IF/THEN opening in DC tonight.- Page 2

[steven22]

Posted: 11/6/13 at 9:30am

The website has been updated. Interesting that Jackie Burns is the only cover for Elizabeth (Idina's character).

[promisespromises2]

Posted: 11/6/13 at 9:49am

I absolutely loved it.
It definitely needs work, but I think it has really great potential. The "What the F*uck" song was PERFECT, and I thought a lot of the staging was extremely clever. Idina sounded on point in every song, her voice was seriously beautiful (and I know when she's off, I saw her concert in PA recently when she was ill).

It was a bit confusing at first, and I hear a lot of people saying they were confused after the first act, but it got pretty clear throughout the second act.

I think the transitions between "Beth" and "Liz" were SO smooth that people didn't understand there was a scenario change going on, if that makes sense?

I loved all of the songs and the chemistry seemed great on stage.

I'm definitely going to see it again.

The cast was really good about signing at the end besides Idina (which I heard she has a reputation for that anyway). She just signed a few people's Playbills in the front and left. Every other cast member walked down the whole line though. The only reason why people saying LaChanze didn't sign many is because there was confusion that Idina came out and then disappeared, so the line broke up trying to find Idina leaving LaChanze in smaller groups to sign things.

I didn't notice any obvious blunders with the set or anything besides Idina tripping up the stairs once (and her voice never faltered, it was impressive).

[promisespromises2]

Posted: 11/6/13 at 9:55am

Oh! And the merchandise they had were: small poster ( picture on the playbill), unisex tshirt and a woman's tshirt ( looks more boat neck-like), coffee mug, and a magnet. I think that was it.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 11/6/13 at 10:35am

Spoiler alert:

This musical is set in NYC and stars Idina Menzel, LaChanze, and Anthony Rapp.

End spoilers.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 11/6/13 at 10:36am

Yeah, the transitions were hard to figure out at first, because the differences were more subtle. Eventually you realize that in one story, the stage is backlit orange, and in the other, it is backlit blue. But then randomly in some scenes, that changed and I wasn't sure. I'm an incredibly intelligent person. I can see a lot of audiences being confused. Maybe have a minor costume difference in Act 1? Or a Liz/Beth nametag?

[morosco]

Posted: 11/6/13 at 10:47am

Can anyone who attended last night comment on the recent paint job? Apparently it's no longer the billiard chalk blue it had been for years?

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 11/6/13 at 10:50am

I'm going the 21st. I hope they painted the place. I always thought the institutional blue was hideous.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/6/13 at 11:11am

So the black girl is playing the sassy character? Sounds revolutionary.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 11/6/13 at 11:13am

God yes. That blue was an eyesore. Like a mental institution blue. It's now a burnt orange/reddish color with a nice trim at the ceiling. Looks great.

[promisespromises2]

Posted: 11/6/13 at 11:15am

If it was that hideous of blue I would have noticed it. I think they painted it!
And I think LaChanze seemed sassy because Ifinas character was such an opposite, but I think LaChanze was just more of an idealist and romantic. She definitely had her sassy-ness but there was more to her character than that.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 11/6/13 at 11:29am

I don't think I've ever posted second-hand comments on here, but a close friend saw the show last night and told me it's off to a very promising start. This is someone whose opinion I trust very much, so I thought I'd add their voice to this thread. From what I was told, the score is very smart and clever, and the book (which sounds very ambitious) managed to get a surprisingly vocal reaction from the audience after certain lines/scenes, which for a first out-of-town preview is no small accomplishment. He noted that the show certainly isn't perfect and the first act particularly needs some editing, but that the second act is clearer, has more focus, and is the emotional crux of the piece (not to mention that it gives Idina multiple opportunities to bring the house down). Anthony Rapp is apparently giving a surprising performance, LaChanze is fantastic, and Idina is simply killing it (and she's sounding better than ever). He also mentioned that the set is utilized in a completely different way from N2N's. Oh, and apparently the stage door was packed with 250+ fans.

I will hopefully be making the trip to D.C. in the coming weeks to see the show, so I'll report back if I do, but this is someone whose opinion I trust entirely. If this writing team can figure out the problems with a show like N2N, then the report I heard today gives me a lot of faith and promise that this show could really be something special by time it comes to NY. It's an entirely original musical and last night was their first performance in front of an audience; I am 10,000% sure that the creative team knows they have some work ahead of them before previews start on Broadway. Updated On: 11/6/13 at 11:29 AM

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 11/6/13 at 12:27pm

How would you say the score compares to N2N?

[N2N Nate.]

Posted: 11/6/13 at 12:36pm

Very happy to hear all these positive comments. The set looks pretty boss and I am ecstatic to hear that Idina sounds incredible. I just hope her voice holds out. How hard of a role is it vocally?

[mcsquared]

Posted: 11/6/13 at 1:05pm

The singing was great but I was very confused after the first act and didn't realize there were two (or more?) forks until well into second act. Still have questions but don't want to post spoilers so hoping one of you can fill me in offline...

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 11/6/13 at 1:45pm

Score is very similar to N2N.

The score sits well with Idina's voice. It's more lower register than big belty high songs. She's also not singing every song or appearing in every scene.

