Great Intentions
Coral Drouyn looks at the first musical on the Gold Coast for 2023, in which two young Queenslanders will make their debut
Back in the 20th century there were many great original musicals written for the screen. But there was also Broadway, and the best of the Broadway Musicals were, after their hit runs on stage, adapted for the silver screen. We had the chance to see everything from Oklahoma! to West Side Story and onwards to Les Misérables and In The Heights. The reverse happened in the last twenty years….and stage musicals have been adapted from a variety of non-musical films. Some would say The Wedding Singer (for example) is better as a stage musical than a film, and the same can be said of Cruel Intentions. The 1999 film, based on the period French drama, Les Liaisons Dangereuses proved that teenagers could be even more manipulative and traitorous than their adult counterparts. Betrayal of the innocent while still at High School doesn’t seem like a subject for a musical…until you realise that this is a Jukebox Musical…..and there is all that great 90s Pop Music to play with. And when you have hits by Britney, Jewel, NSYNC, Christine Aguilera and The Verve to play with, it’s hardly surprising that critics have called it “The Best of the Nineties.” And “Joyous….full of fun.”
Cruel Intentions is one of those musicals that we will undoubtedly see tour every few years, because all of us old enough to be Music Theatre Tragics remember our schooldays and the Nineties, and we KNOW that it isn’t true that “Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.”
Image: Daniel Erbacher
Cruel Intentions kicks of its 2023 tour with a season at HOTA on the Gold Coast, commencing Jan 20th before returning to Sydney and then yet another reprise in Melbourne.
While the show boasts great musical alumni like Kirby Burgess, and noted performers like Fem Belling, it’s a special occasion for two young Queenslanders who will be part of the ensemble. It’s well accepted that Australian shows have some of the greatest ensembles in the world of theatre. So, it’s special when you get to kick off a tour in your home state.
Both Daniel Erbacher, a native Queenslander hailing from Toowoomba, and Etuate Lutui, a native Tongan by way of Auckland, call Queensland home. Small wonder then that know each other as they are trained at the Queensland Conservatorium of Griffith University, which is growing in stature every year. But while Daniel has graduated, Etuate is just starting his final year. And while both young men are making their professional stage debut, they are not short on skills or experience. Daniel works as a choreographer throughout Queensland, mostly working as an educator. You can bet a lot of his students and family will be there on opening night to cheer him on. Etuate is no stranger to audiences. In New Zealand he was well known as a musician and performer. But now Queensland is very definitely home. Both have played lead roles in the conservatorium productions. But stepping onto the main stage is a different experience altogether – and both Daniel and Etuate are already excited, with the adrenalin pumping.
Image: Etuate Lutui
Post Covid theatre is seeing a lot of smaller productions making their way to the well fitted regional theatres, and boy are we glad of it. The Gold Coast might be more well known for sun and surf and theme parks… but they’re for the tourists. For the locals, there’s nothing to beat a great live show and Cruel Intentions promises to be the first of many great nights out this year.
Cruel Intentions opens on Jan 20th at HOTA and runs through to the 28th. Don’t miss it.