IF/THEN Musical WITH SPOILERS- Page 6

[MCfan2]

Posted: 11/22/13 at 2:59pm

The honor guard is a military unit that would provide him a funeral with military honors.

Thanks for the update -- interesting to hear about all the changes!

[adam.peterson44]

Posted: 11/22/13 at 3:18pm

Thanks for the explanation of honor guard. It seemed like that's what they were referring to, but then i was confused because it seemed like they were already at his military funeral (complete with army-uniformed guys carrying a coffin). So maybe the coffin on stage was somebody else's body, and they were just there to see Josh's remains and decide what to do next.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 11/22/13 at 9:46pm

Last night, Idina's character's name was just Beth, after both Elizabeth, Liz and Beth were entertained early in Act 1.

[MCfan2]

Posted: 11/22/13 at 11:13pm

Really? No "Liz" at all after the first part? I'd think that would be way more confusing. The shifts between "Liz" and "Beth" really helped me keep track (and I needed all the help I could get!

[adam.peterson44]

Posted: 11/23/13 at 2:34am

I was also there last night and they were absolutely calling her Liz during the scenes where she chose friends/love over work (e.g. all the ones with Josh and David among others) and calling her Beth in the scenes where she chose work first.

They also made a nice change to "Map of New York" in having Stephen sing more of it as a lead in the second half with chorus singing harmonies rather than having the chorus sing most of the lines in the second half. I liked that song very much already and like it even more with Jerry Dixon's beautiful vocals being even more prominent. And in contrast with a previous commenter, I don't think it is really about city planning, other than maybe the first stanza (though even that one not entirely). It is more about what connects us to a city - places that stand out in our lives, where we make memories, etc. It resonates very strongly with me emotionally, and even more so with the subway map emerging in the background throughout.

[MVintheheartland]

Posted: 11/23/13 at 5:14pm

Sounds like they have made some changes since I saw it a week ago. Still, I stand by my assertion that (to me anyway) Liz or Beth or whatever she is called now was just not a likeable character. The show almost reminded me of "Merrily We Roll Along". I really, really, wanted to like it, and loved the music, but could not make the emotional investment in the characters.

Also, it just seemed to have too many "WTF" moments. As in, plane crash with just a brief mention about it in 2nd act. WTF? Beth declaring I love you/hate you to her departing deployed husband--WTF? (didn't make her any more likeable. And I don't feel it was honest, NOBODY does that in a military family, as I know). That song would have been much more effective if she sang it after he left.

Anyway, enjoying the various viewpoints of the show. I hope they fix it enough that it will appeal to a wider audience than just Idina fans or Manhattanites.

[balto2]

Posted: 11/25/13 at 9:01am

Saw the show last night... loved it. The emotion was awesome - and Idina's 11:00 number was fantastic - with the lighting, mirrors, stars - just incredible.

Loved the set - the mirrors were great - the stars, map of NYC, and just seeing what was going on toward the back of the stage (we were sitting close) was great.

Loved the songs - actually did leave the theater with a tune in my head.

Three questions that I had coming out of the show...

1) The plane crash. I understand that in the early performances the plane actually crashed. In last night's show, they said the plane "almost" crashed. A crash would have been very confusing - I can see why they made it "almost" - but there should have been something said right after "almost" about how it was a key point in Beth's decision tree. It clearly was for her assistant... but it wasn't apparent right away. I think it would be easier to digest - given that they want the emotional break during the "crash" of a short book moment that talks about what "almost" happened. The staging of the plane "almost" crash was awesome - the spinning turntable really gave the impression that the plane was going down - which is why the "almost" was a bit odd... since it definitely appeared they were heading for crash!

2) The user of the f-word. The WTF song was great... but there were several other times the F-word was used where it was really unnecessary - and made the significance of the WTF song a little less - since the word kept being used. Loved the song, thought it was great - but a few less F bombs in the book may make that song even more memorable.

3) Who the f-bomb is going to replace Idina one day? She gave such a powerful performance - and was on stage basically the entire show. I left the theater thinking that no one could possibly replace her - probably due to her awesome performance - but she definitely carries the show and I wonder who could replace her... or tour with this show - maybe Idina will sign up for the next 5 years and do 3 in NYC and 2 on Tour - one can dream.

[hockeynut2]

Posted: 11/25/13 at 9:40am

You can see the reviews for 'If/Then here in Other Reviews. As they are posted, I will add them in.

http://www.dcmetrotheaterarts.com/other-reviews/








Review of If/Then on DCMetroTheaterArts Updated On: 11/25/13 at 09:40 AM

[indytallguy]

Posted: 11/25/13 at 11:31am

3) Who the f-bomb is going to replace Idina one day? She gave such a powerful performance - and was on stage basically the entire show.

I'm not sure her role is any more demanding than other major female leads that shows for many decades have created. Many women would be able to play her part.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 11/25/13 at 12:29pm

Here are my full thoughts (there are some spoilers throughout):

I made the trip to D.C. to see the show on Saturday afternoon and, frankly, I thought it was in excellent shape. Especially for an out-of-town tryout. If this creative team could pull a 180 on the tonal issues in NEXT TO NORMAL, then they should absolutely be able to iron out the issues in this piece.

