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If/Then

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"IfThen" redirects here. For the sculpture series, see IfThenSheCan.
If/Then
Original Logo
MusicTom Kitt
LyricsBrian Yorkey
BookBrian Yorkey
SettingNew York City
PremiereMarch 30, 2014 (2014-03-30): Richard Rodgers Theatre
Productions2013 Washington, D.C.
2014 Broadway
2015 US Tour
2022 South Korea

If/Then is a musical with a libretto by Brian Yorkey and a theatrical score by Tom Kitt, directed by Michael Greif. It tells the story of a 38-year-old woman named Elizabeth who moves back to New York City for a fresh start.[1]

If/Then began previews on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on March 5, 2014, opened on March 30, 2014, and closed on March 22, 2015, a total of 401 performances and 29 previews. The cast recording was released by Masterworks Broadway on June 3, 2014,[2] and debuted at number 19 on the Billboard 200, the highest-charting Broadway cast recording since the cast recording of The Book of Mormon was released in 2011.[3]

If/Then started its national tour in Denver, Colorado, on October 13, 2015.[4] On January 27, 2016, Jackie Burns replaced Idina Menzel as Elizabeth for the remainder of the tour.[5]

Productions

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After a developmental lab in April 2013, featuring Idina Menzel and directed by Michael Greif,[6] If/Then staged an out-of-town tryout at the National Theatre, Washington, D.C. from November 5 to December 8, 2013.[7] The musical began previews on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on March 5, 2014, and officially opened on March 30.[8]

The Broadway production is directed by Greif, with choreography by Larry Keigwin, sets by Mark Wendland, costumes by Emily Rebholz, lighting by Kenneth Posner, and orchestrations by Michael Starobin. The original cast includes Menzel as Elizabeth, LaChanze as Kate, James Snyder as Josh, and Anthony Rapp as Lucas, along with Tamika Sonja Lawrence, Jenn Colella, Jerry Dixon, and Jason Tam.[8]

A national tour, with Menzel again in the starring role, began in Denver in October 2015.[4]

A South Korean production is set to play in Hongik Daehakro Art Center Grand Theater from December 8, 2022 to February 26, 2023.[9]

Synopsis

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38-year-old divorcee Elizabeth moves back to her hometown of New York City to start her life anew. Her kindergarten teacher friend Kate suggests she adopt the nickname Liz and attend a concert, while her activist friend Lucas suggests she return to her college nickname of Beth and join him at a rally. The work switches back and forth between the two possible timelines.

Liz meets an army doctor named Josh, and after a brief hesitation, falls in love with him. Josh introduces Lucas to his friend David, and they too begin a relationship. Liz and Josh have two children, but Josh, having delayed his third tour of duty as long as possible, is deployed and killed in action. Meanwhile, Kate's marriage ends in divorce, and David encourages Liz to confront her loss.

Beth, having brushed off Josh, receives a call from her former classmate Stephen, who offers her a job as a city planner. After an awkward kiss with Stephen, Beth invites Lucas over, and they have sex. Lucas is in love with Beth, but she is not interested in him. Beth learns she is pregnant with Lucas's child, but opts to get an abortion, ruining their friendship. Years pass, and Beth throws herself into work while remaining lonely. After a harrowing near-death experience, Beth urges Kate and Anne to make up and love each other while they can.

Five years after the opening scene, Liz and Beth both meet their friends in the park. Liz reconnects with Stephen, who has a job opportunity for her, while Beth meets Josh, back from his originally scheduled third tour of duty. Both women take the new opportunity and face the future.

Musical numbers

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† In the pre-Broadway production, this song is not performed; instead, "The Story of Dick and Jane", was performed by Kate and company
‡ In the pre-Broadway production, this song is moved and performed between "This Day / Walking By A Wedding" and "Hey Kid"
* In the pre-Broadway production, this song is not performed; instead, a different version of "No More Wasted Time", was performed by Kate and Anne

