal than serious theatergoers.
See it if you loved the movie, 90s pop music, and/or both.
Don't see it if you would hate a 90s era spin on Dangerous Liasions.
See it if you enjoy excellent singing, energetic performers, good popular music, fine musicians and sexual content.
Don't see it if you dislike popular music, high amplification, sexual content and somewhat inane story lines.
Critic Reviews (12)
"The ultra-pared-down approach means that details get lost in the scramble, especially regarding the characters’ location at any given time, but over all the storytelling is relatively clear...The musical faithfully follows the movie’s plot and includes all the classic lines — though not, alas, a breakout performance to match Ms. Witherspoon’s...'Cruel Intentions' could run for a while as a semi-staged rock show, but it does feel like an exploratory tryout crying for a fuller production."
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"We learn all of this via numbingly expository dialogue stuffed between 'Cruel Intentions’ true raison d’être: its jukebox score of ’90s pop hits, woven together by nostalgia maestro Zach Spound. Some of the score is satisfyingly subverted...But most of the songs barely budge the plot, commenting on it instead with a convenient key phrase or two. While its story emphasizes the guilt of pleasure gained at the expense of others, the musical invites you to bop your head along."
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"By no means the next great American musical, but it is off-Broadway's newest guilty pleasure...This isn't really a satirical adaptation...Nevertheless, humor springs from the smartly curated songs...To their credit, the cast interprets these numbers with style and sincerity...Between the retro story, the skillfully performed '90s pop, and the mom from 'Home Improvement,' one couldn't ask for much more in the way of millennial nostalgia. This show is stupid good fun."
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“The sexy and cruelly delicious sights and sounds seduce you the moment you enter...A tantalizing night out mixed with incredible voices and charm, as much a tribute to the 90's as it is a beautiful new take on an iconic classic...This production is something fierce...It has a little something for everyone...A wonderful hybrid of a musical and concert, keeping the edge and risqué found in the movie with the emotion that translates so well to the stage...The cast is stellar."
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“A jukebox musical, making use of numerous '90s pop hits...Only distantly related to the action onstage...’Cruel Intentions’ is junk, but everybody involved seems to be in on the joke, and the cast is loaded with young talents...Rosin's direction ensures a fast pace, lest anyone have a minute to think about the overall silliness...As a kind of party game for a young audience interested in having a few drinks and hearing dynamic covers of pop hits from their salad days, I suppose it works.”
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“This well-mounted jukebox musical is packed with 1990’s pop songs and faithfully replicates the 1999 teen drama...It’s best appreciated by those of the right age nostalgic for the music of their youth. Anyone else would most likely find it at best a passable diversion...It’s decidedly not an event for musical theater connoisseurs...Ross, Rosin, and Kumble’s script is an efficient and cheeky treatment with an abundance of erection jokes and sly, sexual innuendo.”
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"Savvy, engaging, fun pop culture entertainment. Well-cast, beautifully sung, fun, and funny, 'Cruel Intentions: The Musical' works on every level. Broadly entertaining, fans and newcomers will absolutely be entranced as the usage of song enhances characterizations and wryly comments on the situations....Rosin’s direction is strong – brisk, with deft characterization choices, wise musical selection, and astute casting...The cast is uniformly great."
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"Full of fun high school sex and drama...It’s a fun evening, cute, just a wee bit sexy, and super silly...The story is really there to provide a context for the performance of our favorite ‘90s pop songs...This is a satisfying play: hearing the lines we love, predicting or being surprised about the songs they choose to include. In a way, this is as close to a ‘sure thing’ performance you are going to find. If you are about that ‘90s pop life, you'll love it.”
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