The first act can, admittedly, get a bit confusing when it comes to the storytelling and delineation of which story is which, but I do think that caused me to pay closer attention and made me get pulled into the characters and the story more. When a musical forces you to think a bit, it's never a bad thing. The first act is exposition-heavy, which isn't necessarily a bad thing either. For me, Idina's character really blossomed in the second act, where I thought the show soared. The second act allows the characters and plotlines to breathe and gives them much more of an open and free ebb and flow, whereas the first act does feel very concerned with the logistics of the piece. It's a tricky, tricky conundrum to solve, to make the complicated and ambitious storyline(s) both feel real and clearly delineated for the audience. But more importantly than anything, the show has its heart in the right place. I genuinely got choked up multiple times throughout, and was very much invested in these characters and their outcomes.

At 2ST, NEXT TO NORMAL's dramatic twists and turns felt provocative, but never really felt like they were fully explored. And I think some of IF/THEN's twists and turns are mostly fall into a similar category; the plane crash scene does feel a bit underdeveloped and Josh's death did happen a bit too quickly to fully register in the moment. But, as with N2N, I have faith that by time the show comes to Broadway, the writing team will have made these moments feel even more impactful and fleshed-out. I also really appreciated that the show never took the easy way out of any of the situations it created for itself; it never really felt like a "career vs family" show to me, and it never felt offensive towards women at all. In fact, it's pretty empowering when it comes to its female characters. There's an entire song praising the unsung strong, heroic, hard-working woman. And as far as people claiming that it's a show that poses the question "can women have it all?," I don't think that assumption could be more off. It's not like she's playing Sandra Bullock in THE PROPOSAL in one storyline and a Stepford Wife in the other. I don't think the show even poses that question, which as I said, would be the "easy" route. Instead, it tackles a larger question about being too cautious in life and too concerned with making that "right" choice. But the show, again, never says "family was the right choice!" or "work was the right choice!" Instead, it basically says that there is no "right" choice in life. And the decisions you make are going to be unpredictable and imperfect no matter what you choose. And that's okay.

Now, as for the cast, Idina is truly fantastic. I don't think she's ever sounded as good as she does now, and she brings a warmth, quirkiness, and charm to the role that is undeniably endearing. I didn't find her character "unlikeable" at all. I'm not sure if anyone's mentioned it on here, but she's got an 11:00 number ("Always Starting Over") that's going to rip the roof off of the Richard Rodgers. It was explosive...one of those thrilling theatrical moments that makes you want to jump up and scream. LaChanze is hilarious and in excellent voice, Anthony Rapp is reliably strong, and James Snyder is really great, especially in delivering a lovely song to his future child. The ensemble members pretty much all get moments to shine, and they're each very good.

The music is wonderful. It's got a different, more "folksy" sound than the N2N score, but I absolutely loved it. Surprising, smart lyrics as well. Even in the first act, where most problems are, the score is so good that it allows you to just kinda go with it. There were only a couple of songs I wasn't wild about, and I could definitely see some work being done on tinkering with them/rewriting them. The book is where most of the structural issues lie, but that's mostly an inherent issue with an out of town run of an original, ambitious musical like this. It's still in perfectly good shape. It's full of genuinely funny jokes though, some really beautiful moments, and manages to flip between humor and heartbreak very well. The characters all seem completely tangible, layered, and developed as well. I thought Michael Greif's direction was pretty seamless and kept the show humming along at a breezy pace (it's running about 2 hours and 45 minutes, as of now...about ten minutes too long for my taste).

I loved the set, which functions in an entirely different way than N2N's did, for whoever is comparing the two. The lighting design is also very nice, as is the stilted Blankenbuhler-esque choreography.

All in all, I honestly thought the show was very special. It's refreshing to see a show that will hopefully appeal to the 35-55 age range; most shows nowadays seem to be either appealing to kids/teens or old, rich people. As I mentioned, it's ambitious, which is going to lead to some bumps along the way in terms of how to tell the parallel story lines in a way that's smart without being confusing and accessible without being dumb. And right now, it's certainly nowhere near dumb (that adjective belongs strictly to FIRST DATE so far this year). It's a very smartly-constructed show, which in and of itself is worth cheering for. It may not deal with hot-button issues like N2N did with mental illness, but I dare you to not see some reflection of your life and your life choices in this show. It makes you not only care about the characters onstage, but it makes you care a little more about your own life and your own relationships, which is a pretty powerful feat to pull off. I'd much rather see a show like IF/THEN that aims high to tell a challenging story (and more often than not, succeeds) than one that aims looooow and just barely fits the bill for mindless entertainment any day of the week. I truly think IF/THEN is, at this point, a strong entry into the canon of wholly original musical theater. I can't wait to see it in its next developmental stage!