Notable casts

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Role Original Broadway National Tour
Elizabeth Vaughn Idina Menzel
Kate LaChanze
Lucas Anthony Rapp
Josh Barton James Snyder
Stephen Jerry Dixon Daren A. Herbert
Anne Jenn Colella Janine DiVita
David Jason Tam Marc de la Cruz
Elena Tamika Lawrence Kyra Faith
Deputy Mayor and others Joe Cassidy Corey Greenan
A Bartender and others Miguel Cervantes Cliffton Hall
A Soldier and others Curtis Holbrook Xavier Cano
A Flight Attendant and others Stephanie Klemons Alicia Taylor Tomasko
A Street Musician and others Tyler McGee
Paulette and others Ryann Redmond English Bernhardt
An Architect and others Joe Aaron Reid —
Cathy and others Ann Sanders Deedee Magno Hall

Reception

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While at the National Theatre, Peter Marks, reviewing for The Washington Post praised Menzel, calling her "an earthy star with heavenly pipes"[10] but said the play makes "it difficult to determine at any given moment which of the stories of Elizabeth's fate we're in".[10] Marks noted that the show has the ingredients that it needs for success: "It's a winning blob, and it provides a lot of engaging elements, from Mark Wendland's becoming minimalist set, with rotating skeletons of city apartments and handsome retractable fire escapes, to Emily Rebholz's sleek and taste-drenched costumes. The score — a far sunnier composition than the songwriters worked out for their Pulitzer Prize-winning musical about mental illness, 'Next to Normal' — gives Tony-winner Menzel the power ballads in which her fans from 'Wicked' and 'Rent' will exult."[10]

The Broadway production received primarily mixed reviews, with the consensus being that the cast shone, but the score and book were still unclear. Ben Brantley of The New York Times gave a mixed review but stated that Idina Menzel "brings an anxious intensity to a featherweight part".[11] Mark Kennedy of ABC News said, "An uneven — maybe not completely finished — show opened Sunday at the Richard Rodgers Theatre with an intriguing, ambitious premise and a leading lady with a shockingly good voice, but a clumsy story and too few impressive songs".[12] Peter Marks of The Washington Post summed up his review with, "If/Then is an enjoyable, beautifully sung, at times deeply touching experience, built on a structure that never completely works."[13] Robert Hofler of The Wrap gave an optimistic review, comparing the show's non-traditional structure to Stephen Sondheim's Company, saying "Today, audiences seeing those classic shows understand perfectly what's going on. Audiences seeing them in the original productions – take it from me – were very confused and exasperated" and that "...it's an intriguing book, but one that Yorkey might tinker with beyond opening night, just as the books of 'Merrily We Roll Along' and 'Follies' went through many revisions after their respective Broadway premieres. In other words, see 'If/Then' now so you can have the fun of making comparisons to its future revivals, of which there will be many".[14] Elysa Gardner of USA Today was positive, writing, "Yorkey's book and lyrics match the probing compassion of Normal without indulging in that show's preciousness. The characters here are more accessible and likable, from James Snyder's rugged but tender Josh to Anthony Rapp's wry Lucas, Elizabeth's longtime friend. LaChanze brings infectious verve to the role of Kate, a lesbian schoolteacher who evolves from a stock comic-buddy type into a compelling individual. As for the leading lady, Menzel seems both grounded and energized by the opportunity to play a grownup who learns that there really are no ever-afters. There is poignance in that discovery, but a sense of liberation as well, and If/Then captures both to moving, invigorating effect."[15]

Despite mixed reviews, the show enjoyed strong box-office returns. During its first full week of performances, the show debuted in the top 10 with $931,268.[16] The show was highlighted by Entertainment Weekly as one of the hits of the 2013–2014 season.[17] By the last week of April the show was playing to over 97% capacity and was noted as one of the two highest-grossing new musicals.[18][19] In May, If/Then was noted by Variety as being one of "the spring openers that have shown box office strength all along," and was still bringing in over a million dollars at the box-office every week.[20] Also in May, Deadline Hollywood highlighted the fact that If/Then was defying the odds as one of the few original musicals to perform strongly in recent years, with most original musicals only lasting around a month. Deadline.com went on to comment on the strength of Menzel's name and fan-base as being behind the show's financial success.[21] Nevertheless, the production likely closed at a loss.[22]

Streaming series

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While the show was on Broadway, James Snyder hosted a Broadway.com vlog titled Hey Kid showing what went on backstage. The series was originally expected to run for an eight episode single season, but was extended to 12 episodes due to popularity, before being extended again. It ended up running for three seasons, or 24 episodes, making it one of the longest-running Broadway.com vlogs ever.

