“Wicked” Star Idina Menzel Returns to Broadway

By Priscilla Liguori 1-29-14

Idina Menzel. Courtesy of idinamenzel.com.

Idina Menzel will be returning to Broadway this March for the new original musical “If/Then.”

“I’ve experienced the beauty of working on original musicals and was eager to find a project where the material was exciting and new and spoke to my heart.” Menzel said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to have finally found it – an original musical with a complex, flawed, and surprising central character that I cannot wait to bring to life onstage. I have loved collaborating with Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey on the creation of this character.”

According to the musical’s website, If/Then is a contemporary musical which demonstrates a crossing of choice and chance. Menzel’s character Elizabeth moves to New York to build a new life. Music is by Tom Kitt and book and lyrics are by Brian Yorkey, both Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award Winners. David Stone, who produced “Wicked,” and Michael Grief, who directed “Rent,” join this creative dream team for “If/Then.”

Menzel took a 10 year recess from Broadway, but her time away was the farthest from a vacation. Among solo albums and international tours, the Tony winner has made appearances on television including a reoccurring role on “Glee” and her own PBS special “Barefoot at the Symphony.” She has starred in films such as “Enchanted,” “Ask the Dusk,” and most recently, “Frozen.”

Menzel’s career on Broadway began with a Tony-nominated performance as Maureen Johnson in “Rent.” She later originated the Elphaba in “Wicked”, for which she won a Tony and later reprised in London’s West End production.

Menzel shares her excitement with her Twitter followers, often tweeting about the musical and writing in her bio, “back to bway in if/then this year.”

Previews of “If/Then” begin on Broadway March 5 in the Richard Rodgers Theatre.