Sorry if any of that was repetitive or long-winded; if anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to answer! :)
Updated On: 11/29/13 at 12:29 PM

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 11/25/13 at 1:34pm

Ok after that review I NEED to see this.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 11/25/13 at 2:32pm

http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/ifthen-at-the-national/2013/11/25/e1412aa8-55f2-11e3-bdbf-097ab2a3dc2b_story.html

Peter Marks' review in the Washington Post. He likes it but agrees it needs work.

[regnad kcin]

Posted: 11/25/13 at 2:52pm

I'll join the chorus of those who have written that this is a very good show, but one that needs a bit of work to be great. The music was wonderful, the lyrics smart, and the cast was terrific. But although my wife and I had no trouble following the story, since we knew what to expect, friends who have seen it were confused. And the night we went, the lighting folks got at least one of the lighting cues wrong, undoubtedly adding to the confusion. I hope the plane crash scene is removed before Broadway. It adds a five minute "gotcha" plot twist that does nothing to advance the story and is, in my view, merely a waste of time in a show that has no time to waste. And while the song about "Jane" that Rocks mentions above is cute and a nice vehicle for LaChanz, it too adds absolutely nothing to the story. But I am confident that this show is in good hands, and will be superb when it reaches Broadway.

[hockeynut2]

Posted: 11/25/13 at 2:55pm

Three reviews are in now, and you can see them and the others coming in 'Other Reviews.'

[ElphabaGoodman]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 1:39am

Since this seems to be the largest thread about the show, I thought I'd mention that although not listed in the playbill, Jenn Colella is Idina's second cover

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 2:10am

I'd LOVE to see Jenn in the role! Does she have a lot to do in the show?

[kdogg36]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 11:05am

She's got a fairly big part - she plays the partner of Kate (LaChanze).

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 4:12pm

She doesn't have much to do at all. LaChanze gets to lead two songs, and is clearly closer to Elizabeth than Jen's character is. I think Jen is talented, but she has that over-acty quality that seeps into her performances a bit too frequently. It worked well in CHAPLIN, but here, it can be a bit grating.

[blaxx]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 4:29pm

3) Who the f-bomb is going to replace Idina one day? She gave such a powerful performance - and was on stage basically the entire show. I left the theater thinking that no one could possibly replace her - probably due to her awesome performance - but she definitely carries the show and I wonder who could replace her...

Eden Espinosa, Shoshana Bean, Ana Gasteyer, Stephanie J. Block, Kerry Ellis, Marcie Dodd, Nicole Parker, Dee Roscioli, Mandy Gonzalez, Teal Wicks, Jackie Burns, Willemijn Verkaik, Lindsay Mendez and James William Bottomtooth III. In that order.

[kade.ivy]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 6:01pm

^^^^^ THIS made me laugh out loud!

[promisespromises2]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 7:31pm

I'm seeing this again on Friday and I can't WAIT to see the changes! I saw it on the very first day, so I'm pretty much expecting a brand new show.

[Duranygirl]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 10:06pm

I saw it on Nov 23rd and thought it was amazing! My dad was upset about the language but, as I and some of the other people there mentioned, it was quite tame considering what I had expected. He even said he enjoyed it while we were driving home, even though he hates musicals, Broadway, and New York, and he had absolutely no idea who anyone in the cast was. I very was happy that he liked it!

My only regret was not reading this board before going. Two weeks later I realized the show was two separate storylines put into one story (Yes, I'm a bit slow!). We had thought that Elizabeth had the Beth life in college (more of a workaholic) and Liz as she moved to NY to start her new life (more family oriented). So when we left, we still thought that the first baby was by Lucas and the second was by Josh. I couldn't figure out why she said in one song that she could see Josh in her children's eyes if the first child was by Lucas, and how the plane crash all played into it. Now it makes much more sense now knowing that it was two separate life stories. I did notice the different colored handbags but didn't see how that played into the storylines.

Now that I know what really happened it makes the show more understandable. I think this show will do very well on Broadway as long as they clarify that it is two separate storylines. It really touched on the audiences emotions. We laughed with the humor (the subway joke, the pregnancy jokes, etc.), were frightened when the plane crashed, and cried Josh died. The acting was superb and the music and lines were very memorable! I only wish I could see the show again when it goes to New York. I really hope they make a soundtrack for it. I've seen three shows now on stage and this one was, by far, my favorite.

[gleek4114]

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

Does anyone know if Jenn Colella has gone on as Liz/Beth yet? I doubt it but I figured it would not hurt to ask.

[veronicamae]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 11:53pm

I don't believe Idina has called out at all during the DC run.

Related - I did see Jackie Burns, her standby, leave the theater after one of the first performances.

[Sophiia]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 1:32am

Just got back from the show! I LOVED it. Agree with most comments so far so I don't want to repeat them but I'd be happy to answer questions if any remain! This was my first time seeing it but I can say whether certain parts seem to have been cut or not. Overall it looks like it's in a great place for Broadway!! And the Start Over (?) song FLOORED me. Absolutely wonderful.

Oh, and I knew the basic plot going into it but did not notice the lighting cues AT ALL. I just used the Liz/Beth thing to distinguish. But are the red/blue lighting cues really subtle or am I just dumb?