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Ceremony Category Nominee Result
2014 Tony Award[23] Best Original Score Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey Nominated
Best Lead Actress in a Musical Idina Menzel Nominated
Drama Desk Award[24] Outstanding Actress in a Musical Nominated
Outstanding Orchestrations Michael Starobin Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award[25] Outstanding New Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway) Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey Nominated
Drama League Award[26] Distinguished Performance Idina Menzel Nominated

References

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  1. ^ Gans, Andrew (July 24, 2013). "Tix Now on Sale for Pre-Broadway Engagement of New Musical If/Then, Starring Tony Winner Idina Menzel". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  2. ^ Rosky, Nicole (April 16, 2014). "IF/THEN Cast Album Tracklist Announced; Release Set for 6/3". BroadwayWorld.
  3. ^ Caulfield, Keith (June 11, 2014). "Idina Menzel's 'If/Then' Scores Show-Stopping Chart Debut". Billboard.
  4. ^ a b Gioia, Michael (May 27, 2015). "Starting Over, Again! Idina Menzel Will Launch The National Tour of If/Then". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  5. ^ "Jackie Burns wows in thoughtful 'If/Then' national tour". Dallas Morning News. January 29, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  6. ^ Hetrick, Adam (March 7, 2013). "Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey Broadway Musical If/Then Will Get NYC Lab Presentation". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  7. ^ Hetrick, Adam (November 24, 2013). "Pre-Broadway Premiere of If/Then, Starring Idina Menzel, Opens Nov. 24 in Washington, DC". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Hetrick, Adam (August 27, 2013). "Miguel Cervantes, Curtis Holbrook, Ryann Redmond Join Broadway's If/Then; Complete Cast and Creative Team Announced". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  9. ^ "쇼노트 > 뮤지컬". www.shownote.com (in Korean). Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  10. ^ a b c Marks, Peter. "Eagerly awaited musical 'If/Then' is a winning blob, with many kinks to be worked out". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  11. ^ Brantley, Ben (March 30, 2014). "In 'If/Then,' Idina Menzel Travels Two Paths". The New York Times.
  12. ^ Kennedy, Mark (March 31, 2014). "Review: Menzel Shines but 'If/Then' Too Sloppy". ABC News. Archived from the original on April 1, 2014.
  13. ^ Marks, Peter (March 30, 2014). "Sleeker, smarter, more exhilarating 'If/Then' musical hits Broadway". The Washington Post.
  14. ^ Hofler, Robert (March 30, 2014). "'If/Then' Theater Review: Idina Menzel Lets It Go and Go". The Wrap. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  15. ^ Gardner, Elysa (March 30, 2014). "Idina Menzel embraces reality in 'If/Then'". USA Today.
  16. ^ Heller, Scott (April 27, 2014). "'If/Then' Opens Well at the Box Office". The New York Times. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  17. ^ Geier, Thom (April 14, 2014). "Broadway box office: Denzel Washington's 'Raisin in the Sun' is season's biggest hit". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 15, 2014. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
  18. ^ Healy, Patrick (April 21, 2014). "Growing Sales for 'Beautiful' and 'Rocky' on Broadway". The New York Times. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
  19. ^ Simonson, Robert (April 22, 2014). "Broadway Box-Office Analysis, April 14–20: If/Then, Lady Day and More Boast Almost-Full Audiences". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  20. ^ Cox, Gordon (May 12, 2014). "Broadway Box Office: The Street Sticks to Its Guns Against TV Upfronts and 'Godzilla'". Variety.
  21. ^ Gerard, Jeremy (May 13, 2014). "Broadway B.O.: Idina Menzel's Star Power; Fred Zollo's Photographic Memory". Deadline.
  22. ^ "History of Recoups". Broadway Brain. April 20, 2015. Archived from the original on October 25, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  23. ^ Gans, Andrew (April 29, 2014). "68th Annual Tony Awards Nominations Announced; Gentleman's Guide Leads the Pack". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  24. ^ Gans, Andrew (April 25, 2014). "2014 Annual Drama Desk Awards Nominations Announced; Gentleman's Guide Earns 12 Nominations". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  25. ^ "2013-2014 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  26. ^ Gardner, Elysa (April 23, 2014). "Denzel, Daniel, Neil among Drama League Award nominees". USA Today. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
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