If/Then

If/Then.

If/Then is a stage musical.

Cast

• Idina Menzel - Elizabeth "Liz/Beth" Vaughan
• LaChanze -Kate
• Anthony Rapp - Lucas
• James Snyder - Josh Barton
• Jerry Dixon - Stephen
• Jenn Colella - Anne
• Jason Tam - David
• Tamika Lawrence - Elena
• Tyler McGee - Busker/Various Roles

Plot

Newly divorced 38-year-old Elizabeth, an urban planner, moves to New York City for a fresh start. She meets her friends Kate, a kindergarten teacher, and Lucas, a community organizer, in Madison Square Park. Kate suggests that Elizabeth start using the name "Liz" and seek out new experiences. Lucas suggests that she go back to her college nickname, "Beth," and start making professional connections in the city. The musical then shows both possibilities playing out. "Liz" stays in the park with Kate while "Beth" leaves with Lucas, and the remainder of the show depicts two paths that Elizabeth's life could take.

• Liz

Liz hears her phone ring, but she doesn't take the call. Instead, Kate and Liz stop to listen to a musician in the park. Josh, an Army doctor returning from his second tour of duty, approaches Liz but she politely rebuffs him. Later, joined by Kate's girlfriend Anne, they encounter Josh again on the subway and Kate convinces Liz to take his number. But, she only agrees to a date after a third encounter in the park (where Josh later admits he started spending more time in hopes of seeing her). Josh and Liz go on several dates, and ultimately they end up back at Liz's apartment where she contemplates the implications of sleeping with him. After sleeping with him, Josh declares that he wants to have a relationship with Liz. She isn't sure if it's the right thing to do, but she decides to take a risk. Liz later gets in touch with an old friend, Stephen, who works in the city planner's office. His deputy position was recently filled, but he recommends her for a professorship and she gets the job. Josh introduces his best friend David to Lucas, and they become a couple. After Josh and Liz have been dating for a few months, Liz becomes pregnant. Her friend Kate also decides to marry her longtime girlfriend Anne. Liz decides to marry Josh and have the baby. Josh is thrilled and overwhelmed to welcome his first son to the world. Lucas is hesitant to commit to life with David, but David convinces him to stop hesitating. They get married and later adopt a son. Liz and Josh have a second son, and Liz begs Josh to skip an offer to do a third tour overseas, and he does. Several years later, Josh receives another request to return overseas, and he cannot refuse. He ships out, and is shortly after killed in the line of duty. A despondent Liz is devastated she has to learn to live without Josh. Liz relies heavily on her friends to cope with her loss, but she ultimately comes to terms with life without Josh. She decides to leave her teaching position. Kate and Anne divorce after Anne is unfaithful. Stephen asks Liz to come work for him on a major new development project in midtown Manhattan, and she accepts.

• Beth

Beth takes a phone call while with Lucas. The phone call is from her old colleague Stephen, who meets with her the next day to discuss her becoming the city's deputy urban planner. Beth considers the offer and ends up accepting the deputy position that puts her in charge of that project. Lucas and Beth attend Lucas' protest against a development project, where Lucas criticizes Beth for selling out. Beth gets Lucas to drop his objections by using her new connections to get his book published. Beth and Stephen become close, and Beth eventually kisses him but he leaves to be with his wife. Beth calls Lucas, and they spend the night together. Beth doesn't want to have a relationship with Lucas, but he tries to convince her to continue their courtship. Beth questions whether she has made the right decisions with her life, including sleeping with Lucas. Beth becomes pregnant but does not tell Lucas. Her friend Kate also decides to marry her longtime girlfriend Anne. Without consulting him, she has an abortion; as a result, he doesn't talk to her for two years. She contemplates how her choices have left her alone. Beth wins awards for her work and Lucas becomes a noted activist. Beth takes on a young protege, Elena; Beth is critical of Elena's eventual decision to leave her job to follow her husband and start a family. She again contemplates how she has built a single life for herself. After a near-death experience during a business trip, Beth calls Lucas and reconciles their friendship. Kate and Anne marry, but later plan to divorce after Anne is unfaithful. Beth convinces them not to by reminding them that life is short. Stephen, now divorced, tells Beth he regrets rejecting her advances years earlier, and he invites her to work for him in the state government. She turns him down, opting to stay in New York City to run for the city council. When Beth meets Lucas and Kate in the park for coffee, she meets an Army doctor named Josh who has just returned home from his third tour of duty. He approaches her and she lets him buy her a coffee.

Musical numbers

Act I (Beth)

• "Prologue/What If?" - Elizabeth, Busker, Kate, Lucas, Josh and Company
• "It's a Sign" – Kate and Passengers
• "A Map of New York" – Stephen, Beth, Kate and Company
• "You Never Know" – Josh
• "Ain't No Man Manhattan" – Lucas and Activists
• "What The Fuck?" – Elizabeth
• "Here I Go" – Liz and Josh
• "You Don't Need to Love Me" – Lucas
• "No More Wasted Time" – Beth, Kate, Anne and Elena
• "Surprise" – Company

Act II (Liz)

• "This Day/Walking by a Wedding" – Kate, Anne, Elizabeth, Josh and Company
• "Hey, Kid" – Josh
• "Some Other Me" – Beth and Lucas
• "Best Worst Mistake" – Lucas and David
• "I Hate You" – Liz and Josh
• "A Map of New York (Reprise)" – Stephen
• "You Learn to Live Without" – Elizabeth
• "The Moment Explodes" – Beth, Architect, Flight Attendant and Passengers
• "Love While You Can" – Beth, Kate and Anne
• "What Would You Do?" – David
• "Always Starting Over" – Liz
• "Finale / What If? (Reprise)" – Company