If/Then - Finding out why this staged concert is a great choice!
Written by Penny for Theatre and Tonic.
Last year, the acclaimed Donmar Warehouse production of the multi award winning Next to Normal transferred to the West End, some fifteen years after its initial Broadway run. The writing team, Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt, are also the creative brains behind If/Then – which opened on Broadway in 2014, starring Idina Menzel as its main character Elizabeth, a 38 year-old divorcee who moves back to New York for a fresh start. The show then follows two separate timelines depending on the choices that Elizabeth makes.
London audiences have not had to wait quite so long to enjoy Yorkey and Kitt’s second collaboration as a mere eleven years on from its Broadway opening, If/Then will be performed on Monday 10th February 2025 as a staged concert, starring West End royalty Kerry Ellis as Elizabeth.
Ahead of its performance, I was invited along to The Savoy Theatre to find out more about the production and enjoy a preview of a couple of its musical numbers.
Producer Adam Blanshay introduced us to three of the show’s stars, Kerry Ellis, David Hunter (playing Josh) and Preeya Kalidas (Kate), and director Bill Buckhurst. Adam told us a little bit about the show:
“I saw the show on Broadway when it was in previews. As a then 30 and now a 40 something year old, it really spoke to me! It has a phenomenal leading protagonist who is facing everyday life choices, without knowing they can have very large consequences. That’s essentially the heart of If/Then.
I asked director Bill Buckhurst a little more about the story:
“We meet Elizabeth for the first time in a park where she bumps into two friends, one new friend and one an old friend from college. From that moment we watch her life unfold in two separate timeframes depending on who she ended up spending the evening with. It’s a really original piece of storytelling. It examines the choices we make in life, what the universe has in store for us and how one small decision that we make can lead to big changes in our life”.
Sadly, Kerry Ellis wasn’t able to sing at the launch event as she’s fallen foul of the lurgy that’s spreading across London, although you can watch the video of her singing the show’s big eleven o’clock number, “Always Starting Over” (shot at 6am in Covent Garden during the pandemic!) here. She did however talk about how excited she is to be involved in this production:
Kerry: “This show has been in my life now for quite a while and I’m so excited to be performing it in a couple of weeks with an amazing cast, singing these wonderful songs, telling this story and sharing it with people who might not have heard it before.
I love these iconic female roles and power ballads, strong songs which I hope we’re going to bring toyou in abundance. There’s a reason people come together to perform this music for one night only, it’s very special. So, don’t miss it, come and see it!”
Preeya and David then performed three songs from the show to give us a taste of what to expect. The songs talk about love and friendship, and they’re full of heart and humour. It’s clear from these performances that the actors are relishing the chance to bring them to life for a UK audience.
In a brief Q&A, the cast and creatives gave a little more insight into If/Then.
Q: Elizabeth’s story in If/Then is one that will resonate with a lot of people. Do you think it’s important we see ourselves in stories on stage?
Kerry: “I think theatre is a wonderful way to escape for a couple of hours, to go and see a show when you want to forget about your life. If you can relate to something or someone (on stage) maybe that makes it connect with you a little bit more. I think this story does exactly that, it’s normal people doing everyday things and having everyday relationships. It’s about love, hope and friendship. It’s sad at times and also shows how we deal with that. I think people like to see that on stage and hopefully this show will do that for you”.
Q: David, you’ve played many leading men (inc. Waitress, Time Traveller’s Wife, Kinky Boots), what does this character mean to you?
David: “I’m turning 40 soon and I’ve reached a point in my life where I’m reflecting a bit more, I think we do that when we hit one of those milestone, where am I now?, where have I come from?, where am I going?, what do I want to happen next? So I think this show is going to be a beautiful underscore to my own personal meltdown and crisis and I simply can’t wait!”
Q: What are the key ingredients that make this piece resonate with audiences?
Preeya: “I think there are so many themes in this show, including love, romance and friendship. It’s so relatable and what I love about it is that we have some really strong female characters and they’re not just in their twenties, they’ve lived and it’s really important to represent those kinds of characters and people on stage. Theatre is so powerful in being able to tell stories that relate to and connect with an audience and If/Then has all those wonderful aspects”.
Following on the idea that we see her character Elizabeth play out different stories depending on choices she’s made, I asked Kerry what she thinks she might be doing now had she made the choice to take a different path to musical theatre:
Kerry: “I think life has a way of choosing you, I’m a big believer that things happen for a reason, you can’t fight your journey, what’s right for you is going to happen one way or another!
With theatre and the jobs you don’t get, you’ll think ‘I’d have really liked that, what happened?!’, but if it’s not right for you then it’s not right and something else will happen.
Years ago I had an audition for Evita and I was really excited about it, I really wanted to play Evita. It was just after I’d played Fantine in Les Mis and I was convinced it was my time to play that role. I did two or three auditions and then I didn’t get to the final and I was devastated. But the following day I got a call saying there’s a new show coming over from New York, it’s about a couple of witches, it’s something to do with The Wizard of Oz [Ed: any ideas what she’s talking about? No, me either] and they want to see you for it. Wicked changed my life. So I think sometimes things are meant to be”.
We’ve seen a lot of staged and semi-staged concert productions in London over the last year or so. I wanted to know if there is another show – new work or a revival of a classic – that should get the same treatment in front of an audience:
Bill: “I will go and watch anything, but I think for me I’m particularly excited by shows that haven’t been seen yet or shows which are brand new. This year I’m working on some brand new shows (I can’t say too much more at the moment) but I’m excited about what writers are coming up with, especially in the UK at the moment. New writing is the real force behind this industry and we all have to do our best to get behind it and encourage people to keep writing”.
Kerry: “I have been working on another show called Lady M all about Lady Macbeth. I would love that to get a concert performance, it’s beautiful music and I think it might happen!”
Q. Finally, what makes this show so special and why should people book to see If/Then in concert?
Kerry: “These evenings are really special, people are coming together for one night only. We’ve got a beautiful theatre, a wonderful band, an amazing cast of people and this is only going to happen once so you don’t want to miss it!”
David: “The show was so wonderful on Broadway and we’re finally getting to see it here, As soon as Adam sent the music over to me, I said ‘I get it, I’m in’. It’s beautiful, exactly what musical theatre should be”.
Preeya: “The best thing about musicals is that the music is imperative in helping to tell the story and every song in this show takes you on a journey. I absolutely love all the melodies and so for that reason you should come and see the concert! Also, to see me fly from the ceiling to the ground in my Subway cart! It’s a sign!!!”
And with that tantalising teaser from Preeya, it’s hopefully not a case of “If” you should book to see this special night of musical theatre … after all, you don’t want to be left thinking “What if I’d gone along to see it, what might have happened then?!”
If/Then in concert is on at the Savoy Theatre on Monday 10th February. Find out more and get your tickets here.