Lots of songs. I didn't see a song list, so I lost track of them all, to be honest. A few stuck out more than others. I liked What the F*ck, Anthony and Jason's song, and this one that's mainly an ensemble song about their personal map of New York. No major clunkers.

mcsquared, PM me your questions.

Updated On: 11/6/13 at 01:45 PM

[promisespromises2]

Posted: 11/6/13 at 2:04pm

Yeah her voice should definitely be ok, no big belty songs. I loved her solo song before the finale, the what the f*ck song, and the "hate you, I love you" song. I really loved them all except the one that LaChanze and Jenn Colella sang together.

[binau]

Posted: 11/6/13 at 2:42pm

Re: spoilers. In the past people have prefaced their comments with the phrase "spoilers". I personally think that's a thoughtful thing to do.

[gabbym]

Posted: 11/6/13 at 3:05pm

Sounds like it needs to be tightened and hope they heed any changes that the critics point out need to be made before New York, unlike Big Fish when it played Chicago and was not really worked on all that much during NY previews, that's why the show was not a mega hit.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 11/7/13 at 12:04am

I have faith in this creative team. The NEXT TO NORMAL that I saw at Second Stage was a mess compared to what finally made it to Broadway. And while the plot of IF/THEN sounds a bit muddy, I'd wager to say the plot of NEXT TO NORMAL sounds more absurd.

Thanks for all the reports everyone! Can't get to D.C. so I'm glad to hear reactions!

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 11/7/13 at 12:24am

Seeing this Saturday, and I'm suddenly very excited! Grain of salt , of course, but it seems off to the right track.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 11/7/13 at 1:50am

I also have a lot of faith in this creative team. Based on the transformation that Next to Normal made between Second Stage and Arena, I think they can make the changes needed to make something that is apparently this ambitious work. I can't wait to hear more reports from you guys who are going!

[Evita@theBroadway]

Posted: 11/7/13 at 11:09am

I’m typing this en route to the airport – apologies in advance for any typos!

I saw If/Then last night with a friend and we were very underwhelmed by the entire production.

Plot – For starters, the plot isn’t anything dynamic. A 39 year old woman moves to back to New York and takes a job doing – WAIT FOR IT – city planning/working for the MTA! Not exactly material that makes for a stirring drama.

One of the big issues I had with If/Then was that I really didn’t care for Idina’s character (Liz/Beth). For much of the show she comes off as jaded, standoff-ish, arrogant and emotionally distant. These qualities didn’t exactly endear me to her. And in Act II, there are several scenes where I should really care for her character and I don’t. I feel that by the time the real drama arrives in Act II, I was so bored that I just wanted the evening over with and didn’t care what happened.

Furthermore – the whole issue of the parallel storylines in the show is extremely unclear and confusing. There were many times during the show I was trying to figure out what was going on and trying to make sense of the action onstage. It was a mess and if the show’s to be successful then they need to clean up the book.

Anthony Rapp – It feel’s like he’s playing an updated version of Mark from Rent, a grassroots organizer. I wonder if he was type cast, or just enjoys playing this type of role?

James Snyder – He was fine, nothing earth shattering. Although, he sound off key at several moments during the show, most noticeably in his big Act I ballad to Idina.

Score – Weak and anticlimactic. The Act I finale was the weakest finale I have ever seen. There are two solid numbers in the show “What the F*CK” and “What If (Idina’s big eleven o’clock number).” Aside from that, a big disappointment, especially considering how great the N2N score was.

Set – I loved the set. There are several scenes when the floor lights up and the mirror above stage reflect the design to the audience. It’s a really cool effect that shows the NYC subway map. For the city planning scenes it’s pretty effective.

A few quick random notes – The playbill DOES NOT contain a song list. I found this annoying because I wanted to track the songs thru the tryout. See what gets cut, what gets added etc.

Also, if you are in the balcony, prepare to have an obstructed view for 25% of the show. The mirror above the stage moves, and at times it’s hard to see the action on stage.

Overall – They have A LOT of work to do. But I wonder if the show’s plot prevents it from being successful. I mean are theatergoers really going to pay $130 a seat for a show about a women who moves back to New York and takes up city planning? I get what they’re trying to do with the show, and the parallel storylines. But it left me wondering whether the plot alone lends itself well to being a musical. I don’t know.

The National Theater was pretty full last night. Leaving the theater, many of the conversations I overheard said the same thing, “It needs work before Broadway.”

I’m going to closing night and will be eager to see what they change!

Welcome to DC If/Then and break a leg!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/7/13 at 11:23am

That color is almost as hideous as "Pepto Bismol Pink used in many picture palaces alledgedly because it came cheap and was easier to clean. these were not their original colors.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 11/7/13 at 12:58pm

Yeah, I mean it doesn't get any more preliminary than an out of town first preview of a totally original musical. I'm sure the creative team knows they have work to do, and I'm sure the show will be toyed and tinkered with quite a lot. Like I said, if anyone can make an ambitious-sounding entirely original musical work, it's this creative team.
Updated On: 11/7/13 at 12:58 PM

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 11/7/13 at 5:01pm

btw: any sexual things?