Idina Menzel Makes Broadway Return with ‘If/Then’ in March 2014

Idina Menzel will return to Broadway next year in the new musical “If/Then.”

The new production is written by the writing team for “Next to Normal,” which won multiple Tony Awards as well as a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Menzel, of course, is best known for her role as Maureen Johnson in “Rent,” as well as for originating the role of Elphaba in “Wicked.” She won a Tony Award for the latter.

“If/Then” will start as an out-of-town engagement in Washington D.C. at the National Theatre with previews beginning November 5 and an official opening set for November 24. The musical will then move to Broadway with previews beginning March 4, 2014 and an official opening to be held March 27, 2014. The production will be held at a Nederlander theater that will be announced at a later date.

Here’s how producers describe the new musical.

On the verge of turning 40, Elizabeth moves to New York City, the ultimate city of possibility, intent on a fresh start – new home, new friends, and hopes for a resurgent career. But even in her carefully planned new life, the smallest decision or most random occurrence will impact her world in ways she never dreamt possible. Set against the ever-shifting landscape of modern day Manhattan, “If/Then” is a romantic and original new musical about how choice and chance collide and how we learn to love the fallout.

Menzel released a statement expressing her excitement about the new production.

“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,” she said. “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.”