Kinky Boots or If/Then?

[winnied]

H and I are going to NYC again in October. Which show should we see? On one hand I've heard that Kinky Boots is an overall better show but If/Then has Idina in it. 

Is there anything else we should do in NYC? We've done the normal basics like the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, people watching, the Italian village, etc. 

[starlily]

I would see If/Then because Kinky Boots already has touring casts, so there's a chance you can see it later, closer to home.

[rikki]

I'm pretty sure bronxgirl saw If/Then.

[fortnightlily]

I know someone who works on If/Then. I saw it in DC during early previews, so the show has had quite a few changes over what I saw, but I'm familiar with the final soundtrack. It's an entertaining show, Idina's amazing, gives you the 'feels'. Will it become a classic? Eh, not sure it has the depth for that, and some songs are amazing and some are just meh. The whole cast is crazy talented, though. I'm glad I saw it and I'd totally see it again.

I don't know anything about Kinky Boots.

ETA: The soundtrack is available on Spotify if you want to preview the music.  The show doesn't have much going for it other than the music/story, i.e. no stunning choreography or large visual spectacles.

[gtkim]

I've seen both and it really just depends on what you want to see.  Kinky Boots is a "bigger" show and was definitely fun, but if you are a fan of Idina and have not had the chance to see her I would pick If/Then.  She really is amazing, and I thought the staging of the show and the way the alternated between personalities was very interesting.

As far as other things, one of the things I found from other recs is the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side. We did the Shop Life tour only because we wanted to do something early and that was the first tour of the day, and we absolutely loved it.  It was very interesting and very well presented.

[sunnysally]

We saw Kinky Boots last spring. It was fun, but I didn't walk out singing any of the songs.

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[sarahsas]

I loved Kinky's message and the drag queens were so fun. Smiled and laughed a lot. I highly recommend it! Haven't seen If/then but I had the same dilemma as you regarding the two shows and I am glad I chose Kinky Boots.

[shell24]

I saw If/Then back in March and thought it was great. My DD1 loves listening to a few songs from the soundtrack (I have to be careful because of the language!).

Kinky Boots is going on tour so I just plan on seeing that here in Chicago. If you're near a place you can normally see shows, I'd wait to see Kinky Boots.

[Deleted]

Idina is great, but If/Then really loses the plot in the second act. In the end I didn't think it was that amazing.

[lishie]

We hit at least one broadway show a year when visiting MIL in the city. We also have a touring broadway subscription in our city, so I see a decent number of shows.

I saw If/Then when we visited MIL in April. Idina was very good, and I also liked seeing Anthony Rapp on stage again, but the show was incredibly disappointing to me. Even two of my favorite theater actors being in If/Then didn't keep me from being bored and checking my watch. The staging and songs were okay at best as compared to many other shows I've seen.

I really regret not going to see Kinky Boots this last trip. I absolutely love Billy Porter and wish I would have chosen that instead of If/Then.

[sa]

I have not seen If/Then, but I did see Kinky Boots. I thought it was a lot of fun, but it wasn't my favorite show of all time. Even so, it's worth seeing.

I've been on the fence about seeing If/Then, I typically prefer upbeat musicals.

[qwerty]

Aug 5, 2014 13:36:11 GMT -5 fortnightlily said:

I know someone who works on If/Then. I saw it in DC during early previews, so the show has had quite a few changes over what I saw, but I'm familiar with the final soundtrack. It's an entertaining show, Idina's amazing, gives you the 'feels'. Will it become a classic? Eh, not sure it has the depth for that, and some songs are amazing and some are just meh. The whole cast is crazy talented, though. I'm glad I saw it and I'd totally see it again.

I don't know anything about Kinky Boots.

ETA: The soundtrack is available on Spotify if you want to preview the music.  The show doesn't have much going for it other than the music/story, i.e. no stunning choreography or large visual spectacles.

Agree with this. We saw it in DC. Aside from Idina and the guy who was also in Rent (forget his name), it didn't have much going for it. I would go with Kinky Boots.  Loved the movie.