Performing a show specifically written for powerhouse Idina Menzel without Idina Menzel starts you off at a disadvantage. When that musical is also superficial and predictable, it’s no surprise that Elyse Dolan’s staging of If/Then for Brown Paper Box. Co. could not deliver.
If/Then tries hard to say something important about fate, destiny, and the way we live our lives, but the shallow storylines and forgettable music undercut these aims. v
Through 2/16: Thu-Fri 7:30 PM, Sat 2 and 7:30 PM, Sun 2 PM; also Mon 2/3, 7:30 PM, Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport, 773-935-6860, brownpaperbox.org , $29.50.
