I finally caught up with Tina Landau and Kate Diaz's new musical Redwood, which is largely a star vehicle for the incomparable Idina Menzel.
Menzel, who also co-conceived the show with Landau, plays Jesse, a successful gallery owner whose life went off the rails after the death of her son. Driving westward, she finds herself in a redwood forest that is being studied by two botanists. She soon talks them into letting her climb one of the massive trees with them.
In many ways, though, the star of the show is the set, designed by Jason Ardizzone-West with projections by Hana S. Kim. Though we don't see live actors interacting with the projections in quite the same way as we did in the Metropolitan Opera's production of Moby-Dick, the projections are impressive, and when part of the set revolves to become a massive redwood, the audience is entranced.
Much of the fun of the show involves watching actors climbing the tree and spinning through the air while suspended by ropes and a harness. Gradually, while climbing, Jesse deals with her grief as she also connects with nature. When fires threaten the forest, things heat up emotionally as well, and the show hastens toward its inevitable but still satisfying conclusion.
The show is slated to run through August 17th. I don't imagine it will be able to continue without Menzel in the starring role, so if you want to see it, make sure to catch it before then.