Redwood – 11 February 2025

I saw Redwood on a night where lead actress Idina Menzel was recovering from being sick. To honor and respect that everybody has their days, I will be evaluating Redwood as a holistic creation that is bigger and brighter than one star could ever be.

The true MVP of Redwood is projections designer Hana S. Kim. I applaud the breadth and depth of her work. From slow changes at dazzling heights to breathtaking collaborations with sound (Jonathan Deans) that throw protagonist Jesse (Idina Menzel) into dark memories and suppressed traumas, Kim creates the world that is Redwood. Her contribution (and the contributions of her team) run the gamut from high definition realism to artistic depictions of trees to abstract manifestations of the ethereal. They were absolutely beautiful.

In addition to projections, other design elements stepped up to tell a story where the characters are pawns to push around an incredibly dynamic world. I enjoyed seeing this role reversal, as it is usually the actors who command the space and manipulate it to their liking. The way design and technology worked in Redwood were a fantastic metaphor for the plot line of the show. Jesse felt too anchored to her reality and her trauma, and needed to lose herself in an environment that was new and magical and wondrous in order to re-center and return to her wife to face the reality of the damage of unspoken words about the loss of their son. Toward the beginning, the audio levels of the orchestra were kept low no matter where the vocals went, and I was disappointed that I couldn’t feel the show in my body. Later in the show, the sound really rode the wave of the story, as Jesse began to feel more and more alive. It was as if the audience took the journey into finding joy after a loss with the character. Though I understood the use of this device by the end, I will admit that at the beginning I felt less anchored to the show and a little let down by this choice.

In addition to a beautiful world of dazzling design elements, Menzel was surrounded by an incredible cast. In particular Becca (Khaila Wcoxon) and Spencer (Zachary Noah Piser) gave stand out performances, with Mel (De’adre Aziza) and Finn (Michael Park) as beautiful supporting figures. These characters challenged Jesse and each other with important questions, hurt feelings, painful secrets, and the need to find meaning in an ever changing world. Their stories interwove like a network of redwood roots to support not only Jesse’s climb to conquer her fear but also scaffold her descent back into the real world. 

The show takes place in Jesse’s head, in her body, in her memory, and in her heart. Redwood is a show with a lot of heart, unique in its desire to show a story of calmness and healing, for the most part, pretty far away from  deadlines, time crunches, and the typical story telling structure of a person who knows where they’re going and is prepared to risk everything to get there. It’s a powerful depiction of the idea that healing takes place on its own time, and the validation that it’s okay for people like Jesse, who feel broken, to take time away from the world and not know how long they need. Menzel does a phenomenal acting job portraying a woman plagued by intense trauma and anxiety in a way that helps the audience embrace her. I see very real potential for a ripple effect if others, like me, left the theatre reminded how much a little kindness can do, and that the rewards of letting other people with new ideas into your life can bloom and grow into incredibly dynamic, supportive relationships ripe with lessons, stories, acceptance, and love.

I attended this performance on a press pass from Grapevine PR.