| My review of IF/THEN: Idina Menzel splits apart in new Broadway musical | |
| Posted by: | jesse21 09:54 am EDT 03/29/14 |
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| - Idina Menzel’s career is shining particularly bright right now. With “Let It Go” sizzling hot on Billboard’s charts and ‘Adele Dazeem’ gone viral, the timing of her opening in If/Then couldn’t be more fortuitous for producer David Stone of Wicked riches. She is the S-T-A-R driving this new musical that opens Sunday on Broadway. And she’s as loud and brassy and indestructible as Ethel Merman, but her power vocals are definitely today’s preferred style of singing. While the Merm may have enjoyed belting a song entitled “What the Fuck?” midway through the first act of this show, sensibilities in her heyday wouldn’t allow it. In fact, what I like most about If/Then are the contemporary vibes, words and sounds of the Tom Kitt (music) and Brian Yorkey (lyrics) score with which Ms. Menzel takes no prisoners. Unfortunately, this admirably ambitious musical ties itself in knots with a wildly complicated conceit in a book by Mr. Yorkey. Ms. Menzel’s Elizabeth is bifurcated into “Liz/Beth” with parallel story lines about a life that could go in two directions for today’s American woman: focusing on family (“Liz”) or on career (“Beth”) with plenty of pitfalls in the quest to achieve a balance. If the idea sounds vaguely similar to Sliding Doors, the 1998 Gwyneth Paltrow picture, be assured it is not based on that or any other source. The show is an original creation just like the Kitt-Yorkey Next to Normal. That hit was so successful because it took the audience into the head of a woman suffering from a bipolar disorder and made them feel her pain with words and music. If/Then is so caught up with the mechanics of telling two stories at once that it never goes beyond merely stating the sociological plight of a working woman of today. When the musical begins, Ms. Menzel’s Elizabeth has returned to New York City from Phoenix after twelve years of marriage. Newly divorced at age 39, she is looking to resume a career in city planning. She schedules meeting up with two friends from way back -- Kate (LaChanze) who calls her “Liz” and Lucas (Anthony Rapp) who calls her “Beth” -- in Madison Square Park, a crossroads of the world as far as this show is concerned. In one story, “Beth” attends a protest with Lucas (a community organizer) against a waterfront redevelopment project. In the other parallel story, she instead goes off with Kate (a kindergarten teacher) to hear some music. The first story leads to a job in the city’s development planning department, reporting to Stephen (Jerry Dixon), another old friend with a possible romantic interest. Thus she misses a second accidental meeting in the park with Josh (James Snyder), a doctor just returned from a round of military service (paying off medical school debt). He was taken with her on sight and introduced himself in the opening scene. In the other scenario, “Liz” runs into Josh again on a subway that’s stuck in the tunnel between Manhattan and Brooklyn during which time she misses the call about the city job. A dinner date with Josh is not far off. The authors don’t wish to make separating the two stories easy for the audience. They employ physical clues like “Beth” is the one wearing glasses. Mostly though, and especially at first, for the “Liz” story -- one governed by chance and impulse -- portions of the stage are bathed in red light (the color of passion); and for the “Beth” story, the color is blue (calm and collected reason). I suspect lighting designer Kenneth Posner shouldn’t be entirely blamed for the garish intrusions. Then sometimes the background turns to green, either for transitional purposes or to remind people that Ms. Menzel was the Tony-winning star of Wicked. I really have no idea, but director Michael Greif (Rent, Next to Normal) definitely falls down on the job delineating the transitions between the stories. Additionally, at times a chorus of eight gypsies (you, know, fun-loving residents of New York) perform dances by choreographer Larry Keigwin (the new production of Rent) which are pseudo hip-hop moves that do little more than populate the background. Elizabeth’s dual storyline is exhausting enough in its struggle between the unforeseen and the carefully planned. But the creators also throw in Kate and Lucas’s separate romantic stories, perhaps to make points about same-sex couples which don’t quite relate to the central concerns. (The new Terrence McNally play last week promotes itself as the first Broadway show to feature a gay couple who’ve