Twenty-two years ago, Tony Award winner Idina Menzel defied gravity in “Wicked,” soaring above the stage as the Wicked Witch of the West. Now, in the new Broadway musical “Redwood,” she’s once again suspended mid-air—but instead of flying, she’s climbing.
Harnessed to ropes, she scales a huge, hulking set piece meant to represent a redwood tree, at one point singing while hanging upside down. It’s a striking visual, but “Redwood” struggles to reach great heights.
Menzel’s return to Broadway is a homecoming of sorts, with “Redwood” playing the Nederlander Theatre, where Menzel made her Broadway debut nearly 30 years ago as Maureen in “Rent.” “Redwood” was co-conceived by Menzel and Tina Landau (“Floyd Collins,” “The SpongeBob Musical”), who also directs and provides the book and co-lyrics. The music and additional lyrics are by Kate Diaz, an LA-based composer who is described in her bio as “a newcomer to musical theatre.”
Menzel plays Jesse, a high-strung New York art dealer who is burned out, grief-stricken, and having a full-fledged panic attack following the death of her son (Zachary Noah Piser). Desperate for an escape, she flees to the redwoods, tosses away her phone, and turns into an unlikely tree-climber and tree-sitter.
While Jesse is clearly in pain, she isn’t particularly likable. She abandons her partner (De’Adre Aziza) and job without apology and is often confrontational toward the pair of scientists (Michael Park and Khaila Wilcoxon) who try to help her. Rather than a protagonist we root for, she comes across as self-absorbed and combative.
Jesse’s impulse to escape is understandable, even relatable in an era where political and social tensions feel inescapable. But rather than deeply exploring that theme, “Redwood” settles for sentimental storytelling, a conventional structure, and winking references to Menzel herself.
Musically, “Redwood” wants to soar but instead drifts by unnoticed. The soft pop-rock score lacks distinction, with one song blending into the next. Menzel’s vocals are inconsistent and often strained, recalling her infamous New Year’s Eve struggle to hit the high notes in “Let It Go.” Menzel is more at ease leaning into the comedy, playing Jesse as a neurotic but determined New Yorker who is out of her depth in the world of hardcore environmental activism.
The massive tree set piece dominates the stage, allowing for impressive aerial work. Immersive projections of the forest environment, which extend across the stage and into the auditorium, resemble a planetarium show or a nature documentary on an IMAX screen.
Running just under two hours with no intermission, “Redwood” drags. The pacing is uneven, with overlong stretches of introspection and repetitive musical moments that stall the story’s forward motion. The lack of variation in the music and the underdeveloped supporting characters only add to the sense that the show spins its wheels rather than builds toward a meaningful climax.
”Redwood” is less a full-fledged musical than an elaborate stunt—a visually striking, physically demanding, but emotionally thin showcase for Menzel. While she climbs, swings, and sings her heart out, the show itself remains frustratingly rooted in place.
Nederlander Theatre, 208 West 41st St., redwoodmusical.com.
