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HOME IMPROVEMENT's Patricia Richardson Completes Cast of CRUEL INTENTIONS Off-Broadway

By: Oct. 26, 2017
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Cruel Intentions: The Musical has turned the 90s nostalgia level up to eleven.

Eva Price and Sucker Love Productions are have announced that four-time Emmy nominee Patricia Richardson, who captured the hearts of American families for a decade on the hit television show "Home Improvement", is returning to the stage as Mrs. Bunny Caldwell in Cruel Intentions: The Musical for the show's ten-week limited engagement at Le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker Street) this fall.

Richardson, who made her Broadway debut in the first revival of Gypsy, completes a cast which features the previously announced Lauren Zakrin (Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812; Rock of Ages) as Kathryn, Constantine Rousouli (Wicked, Ghost) as Sebastian, Carrie St. Louis (Rock of Ages, Wicked) as Annette, Jessie Shelton (Hadestown) as Cecile, Alex Boniello (Spring Awakening) as Blaine, Brian Muller ("The Good Wife") as Greg, and Matthew Griffin (The New Yorkers at Encores!) as Ronald.

Following two sold-out runs in Los Angeles and a sold-out pop-up engagement in NYC, Cruel Intentions: The Musical - the stage adaptation of Roger Kumble's 1999 cult hit film, created by Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin and Roger Kumble - begins performances on Friday, November 17, 2017 with opening night set for Monday, December 11. Set to the greatest pop and rock hits of the '90s and songs from the film's iconic soundtrack Cruel Intentions: The Musical features immersive stage direction by Lindsey Rosin and choreography by Jennifer Weber (KPOP, The Hip Hop Nutcracker), with Music Supervision and arrangements by Zach Spound. Richardson

Cruel Intentions: The Musical 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. 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. This new musical is a full-on '90s throwback to when email was only for "geeks and pedophiles" and rosaries were more than a fashion statement. Featuring your favorite nostalgia-inducing hits like, "Lovefool," "Just A Girl," "Only Happy When It Rains," "Colorblind," and - of course - "Bittersweet Symphony." Don't miss the most intoxicating musical in Manhattan. Your reputation depends on it.

Patricia Richardson is best known for her portrayal of Jill Taylor in "Home Improvement", which garnered her four Emmy nominations as well as two Golden Globe nominations. Some of her other television and film credits include "Strong Medicine," (two Prism Award Nominations), "The West Wing" (recurring the last two seasons) and Ulee's Gold ( Independent Spirit Award Nomination). Richardson made her Broadway debut understudying Angela Lansbury in Gypsy. She's created roles in The Miss Firecracker Contest (MTC), The Wake of Jamie Foster (Broadway), Michael Weller's Loose Ends (Broadway), and several shows at the WPA Theater (including Cruise Control by Kevin Wade. Her more recent credits include I Forgive You Ronald Reagan (Samuel Becket Theater), the world premiere of Alfred Uhry's Apples and Oranges directed by Lynne Meadow at the Alliance Theater and two plays at Buck's County Playhouse: M'Lynn in Steel Magnolias with Jessica Walters and Susan Sullivan, and last summer Other Desert Cities directed by Sheryl Kaller.

Cruel Intentions: The Musical is produced by Eva Price and Sucker Love Productions, and features Costume Stylist Tilly Grimes, Sound Design by Robert Bradley, Lighting Design by Daniel Kent and Props Design by Carolyn Mraz. The show 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 spring 2017, it made its New York premiere for a limited "pop-up" engagement at (le) Poisson Rouge, where it was a sold-out smash success.

Roger Kumble's film Cruel Intentions - a sexy, modern-day telling of the classic 1782 French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos - was produced by NeAl Moritz and released by Columbia Pictures on March 5, 1999, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, Selma Blair, Joshua Jackson, Eric Mabius, Sean PatRick Thomas and Christine Baranski. In addition to being an immediate box office hit, Cruel Intentions went on to carve itself a permanent spot in the pop culture lexicon. Rated the "#1 90s Teen Movie" by Buzzfeed and the "#1 Sexiest Thriller of All Time" byBustle, Cruel Intentions is "still as enormously entertaining" as ever more than 15 years after its release, according to Entertainment Weekly, "thanks to an uncommonly sharp script, a killer soundtrack, and, most importantly, an impeccable cast."

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Patricia Richardson (Mrs. Bunny Caldwell) was given her Actor's Equity card on her first audition in New York from Arthur Laurents to understudy Louise/Gypsy in Angela Lansbury's Broadway production and tour of Gypsy. From the small parts she played in Gypsy she got an agent and commercials, which subsidized several years of doing New York Theater. She created parts in two Beth Henley plays in NY: The Miss Firecracker Contest (MTC), and The Wake of Jamie Foster (Broadway). Other roles she created include Janice in Michael Weller's Loose Ends (Broadway), and several shows at the WPA Theater (including Cruise Control by Kevin Wade) and a few at Playwright's Horizons (a revival of Company w/Peter Evans, Walter Bobbie, Christine Baranski). In more recent years: I Forgive You Ronald Reagan (Samuel Becket Theater), the world premiere of Alfred Uhry's Apples and Oranges directed by Lynne Meadow at the Alliance Theater and two plays at Buck's County Playhouse, M'Lynn in Steel Magnolias w/ Jessica Walters and Susan Sullivan, and last summer, Other Desert Cities , directed by Sheryl Kaller. TV and Film: "Home Improvement" (Four Emmy Nominations, two Golden Globe Nominations), "Strong Medicine," (two Prism Award Nominations), "The West Wing" (recurring the last two seasons). Ulee's Gold ( Independent Spirit Award Nomination) . Most recently, IFP 2017 recipient Cubby and County Line. She also just did the pilot for "Dayworld", an animated series w/Tim Heidecker for Adult Swim. Patricia is the National Spokesperson for CurePSP, is on the National Board and was recently elected First VP of the LA Local Board of SAG-AFTRA.