legally tied the knot, but If/Then can boast it has two.) And there’s a sexual episode with Stephen against a background of his suspicious wife which adds yet more overload. I haven’t even mentioned that the musical is also an urban celebration of a present-day New York City that plays its own supporting role in the manner of such past shows as Sweet Charity and Seesaw. Whew! I think the authors’ goal in making the audience work at separating Elizabeth's two paths in life is based on an idea of dramatizing the emotional and rational complexities of the human experience as ever shifting at any moment. But they (and I dare say the audience as well) are so caught up in unravelling the puzzle of the musical’s mechanics that If/Then does not pack an emotional punch. The audience gets its bang for the buck not from the musical itself but from Idina Menzel’s power ballading throughout. Her role is large and she seizes the opportunity with gusto. The best song is “Here I Go,” a first act duet with James Snyder that is already being promoted as the one that will live outside the show. (Check out the merch stand for a T-shirt with that title.) The final number, “Starting Over,” is a vocal workout tailored to Ms. Menzel’s talents. In fact, functionally it is to this show pretty much what Merman’s “Rose’s Turn” was to Gypsy. At its conclusion, I was thinking: “Give this woman the Tony already.” From what I’ve seen in musical leading ladies so far this season, she definitely deserves a second one. The pleasant surprise here is James Snyder, both with his acting and singing. Actually, not so surprising because the one-time leading man of Cry-Baby proved his worth to the old guard with a stirring Marius in Fanny at Encores!, and, by all reports, impressed with his Billy in Carousel at Goodspeed. He has another soliloquy to sing in If/Then when he learns he will soon become a father. Entitled “Hey Kid,” it is also a winner and receives applause that’s just a hair shy of what Ms. Menzel gets all evening long. LaChanze (Tony for The Color Purple) is packed with personality as Elizabeth’s lesbian friend. Yet the role is too small for her talents. In the second act, a scene with her singing as she teaches a class seems placed there only to give her something more to do. Then the song is cut off as if the creators changed their mind midway. It’s an extraneous bit (among others) that slows down the show. Her girlfriend Anne (Jenn Colella) has very little material to work with. Anthony Rapp is adequate as Elizabeth’s gay friend Lucas, but, although aging, he can’t seem to let go of his Mark in Rent. Better vocally is his other half, David, performed by the likable Jason Tam (Paul in the last A Chorus Line). Jerry Dixon (Once on this Island) does little to make “Beth’s” boss Stephen interesting. There are many similarities between this musical and the authors’ Next to Normal. The central character in both is a strong woman with issues. The scores are lite-rock inflected (overall “Next” is better than “If”). The set designs have upper level components. The differences are that If/Then went big Broadway from the get-go (reputed cost: $10 million) with a world-premiere Washington, DC tryout last fall. It has 16 actors instead of the 6 in ”Next” and 13 musicians (not just 6) in a pit orchestra, plus an expensive unit set by Mark Wendland with movable parts like a second-story bridge and a gigantic tilting mirror. His design as a whole is attractive, but often distracts from the action. (Don’t buy a seat in the back of the orchestra under the mezzanine overhang if you want to see the entire set.) Next to Normal took years in development starting in 1998 before it clicked into place as a hit on Broadway in 2009. One has to wonder if more time and some smaller-scale productions were needed to bring If/Then up to a similar level. Right now, the musical is a fascinating concept that isn’t sufficiently realized. ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ - Jesse MUSICAL NUMBERS are not listed in the program. Song titles mentioned in the review are as reported by Wikipedia per the out-of-town tryout engagement. SIDEBAR: “IF/THEN” opens Sunday, March 30, 2014, at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, 226 West 46th Street, New York City. Seen at a preview on March 26 (started 8:04pm; ended 10:41pm). Running time: 2 hours, 37 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission. Act One: 1 hour, 16 minutes. Act Two: 1 hour, 6 minutes. Open-ended engagement. Tickets currently on sale through July 27, 2014. Link to website. - | |
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