Musical 'If/Then' premised on what might have been
"The only thing more frightening is to say what might have been."
The protagonist in the Broadway musical "If/Then" by composer Tom Kitt and writer/lyricist Brian Yorkey ("Next to Normal") sings those lyrics midway through the first act while contemplating a new romance. She suspects it will end in heartache.
She finds out. But she also experiences a life where she never met him. Those twin narratives - one centered on family, the other rooted in career - unfold concurrently in this earnest, albeit overdone tale of divergent destinies.
The well-oiled, well-sung national tour, playing through March 6 at Chicago's Oriental Theatre, is directed by Michael Greif, who helmed the Broadway production, a star vehicle for Tony Award winner Idina Menzel.
The premise is intriguing. Who among us hasn't pondered the career we didn't pursue, the man or woman we didn't marry, the chance we didn't take? But that doesn't entirely compensate for the Lifetime channel platitudes and contrivances, the conventional characters and an ending that struck me as a bit of a cop-out.
Charismatic Jackie Burns, a powerhouse singer from the original Broadway cast, stars as Elizabeth, a recently divorced urban planner in her late 30s newly arrived in New York City. Meeting friends in Madison Square Park, she's confronted with a choice: hang out with new neighbor Kate (an effervescent Tamyra Gray) or attend a rally with Lucas (Anthony Rapp), a college chum who has become a housing activist. Her decision, along with a phone call, sets in motion the parallel paths that drive the narrative.
Career-minded "Beth" goes to the rally. On the way she answers a call from Stephen (Daren A. Herbert), a graduate school friend who offers her a job with the city, launching an impressive career that leaves little time for love or family.
"Liz" stays at the park and meets Josh (Matthew Hydzik as an all-American heartthrob), a physician and army reservist. "Liz" takes a teaching job at a small college. She and Josh fall in love, marry and have children. To reveal more would spoil the show.
Suffice to say both "Liz" and "Beth" experience happiness and sorrow, success and failure. Of course they do. Life-altering decisions don't lead to perfect lives, they just lead to different lives.
Burns brings a witty, affable ambivalence to "Liz" and "Beth," both of whom have more dimension than the supporting characters, including Kate's girlfriend Anne (Janine DiVita) and David (Mark de la Cruz), a pediatrician friend of Josh's who falls for Lucas.
A sense of urgency underscores the songs, which consist of midtempo, urban pop paired with angsty lyrics mostly centered on internal conflict.
Burns has a commanding voice that soars during the penultimate "Always Starting Over." More subdued but still impressive is the unassuming "Hey Kid," which Hydzik's Josh sings to his unborn child.
But that's an anomaly. Musically this show has a lot of bombast with several songs evolving into big, brassy anthems that recall the solos rock guitarists find irresistible. A little pyrotechnics goes a long way.
“If/Then”
★ ★ ½
Location: The Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., Chicago, (800) 775-2000 or
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday through March 5. Also 2 p.m. March 2
Running time: Two hours, 50 minutes with intermission
Tickets: $25-$98
Parking: Paid lots nearby
Rating: For adults; includes strong language and sexual content