INTERVIEW: ‘Cruel Intentions’ offers musicalized trip to the 1990s

Cruel Intentions, the film starring Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe and Sarah Michelle Gellar, should be familiar to anyone who grew up in the 1990s. The modern retelling of Les Liaisons Dangereuses came out in 1999 and defined a moviegoing generation with its complicated story of sexual awakening.

Now the movie has been adapted into a successful off-Broadway musical, currently running at (le) Poisson Rouge in Downtown Manhattan. The show features many recognizable hits from the 1990s, and director Lindsey Rosin offers an immersive experience for the audience members.

At the center of the story are Sebastian Valmont (Constantine Rousouli) and Kathryn Merteuil (Lauren Zakrin), two step-siblings who place a bet on whether Sebastian can attract the attention of the headmaster’s daughter, Annette Hargrove (Carrie St. Louis). Sebastian’s advances turn sexual, and it’s anyone’s guess who will win the bet by the end of the musical. Patricia Richardson plays Mrs. Bunny Caldwell.

Another pivotal character in the drama is Cecile Caldwell, played by Jessie Shelton. The actress has performed in Hadestown at the New York Theatre Workshop, Futurity at Soho Rep. and on Two-Up’s 36 Questions podcast opposite Jonathan Groff.

“I had recently been called in to the casting office that cast the show for another thing that I wasn’t able to do, and so the next day … they called me in for this,” Shelton said in a recent phone interview. “And so I went in, and it’s actually quite unlike most things I’ve done or gone in for in the city. I’ve done a lot more downtown new musicals, experimental theater pieces, stuff like that, and so this was the first one that was really hearkening back to something that had such a presence of its own in its original form. So it was really exciting because the team is so clearly obsessed the show.”

Shelton wasn’t sure of her chances because the audition room seemed to be filled with a Hollywood crowd from Los Angeles. The show is created by Jordan Ross, Rosin and Roger Kumble.

“Somehow I just thought, oh, this is a bunch of bigwigs,” she said. “I don’t know if this is going to go very well because I don’t think I’d had some auditions for a while. I was coming off another project, so I went in. And it was one of the warmest rooms I’ve ever been in. Just everyone was so excited I was there, so kind. I actually originally went in for the role of Annette, now played by Carrie St. Louis. I did my stuff. It went really well, but they saw something a little different in me.”

After she auditioned, the creative team asked her to stick around for a little longer. They wanted her to read for the Cecile role.

“They gave me one of the first scenes in Act II between Catherine and Cecile when Cecile is talking about her sexual awakening basically,” Shelton said. “I get back in there, and they were just cracking up left and right. So I was like, hmm, however this pans out, I had fun. They had fun — awesome. And I think it was later that day, I was out for a drink with my wife, and I got the call from my agent that they wanted to see me for a callback dance call.”

Shelton went back in — still nervous because she was in a room with many other candidates. The assistant choreographer taught the performers the combination from the show, and the actress found the experience “awesome” and “cheery.”

“Everyone was having a good time, and we were dancing to the greatest ’90s music,” she said. “Then I actually was held once again after that call to come back in with just like six people or something, one of whom was Matthew Griffin, who is now my love interest in the show, Ronald. And we auditioned together, so we had our little dance moment and dance improv and had so much fun. And I think from there, they saw our chemistry and how much fun we were having, and then a few short weeks later, we ended up in the room together. And he’s such a wonderful guy to work with, so we had a lot of fun — continue to, every night, every day. It’s fantastic.”

Shelton has fallen in love with the music for the show. Many of the tunes are well-known classics from the Goo Goo Dolls, No Doubt, R.E.M., Ace of Base, Jewel and *NYSNC. Of course, two of the most memorable songs from the original movie are also featured: “Bittersweet Symphony” from The Verve and “Colorblind” by the Counting Crows.

“There were some that were new to me,” Shelton said. “I think I had vague echoes because I was born in ’89, so I did grow up in the ’90s. … I think I was just a little too young [for the film]. I was 10, so when it first came out, I hadn’t seen it. But the music was echoing in my sort of lizard brain, but it really was a ’90s education for me because, other than a few highlights or choruses I might have known, most [were] new. And these songs, it’s incredible they got all the rights to perform them. I’m so thrilled because it really is so satisfying every night to get up there and sort of make people’s dreams come true that come for that ’90s nostalgia. [They] get to see us really embody and take these songs and become rock stars ourselves in those moments.”

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

Cruel Intentions is currently playing at (le) Poisson Rouge at 158 Bleecker St. in New York City. Click here for more information and tickets.