Idina Menzel & Anthony Rapp Still Got It! - If/Then Review

Every once in a while a broadway show opens that I have to see ASAP no matter what I have to pay... If/Then was one of those shows!  I've been excited about this since I first read about it last summer.  Well I didn't waste any time and got tickets for the first Saturday night performance of previews.

First of all I think Idina Menzel is one of the most talented broadway performers out there.  She could be in the most boring show and I would still be impressed.   Then there's Anthony Rapp... one of my absolute favorite broadway performers of all time!  I have a thing for nerdy guys and when you combine his nerdy appearance with his amazing voice and his terrible but cute dance moves you've basically made my perfect man (yes yes I know he's gay, but I can still admire him).  To add to the Rent alumni list Michael Greif, former director of Rent, is also directing If/Then.

I have to admit that after Adele Nazeem... I mean Idina's performance at the Oscar's a couple weeks ago I was a little worried that her voice might be fading.  That is 100% not true, she was as funny, inspiring and sassy as she was almost 2 decades ago when she began in Rent and her voice was so strong!  I actually remember her belting out this giant note at the end of a song that felt like it blew me back in my seat.  The note went on for so long I could feel the whole audience gaping in silent admiration.  Of course the audience exploded for her after.  I'm a sucker for those moments in shows.  Idina has still got it!

LaChanze playing Kate and Anthony Rapp playing Lucas

Idina's role in this show is supposedly similar to what is happening in her personal life right now.  (Her and Taye Diggs recently split after 10 years of marriage.  I know... so sad!  I always liked to think they were the perfect super talented couple.)  Idina plays Elizabeth, a recently divorced woman in her late 30's who just moved back to NYC to start her life over again.  When she gets there she meets up with her bi roommate from college Lucas (Anthony Rapp) and makes friends with her apartment neighbor Kate (LaChanze).  Throughout the show you see how choices that Elizabeth makes change her life.

The theme of the show is a brilliant idea.  Everyday we make decisions and each one leads our life in a different direction, sometimes in small ways sometimes in big ways.  You don't think about how something as small as choosing to go out to bar with a new friend or something as big as choosing to switch jobs can change the entire course of your life.  You don't think about it because it would drive you insane, but it was still interesting as a story theme.

Oh and by the way one of Elizabeth's "life paths" has a lot to do with a very sexy man, the character Josh played by James Snyder.  I love Anthony Rapp but I found myself drooling over James throughout the show!

Idina Menzel as Elizabeth and James Snyder as Josh

If/Then is a musical by the Next to Normal creators Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey.  The music was definitely similar, I found myself singing Next to Normal songs during intermission and then remembering it was by the same talented duo.  My favorite song was "What the fuck?" haha not only was it awesomely funny it presented a situation that I think everyone can relate to.  That moment when you've gone further than you planned and you're saying to yourself "what the fuck am I doing???" And you decide to just go for it.  I've been in that situation and the next morning you're either really excited that this might turn into something great or really beating yourself up because you know you shouldn't have done that.  It's the same for Elizabeth in the show.

Overall I really liked If/Then, although if not for the presence of Idina Menzel and Anthony Rapp I don't think it would have the same appeal.  I liked the story of If/Then but the deep emotion of Next to Normal just wasn't there.  Nor was the cool personality and catchy songs of Rent.  In fact other than "What the fuck" I actually have a hard time remembering any of the other songs...  I didn't dislike any of them but none of the other songs had that "stick in your head, I have to download this song!" presence.  I plan to see it again once the popularity dies down a bit in a few months to see how I feel about it the second time.  For right now I don't think it would be in my top 5 shows (which Rent and Next Normal are in!).

True to its Rent origins If/Then has a lottery for tickets.  It comes as no surprise that the lottery has been insanely crowded since it began.  I was happy to shell out the $75 it cost me for rear mezzanine tickets so that I didn't have to go through the crazy lottery just to probably not win tickets at the end.  But if you have more patience and optimism than me and would like to try the lottery, names are pulled 90 minutes before every showtime and tickets are $25 cash only.

After the show I waited stage door to get autographs (which I don't do for very many shows I see), the crowd was insane!  But I did get my playbill signed by Idina and Anthony and got a couple pictures, although they weren't very good thanks to me being so short.

Idina signing autographs after If/Then

PS - I'm absolutely in love with the cover photo of Idina Menzel on Billboard today!  She looks beautiful I can only pray that when I'm in my 40s I look as amazing as she does and my life is half as inspiring.  Enjoy the video of her photo shoot below!






If/Then is playing at the Richard Rogers Theatre on 46th (between 7th & 8th).  It is currently in previews and officially opens on Thursday, March 27th.

