The $10-million If/Then will close at a If Thenloss despite a run that had some very good weeks, sources said. One of the few new, original musicals to open on Broadway last season, the show never recovered from a snub by the Tony nominating committee, which declined to put it in the competition for Best Musical. Menzel, who plays a contemporary city planner who returns to New York City and follows two separate but parallel life paths, brought star power following her extraordinary success with Disney’s Frozen and her following in the wake of her starring role in Wicked. The show’s cast album was one of the biggest sellers of the year in that category.
None of it was enough, in the end, to make If/Then a hit on the scale of The Book Of Mormon or Stone’s global blockbuster Wicked. Mixed reviews told potential ticket buyers that their money would be spent on a mixed experience, something no one wants to do given the price of tickets to Broadway shows.
Working on If/Then over the last several years has been one of the most professionally satisfying and personally fulfilling experiences of my career,” Stone said. “I am extremely proud of this musical, the entire creative team and cast and the remarkable work they have done in bringing this story to life.”
The show has a score by Tom Kitt (music) and Brian Yorkey (book and lyrics), who wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning Next To Normal, and was directed by Michael Greiff, who also staged the earlier show.
