If/Then

by Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt

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 40-year old woman named Elizabeth^[1] who moves back to New York City for a fresh start. After a tryout at the National Theatre in 2013, If/Then to open on Broadway at the Richard Rogers Theatre in March 2014.

Run

Dates	Type & Version	Theatre
Mar 27, 2014 – Open	Musical, Original	Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York, NY

Productions

If/Then had a developmental lab in April 2013, featuring Idina Menzel and directed by Michael Greif.^[2]

If/Then began an out-of-town tryout at the National Theatre, Washington, D.C. from November 5 to December 8, 2013, officially opening on November 24.^[3] The musical is expected to open on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on March 4, 2014, officially on March 27, 2014.^[4]

The musical is directed by Michael Greif, with choreography by Larry Keigwin, sets by Mark Wendland, costumes by Emily Rebholz and lighting by Kenneth Posner. The cast stars Idina Menzel as Elizabeth, with LaChanze as Kate, James Snyder as Josh, and Anthony Rapp as Lucas, along with Tamika Sonja Lawrence, Jenn Colella, Jerry Dixon, and Jason Tam.^[4]

Synopsis

Newly divorced 39-year-old Elizabeth, an urban planner, moves to New York City for a fresh start. She meets her friends Kate, a lesbian kindergarten teacher, and Lucas, a bisexual community organizer, in the park. Kate suggests that Elizabeth start using the name “Liz” and seek out new experiences. Lucas suggests that she go back to her college nickname, “Beth,” and start making professional connections in the city. “Liz” stays in the park with Kate while “Beth” leaves with Lucas, and the remainder of the show depicts two paths that Elizabeth’s life could take.

Kate and Liz stop to listen to a musician in the park. Josh, an Army doctor returning from his second tour of duty, approaches Liz but she politely rebuffs him. Later, joined by Kate’s girlfriend Anne, they encounter Josh again on the subway and Kate convinces Liz to take his number. But she only agrees to a date after a third encounter in the park (where Josh later admits he started spending more time in hopes of seeing her). Liz later gets in touch with an old friend, Stephen, who works in the city planner’s office. His deputy position was recently filled, but he recommends her for a professorship and she gets the job. Josh introduces his best friend David to Lucas, and they become a couple. Liz has been trying to go slow with Josh, but she gives into her passion and they spend the night together. Liz gets pregnant; she and Josh marry and have two sons. Kate and Anne also marry, but later divorce due to Anne’s infidelity. Josh is shipped overseas, where he is killed in the line of duty. A despondent Liz relies heavily on Kate and Lucas, and decides to leave her teaching position. Lucas and David adopt a son. Stephen asks Liz to come work for him on a major new development project in midtown Manhattan, and she accepts.

Lucas and Beth attend Lucas’ protest against a development project, but his encouragement that she should answer her phone results in her meeting with Stephen the next day and accepting the deputy position that puts her in charge of that project. Beth gets Lucas to drop his objections by using her new connections to get his book published. Beth and Stephen become close, and Beth eventually kisses him but he leaves to be with his wife. Beth calls Lucas, and they spend the night together. Beth gets pregnant but does not tell Lucas. Without consulting him, she has an abortion; as a result, he doesn’t talk to her for two years, even ignoring her after he is the first person she reaches out to after a near-death experience during business travel. However, he is unable to say that he actually wanted to have a child. Beth wins awards for her work and Lucas becomes a noted activist. Kate and Anne marry, and later plan to divorce after Anne is unfaithful, but Beth insists that they work on their relationship and they do stay together. Stephen, now divorced, tells Beth he regrets turning her down years earlier, and he invites her to work for him in the state government. But she turns him down, opting to stay to run for the city council. When Beth meets Lucas and Kate in the park for coffee, Josh is returning home from his third tour of duty. He approaches her and she lets him buy her a coffee.

Video

Cast

ReceptionIf/Then premiered to mixed to positive reviews in Washington DC. While critics praised the cast, especially Menzel and LaChanze, they found it difficult to differentiate between the protagonist’s two realities. The Washington Post in particular noted that the show has the ingredients that it needs to succeed.
Creative

References

Gans, Andrew. “Tix Now on Sale for Pre-Broadway Engagement of New Musical ‘If/Then’, Starring Tony Winner Idina Menzel” Playbill, July 24, 2013, accessed 1 August 2013
Hetrick, Adam. “Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey Broadway Musical ‘If/Then’ Will Get NYC Lab Presentation” playbill.com, March 7, 2013
Hetrick, Adam. “Pre-Broadway Premiere of ‘If/Then’, Starring Idina Menzel, Opens Nov. 24 in Washington, DC” playbill.com, November 24, 2013
“Miguel Cervantes, Curtis Holbrook, Ryann Redmond Join Broadway’s ‘If/Then’; Complete Cast and Creative Team Announced” playbill.com, August 27, 2013

External Links

Official website
If/Then at the Internet Broadway Database

Role	Original Pre-Broadway Cast	Original Broadway Cast
Elizabeth Vaughan	Idina Menzel	Idina Menzel
Kate	LaChanze	LaChanze
Lucas	Anthony Rapp	Anthony Rapp
Josh Barton	James Snyder	James Snyder
Stephen	Jerry Dixon	Jerry Dixon
Anne	Jenn Colella	Jenn Colella
David	Jason Tam	Jason Tam
Elena	Tamika Lawrence	Tamika Lawrence U/S Kate
Ensemble	Joe Cassidy	Jackie Burns Standby Elizabeth
Ensemble	Miguel Cervantes	Joe Cassidy U/S Lucas, Stephen
Ensemble	Curtis Holbrook	Miguel Cervabtes U/S David
Ensemble	Stephanie Klemons	Curtis Holbrook U/S Lucas
Ensemble	Tyler McGee	Stephanie Klemmons U/S Anne, Elena
Ensemble	Ryann Redmond	Tyler McGee U/S Josh
Ensemble	Joe Aaron Reid	Ryann Redmond
Ensemble	Ann Sanders	Joe Arron Reid U/S Sephen
Ensemble		Ann Sanders U/S Anne
Ensemble		Marc Delacruz U/S David
Ensemble		Charles Hagerty U/S Josh
Ensemble		Janet Krupin U/S Elena
Ensemble		Pearl Sun U/S Kate
Book and Lyrics	Brian Yorkey
Composer	Tom Kitt
Director	Michael Greif
Choreographer	Larry Keigwin
Orchestrations	Michael Starobin
Music Director	Carmel Dean
Vocal Arrangements	Annmarie Milazzo
Set Designer	Mark Wendland
Costume Designer	Emily Rebholz
Lighting Designer	Kenneth Posner
Sound Designer	Brian Ronan
Wig and Hair Design	David Brian Brown