If/Then: Idina Menzel shines in new Broadway show – reviews roundup

The star of Wicked and Frozen impressed critics, though many felt her star power stood out in an otherwise lacklustre musical

Idina Menzel, the star of Wicked, Frozen, and John Travolta's nightmares, has returned to Broadway for the first time in a decade. The musical If/Then, which opened at the weekend, tells the story of a woman whose life plays out in two different ways, in a similar style to the 1998 Gwyneth Paltrow film Sliding Doors. Critics praised Menzel's star power, though were largely underwhelmed by the plot and premise – however, all noted that middling reviews are unlikely to dent its box office appeal.

Ben Brantley, New York Times:

Taken separately, neither plot of If/Then is terribly compelling or distinctively drawn. Taken together, they feel less like variations on a theme than dogged reiterations of a theme. Yet I suspect this show, which has been doing solid business in previews, will have no trouble finding an audience. Menzel, who brings an anxious intensity to a featherweight part, has an enviable fan base among young female audiences.

Thom Geier, Entertainment Weekly:

... the show's exploration of fate and chance seldom rises above Hallmark-card sentimentality — and the characters have no more depth. There are also a lot of them, including Liz/Beth's kindergarten-teacher pal (LaChanze), the teacher’s lover (Jenn Colella), and the doc's gay best friend (Jason Tam); many get songs of their own, which only slows down the action ... But as even John Travolta must know by now, the real star here is Menzel, and she delivers a powerful bipolar performance that often masks the shallowness of the material.

Dave Quinn, NBC New York:

Audiences looking for their Menzel fix in If/Then won’t be disappointed; she spends almost all of the two and a half-hour show onstage. But the show’s muddled plot might leave you wondering what the new musical, from the creators of Next to Normal, is trying to say.

Linda Winer, Newsday:

Menzel doesn't have much vocal variety, but that sound – soft, medium, loud – has a lustrous integrity. So does her portrayal of a type of woman seldom seen on Broadway – the complicated kind who can entertain more than one sense of herself at the same time. There is an endearing awkwardness about Menzel's not-quite-perfect beauty that makes us root for Elizabeth's "she's-gonna-make-it-after-all" determination.

Marilyn Stasio, Variety:

… the existential dilemma of a woman weighing her choices between living two equally boring lives. This smaller-than-life show can’t extinguish Menzel’s larger-than-life persona, but it certainly diminishes her Amazonian strengths as a performer.

David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter:

The good news is that the erstwhile Adele Dazeem looks and sounds sensational in a vehicle tailored to her talents, leaving no mystery as to why the audience adores her. The disappointing news, however, is that while it's sweet and sincere, this is also a banal show about uninteresting people that strings together weary platitudes in place of a plot. Or make that two demi-plots.

Have you seen If/Then? Let us know your thoughts below.

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