The cast of “If/Then” chats about the musical & taking it on the road

If/Then, a new musical that hit Broadway just last year, is currently launching its national tour in Denver. The stars of the original Broadway cast — Idina Menzel, Anthony Rapp, LaChanze, and James Snyder—signed on to take the show on the road because they believe in the power of its story.

The musical follows the alternate storylines of Elizabeth, played by Menzel, and what happens if she stays in the park with Kate (LaChanze) or goes to a rally with Lucas (Rapp). If she chooses Kate, her name is Liz (she wears glasses), and she ends up going down a romantic path with Josh (Snyder). If she chooses Lucas, she’s Beth, and she ends up taking a career-driven path.

Both Kate and Lucas’s romantic ventures are tackled as well. Kate, a lesbian, is dating Anne in both plots. Lucas, a bisexual, falls in love with Josh’s best friend, David, in one story, but in the other he is still in love with Elizabeth.

Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey collaborated on the Tony-nominated production. Theatre audiences may recognize their work on Next to Normal, which similarly launched a national tour in Denver featuring its Tony-winning lead actress, Alice Ripley.

The piece is directed by Michael Greif, who collaborated with Menzel and Rapp back when they created the original production of Rent in 1996.

The leads sat down with John Moore, Senior Arts Journalist for the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, to discuss what If/Then means to them and the journey Menzel and Rapp have taken since appearing in Rent.