My Variety Review: Idina Menzel in New Musical "Redwood"

There’s a powerful appeal to the idea of leaving behind the turbulence of the personal — or for that matter, the political — and escaping to a place of beauty, safety and solace.

A separate peace within a natural sanctuary is just what the troubled character of Jesse, played with captivating ease and intensity by Idina Menzel, finds in the new musical “Redwood,” now on Broadway following its run last spring at La Jolla Playhouse. Others, too, might welcome that sense of comfort in a production of grandeur and heart, telling a story of grief, healing and wonder.

Of course, there’s also the draw of Menzel herself — a Tony winner for “Wicked,” the voice of Elsa in “Frozen” and a Broadway original who has developed “Redwood” over many years along with director-book writer Tina Landau, who co-conceived the musical. It’s a show tailor-made to the star’s strengths as an actress, a vocalist, and a defier of gravity as here she scales, swings and sings from the heights.

How and why Jesse makes her climb up a giant redwood tree is the heart of the story, which takes on the feel of a contemporary eco-folk tale full of symbolism, anthropomorphism and one giant leap of faith.

CCCCCA year after the death of her adult son Spencer (Zachary Noah Piser, playing multiple roles), a broken Jesse consumes herself in work to avoid dealing with her loss, much to the dismay of her supportive, but also grieving, wife Mel (De’Adre Aziza).

As the ongoing trauma becomes overwhelming, Jesse impulsively flees her urban setting, driving ever westward to points unknown, ending up among the redwoods in Northern California. There she meets the easygoing and sympathetic Finn (Michael Park) and the protocol-following Becca (Khaila Wilcoxon), two eco-scientists doing research on the giant trees. Confessing her loss, Jesse convinces at least one of them to let her stay for a while, then to climb, and finally to nest in the tree’s high canopy in the sky.

Both the excellent Park and Wilcoxon manage to lend at least some credibility to this stretch of a pivotal plot point. They also have several scene-setting numbers that speak to the spirit of the formidable, resilient and transformational trees that gradually reveal themselves to Jesse — and the audience.

The rest of the musical deals with Jesse’s healing, the interconnectivity of this forest, and her special bond with one particular giant tree.

It’s this singular majestic redwood, planted centerstage, that grounds the production and gives this sapling of a story its roots. But this essential co-star is far from wooden, enlivened by an extraordinary design team: Jason Ardizzone-West’s towering and awe-inspiring set design; Hana S. Kim’s panoramic, immersive and pixel-rich projections; Scott Zielinski’s forestial lighting, and Jonathan Dean’s rich soundscape. Collectively, it is perhaps the most impressive replica of natural splendor on stage since Ming Cho Lee’s design for the play “K2.”

But therapy in the great outdoors, even with stunning visuals and artful metaphors, can only take a show so far, though it’s greatly helped by Landau’s graceful direction, Melecio Estrella and Bandaloop’s vertical staging and an impressive supporting cast.

Humor, too, balances the earnestness of Landau’s book and Menzel delivers some much-needed lightness with her characteristic off-handed charm and aplomb. (There’s even a few sly insider references, and although the line “I hate greenery” is wickedly underplayed, a more pointed Disney princess line gets a knowing laugh.)

In her musical theater bow, composer Kate Diaz helps in making us see the forest from the tree. Her songs and underscoring are of a singular, reflective piece, with rich melodies and evocative arrangements and orchestrations — though the lyrics lean toward the generic. “Great Escape” and “No Repair” are among the standout songs using Menzel’s own force-of-nature notes in strategic ways. The show’s climax, while not particularly surprising, is honestly earned and emotionally charged in the heart-healing song, “Still,” powerfully sung by Piser.

With just five actors and a giant tree, you could call “Redwood” a musical chamber piece with monumentality.

But in the end, the show rises or falls on whether the audience is carried along — or even cares about — Jesse’s private journey of salvation. Menzel’s stunning performance, in all its variant colors and shades, gives them good grounds. So is this comforting call to nature.