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27-670: The premiere was directed by Michael Greif at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis , opening on May 15, 2009, in previews and running through June 28. The Public Theater and the Signature Theater Company co-produced a somewhat rewritten version of the play, which premiered Off-Broadway at the Public Theater on March 23, 2011 in previews, with opening on May 5 and closing on June 12. The play

54-404: 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

81-440: 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." 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

108-408: 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. † In

135-549: A lesbian friend. His long-time partner is actor Jonathan Fried. If/Then 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. 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,

162-517: A mixed review but stated that Idina Menzel "brings an anxious intensity to a featherweight part". 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". Peter Marks of The Washington Post summed up his review with, " If/Then

189-498: A most unusual family reunion in their Brooklyn brownstone . Hampstead Theatre - October 2016 According to an article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press , only local critics were encouraged to review the play. National critics like Ben Brantley of The New York Times , who was originally invited to review the play, were asked to wait for a future production. The reviews that have been published have been somewhat mixed, acknowledging that

216-516: 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

243-557: A total of 401 performances and 29 previews. The cast recording was released by Masterworks Broadway on June 3, 2014, 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. If/Then started its national tour in Denver , Colorado, on October 13, 2015. On January 27, 2016, Jackie Burns replaced Idina Menzel as Elizabeth for

270-566: Is an enjoyable, beautifully sung, at times deeply touching experience, built on a structure that never completely works." 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

297-425: 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 . A national tour, with Menzel again in

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324-569: The Hampstead Theatre in a production directed by Michael Boyd and starring David Calder as Gus, and Tamsin Greig as Empty. The play looks at the life of a 20th-century thinker, retired longshoreman Gus Marcantonio, who is feeling confused and defeated by the 21st century. In summer 2007, his sister, who has been staying with him for a year, invites Gus's three children (who in turn bring along spouses, ex-spouses, lovers and more) to

351-692: The Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical four times. In addition to Rent , his Broadway credits include If/Then (also at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. ), Next to Normal (also at Second Stage Theatre and Arena Stage ), Grey Gardens (also at Playwrights Horizons ), Dear Evan Hansen (also at Arena Stage and Second Stage), and War Paint (also at the Goodman Theatre , Chicago). In August 2023, it

378-812: The Body and A Few Stout Individuals at Signature Theatre , Beauty of the Father for the Manhattan Theatre Club , the 2009 Playwrights Horizons production of Mrs. Sharp (with music and lyrics by Ryan Scott Oliver and starring Jane Krakowski ), and Romeo and Juliet , The Winter's Tale , and The Tempest at the New York Shakespeare Festival at the Delacorte Theater (2007, 2010, 2015). Grief has two children, born through artificial insemination with

405-662: The National Theatre, Peter Marks, reviewing for The Washington Post praised Menzel, calling her "an earthy star with heavenly pipes" but said the play makes "it difficult to determine at any given moment which of the stories of Elizabeth's fate we're in". 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 —

432-614: 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". 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

459-481: The play is in early stages, while praising many of its positive moments. The Star Tribune ran a review stating "The lines sound great in the actors' mouths, their performances are excellent and Greif dances this show across the Guthrie stage with humor and muscular strokes. It is a very American work - a dense rush of ideas." While going on to observe that the "operatic cacophony at times skates precipitously close to

486-415: 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 While at

513-575: The razor's edge of incoherence." Michael Greif Michael Greif (born ca. 1959 in Brooklyn , New York ) is an American stage director. He has won three Obie Awards and received five Tony Award nominations, for Rent , Grey Gardens , next to normal (sic), Dear Evan Hansen , and Hell's Kitchen . Greif attended Northwestern University and graduated from the University of California, San Diego graduate directing program. He

540-456: The remainder of the tour. After a developmental lab in April 2013, featuring Idina Menzel and directed by Michael Greif , If/Then staged an out-of-town tryout at the National Theatre , Washington, D.C. from November 5 to December 8, 2013. The musical began previews on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on March 5, 2014, and officially opened on March 30. The Broadway production

567-425: 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." Despite mixed reviews,

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594-496: The show enjoyed strong box-office returns. During its first full week of performances, the show debuted in the top 10 with $ 931,268. The show was highlighted by Entertainment Weekly as one of the hits of the 2013–2014 season. 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. In May, If/Then was noted by Variety as being one of "the spring openers that have shown box office strength all along," and

621-636: The starring role, began in Denver in October 2015. A South Korean production is set to play in Hongik Daehakro Art Center Grand Theater from December 8, 2022 to February 26, 2023. 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

648-623: Was announced that his Chicago Shakespeare Theater production of The Notebook would transfer to Broadway in March 2024 and in September 2023, it was announced that he would transfer his Off-Broadway production of Days of Wine and Roses to Broadway in January 2024. Among his many directing credits Off-Broadway are Alicia Keys ' autobiographical musical Hell's Kitchen , Katori Hall's Our Lady of Kibeho , John Guare 's Landscape of

675-481: Was directed by Michael Greif and featured Michael Cristofer , Linda Emond , Michael Esper and Stephen Spinella . Berkeley Repertory Theatre presented the play's West Coast premiere starting in May 2014. Berkeley Rep artistic director Tony Taccone directed, and actors included Mark Margolis as Gus, Deirdre Lovejoy as Empty, and Lou Liberatore as Pill. The play received its London premiere in October 2016 at

702-437: Was still bringing in over a million dollars at the box-office every week. 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. Nevertheless,

729-733: Was the Artistic Director of the La Jolla Playhouse , LaJolla, California from 1994 to 1999. He was an Artistic Associate at the New York Theatre Workshop where he directed, among others, Bright Lights, Big City (1998–99) and the original production of Rent for which he received the Obie Award for direction of a musical and which he later directed on Broadway. Greif has directed several original Broadway musicals and been nominated for

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