Lindsey Rosin (Co-Creator/Director) is a professional writer/director/producer and fourth generation Los Angeles native. She is currently writing a feature film for Netflix and developing original one-hour TV projects with ABC Signature Studios and Freeform. She has recently written (or co-written) television pilots for NBC, CBS, MTV, Lionsgate, CBS Studios, Keshet Studios, and Ryan Seacrest Productions. Lindsey began her writing career as a playwright, having won numerous young playwriting competitions. Lindsey's debut novel, Cherry, was published by Simon Pulse in 2016 and has since been published internationally in the U.K., Italy, Spain and France. Lindsey is currently developing her novel into a musical. @lindseyrosin

Jordan Ross (Co-Creator) is a writer/producer from the suburbs of Philadelphia. He is currently writing for E!'s The Royals. After graduating from Temple University in 2010, he relocated to Los Angeles upon optioning his first screenplay, Rock Way, to Dolphin Entertainment. He spent three years as executive assistant to Dan Dworkin and Jay Beattie, the creative minds behind El Rey's Matador, MTV's Scream, and ABC's upcoming series, The Crossing. Last year, he co-executive produced/co-wrote NBC's Cruel Intentions television pilot and debuted an indie/alternative jukebox musical based on Nicholas Sparks' best-selling novel/film, A Walk To Remember, which he directed.

Jennifer Weber (Choreographer) Credits include: KPOP (Ars Nova), Stockholm (Stageworks, Hudson), PBS's Odd Squad Live! (National Tour). Direction/Choreography: The Hip Hop Nutcracker (annual holiday tour) Decadancetheatre (Jacob's Pillow, The Apollo, Kennedy Center, London's Southbank Center, New York City Center, and The Stanislavsky Music Theatre, Moscow). Commercial direction/choreography: M.R. Jacobs, CK2, American Express, Ulta, L'Oreal, Reebok, and Philosophy. Weber also directed the 2016 and 2017 national tours of Lifetime's Bring It Live! jenniferwebernyc.com.

Zach Spound (Music Director) is a writer, actor, and composer. He has been the music director, orchestrator, and arranger of Cruel Intentions: The Musical since its inception in 2015. He was a featured songwriter at the 2016 Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project in Chicago, was a winner of the 2016 NMI/Disney New Voices contest, and is currently developing his first full-length musical, LEAP. His music has also been heard at 54 Below as part of "FutureFest." As an actor, credits include Once (South Coast Repertory), Murder For Two (Geffen Playhouse), and Floyd Collins (La Mirada Theatre For The Performing Arts).

Eva Price (Producer) is a Tony Award-winning producer whose credits include over 15 Broadway plays, musicals, and concerts. She is a member of The Broadway League's Board of Governors and was named one of Crain's NY 40 Under Forty Rising Business Stars. Current and notable productions include: Dear Evan Hansen (6 Tony Awards); On Your Feet! (The Story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan); Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons on Broadway!; Peter and the Starcatcher (5 Tony Awards); Colin Quinn Long Story Short (directed by Jerry Seinfeld); Annie (Tony-Nominated Musical Revival); The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino (Tony-Nominated Play Revival); Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking; The Addams Family (starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth); as well as several solo shows and critically acclaimed concerts starring The Temptations & The Four Tops; Kathy Griffin; Lewis Black; and Hershey Felder. Recent off-Broadway projects include the Drama Desk-nominated Found (Atlantic Theater Company & Philadelphia Theater Company); Benjamin Scheuer's award-winning The Lion (Drama Desk winner, Off-West End winner for Best Musical); and Bess Wohl's critically acclaimed Small Mouth Sounds. International and Touring Credits include: The Hip Hop Nutcracker, featuring Rap Icon Kurtis Blow, Carefree: Dancin' with Fred and Ginger (Directed/Choreographed by Tony Winner Warren Carlyle), as well as The Magic School Bus, Live! The Climate Challenge; Ella, a bio musical about the life and music of Ella Fitzgerald; 'S Wonderful: The New Gershwin Musical; Tomie dePaola's Strega Nona The Musical, Irving Berlin's I Love A Piano (National Tour and Japan), The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Private Jokes, Public Places (London). For five years Eva worked as an assignment editor and coordinating producer for special projects at ABC News, spending her last year producing and reporting on stories relating to Broadway for ABCNEWS.COM. Upcoming: Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill.







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