Murder For Two - Perfect for Halloween!

If you're planning to get last minute tickets to a show for Halloween tonight I can't think of a show that would fit the theme better than Murder for Two.  The spoof musical is playing right now at New World Stages, they might even have rush tickets available for tonight, since I know they usually have rush for Avenue Q and Peter and the Starcatcher.

I saw Murder back when it was playing at the Second Stage Uptown theater.  I didn't know very much about it going in and ended up having an amazing time watching it.  The show is hilarious from the very beginning and extremely clever.

Brett Ryback and Jeff Blumenkrantz

The two person show features Brett Ryback as a police officer investigating a murder and Jeff Blumenkrantz as all of the suspects.  It's amazing how full the stage feels with only these two on it.  Not only do they portray over a dozen characters they also provide their own orchestra music by taking turns playing the piano together and apart throughout the show.

I loved them both!  Brett is extremely cute in this show, you can't help but enjoy his performance and laugh at all of his lines.  Jeff is an outright physical theater genius.  He's able to portray a dozen different characters in the span of 90 minutes and somehow make each one distinct and memorable.  Jeff's switch to a new character is usually indicated by a small prop or hat he puts on but even without those props Jeff does an amazing job of changing his physical pose and voice to nail each character.  I especially loved his portrayal of a group of 9 year old boys in which he constantly switches back and forth from boy to boy while on his knees.  I also loved his portrayal of Steph, an annoying and overwhelming college girl who has a crush on the police officer.

There was nothing about this show I didn't like.  If you're looking for a reasonably priced show where you can have a good time, laugh a lot and see some amazing acting skills check this out.  It's currently in previews at New World Stages with an official opening date of November 6th and a closing date of January 5th.

Oh and also, HAPPY HALLOWEEN! (I couldn't resist sharing the piggies!)

"Without a hurt the heart is hollow" - The Fantasticks

One of my favorite things about working in midtown Manhattan is anytime I have a broadway craving after work I can walk a few blocks to the theaters and usually always find last minute tickets to something.  Yesterday when I got this craving I decided to finally check out the off-broadway show, The Fantasticks. I'm a little bit ashamed that it took me this long to go see the world's longest running musical, but unfortunately the big lights of the broadway theaters surrounding the small Snapple Theater tend to superficially outshine it most days.  However, that's definitely all it is, is a superficial outshine.  The Fantasticks originally opened at the Sullivan Street Playhouse in Greenwich Village in May 1960, a revival of the show opened at the Snapple Theater Center in June 2008.

The poetic beginning to the show sets the mood perfectly:

Let's go back beyond the smart of you 

Back to the special childlike part of you 

Back where your dreams are fancy free...

I absolutely loved The Fantasticks! The show doesn't depend on big spectacle through large cast dance numbers, special effects and scenery.  It's a small cast, on a small simple set, telling a genuine story full of romance, humor and real life lessons that leave you thinking about the show long after you've left.  Seeing The Fantasticks was like going back in time... I didn't feel like I was seeing the typical 2012 NYC theater production, it felt more like a traveling classic play that sucks in the audience and consumes them simply by having a good story, poetic script, music and quality actors to deliver the whole thing with passion.

I have to say that I was impressed by the entire cast, however my favorite of the night (and probably every other girl's in the audience) was Edward Watts as the narrator and heartthrob bandit El Gallo.  He has one of those old fashioned strong broadway voices that I can't resist.

Edward Watts as El Gallo

Also starring in the show was Aaron Carter, I guess trying to grow up and try new things after his teeny bobber days.  I was never a fan of Aaron Carter, but I went into the show with an open mind.  I was not blown away but I thought he did a good job.  I find that most of the time when celebrities are brought into any broadway show they lack that "bring you to the edge of your seat" voice that in my opinion is the best part of seeing a show. But if Aaron Carter will bring people to the show who otherwise would never have seen it I'm all for it.

Juliette Trafton as Luisa & Aaron Carter as Matt

If you're a theater fan I would recommend The Fantasticks as a MUST SEE!  If you're a tourist who is looking to see a lavish production as a treat on your vacation this is probably not for you.  I'll leave you with the ending poem that delivers the central theme to the show, that pain must be felt before real love can ever be, it has been in my head ever since:

There is a curious paradox that no one can explain. 

Who understands the secret of the reaping of the grain? 

Who understands why Spring is born out of Winter's laboring pain? 

Or why we all must die a bit before we grow again. 

I do not know the answer. 

I merely know it's true. 

I hurt them for that reason and myself a little bit too.