Richard Ouzounian on IF/THEN

[BroadwayBen]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 4:08pm

"It took me until the end of the first act of If/Then to ask myself when was the last time that I felt the same giddy excitement at a musical…."

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/stage/2014/04/15/ifthen_is_the_bravest_musical_theatre_in_a_long_time_review.html

[DeNada]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 4:42pm

I dunno. While I don't massively disagree with a lot of his comments (although I don't find Rapp endearing nor Menzel to be radiating confidence), just saying "it's about choices! Isn't that amazing!" doesn't make it a massively interesting and successful show. Perhaps it is only with the benefit of hindsight and my perception of it as a "classic" show, but I feel Company has far more to say about various aspects of marriage (as well as New York life) than If/Then does about everyday choices, and Bobby is a far more interesting character (and probably more complex) than Liz/Beth.

I will need to listen to the score again to really make a judgement; I want to listen to the Ain't No Man Manhattan song again to see how it compares to, say, Another Hundred People. I think I know the answer already, but...

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 4:49pm

"It's about choices! Isn't that amazing!" doesn't make it a massively interesting and successful show. Perhaps it is only with the benefit of hindsight and my perception of it as a "classic" show, but I feel Company has far more to say about various aspects of marriage (as well as New York life) than If/Then does about everyday choices, and Bobby is a far more interesting character (and probably more complex) than Liz/Beth."

100% agree

[jkstheatrescene]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 5:32pm

Hindsight, they say, is 20/20. And rosy-colored. I wonder if Bobby is "more interesting" than Elizabeth because books have been written about COMPANY and all kinds of analysis has been done on the character of Bobby. I think it is too soon to condemn IF/THEN (not that that will stop anyone on here...LOL)

As long as there have been musicals, people have been quick to pooh-pooh pretty a great many of them. Only years later, have some of them found favor. (COMPANY is a salient example) Similarly, shows that were all the rage when they came out have later been the fodder for jokes, eye-rolling and general disgust. (CATS? MAMMA MIA?)

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 10:00pm

With this being from Toronto's number one theatre critic, I'm surprised BwayTO hasn't freaked out over this post, or defending him left; right; and centre.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 10:05pm

I think If/Then is fresh and exciting because it is a new musical. I don't think its well done however. It's a concept that is never fully executed. Also, I think it's a travesty to compare the bland pop repetitive score of If/Then to the complex and sophisticated wordsmith Sondheim. That really chaps my ass.

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 10:07pm

Personally, I don't think its a travesty.
Also, I'm not really sure why this is getting so much comparison to COMPANY. They are so incredibly different, to me at least.

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 10:48pm

To be fair, whether this reviewer is accurate or not won't be known for quite some time, considering his thesis is that it will be remembered in the future as more groundbreaking and innovative than it is today. Countering that with what people negatively think about it today is... well, only solidifying half of his argument.

[binau]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 10:56pm

I just need to listen to it again to make a judgement. But there were moments, like when Learn to Live Without was weaving through both stories using similar words to comment on two stories that I genuinely felt impressed and thought I was seeing something new, different and successful. There were other times when I thought people were singing for the sake of singing and the music added nothing for the characters or story.

But I didn't warm up to the next to normal score on first listen so I'm not going to dismiss it yet. If/then had too much music to remember.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 11:40pm

Some scores stay with you when you leave the theater. For me, I immediately forget all of the songs the next day. I agree, BettyBoy about the blandness of the score.

[Alan Henry]

Posted: 4/16/14 at 1:39am

fashionguru_23, you obviously don't know me at all and haven't read anything I've ever posted on here, because, I usually don't ever agree with Ouzounian - and we often have highly contrasting opinions. (Just see the Chicago thread. That's not to say that one of us is correct and the other is wrong.)

And having not had the opportunity to not see If/Then, I won't be taking a position on this one.

And FYI - I definitely don't freak out over theatre and the reviews - life is too short and I go to the theatre because I love it and it brings me joy - not because I want to bash heads debating the merits of someone's review. To each his own.

When I write a review, it's based on my perspective based on the information I have. Ouzounian, who has been doing this a long time, has his own perspective on things and that's fine too. Remember, reviews are just opinions that have been given a wider-reaching platform, and nothing more.

Edited for grammar.

Updated On: 4/16/14 at 01:39 AM

[BroadwayBen]

Posted: 4/16/14 at 1:48pm

I was fascinated because I don't recall ever reading a review where a critic took on other critics. Doesn't happen often, does it?

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/16/14 at 5:36pm

I pretty much agree with that article. I saw it last seek and was humming the music by intermizsion and was pretty much on a cloud on my way home. Only a few things I don't agree with. One is the choreograpy.