Redwood is a musical with music by Kate Diaz and lyrics by Diaz and Tina Landau and a book by Landau. The show tells the story of Jesse, a woman who, after her son's death, leaves her wife and work, drives across the US to the redwood forest, and forms a relationship with a giant redwood.
The show premiered in 2024 at the La Jolla Playhouse in California and opened on Broadway on February 13, 2025.[1] The musical was originally conceived by Landau and Idina Menzel.[2] It closed on May 18, 2025.
Synopsis
Jesse is a successful businesswoman and mother. Her son, Spencer, dies suddenly from an accidental overdose of drugs laced with fentanyl. Struggling deeply with grief and guilt, Jesse tries to avoid processing her pain, while her wife, Mel, wants to grieve openly and remember Spencer, causing tension in their marriage.[3]
Overwhelmed by anguish and feelings of helplessness, Jesse abruptly leaves her home and career, embarking on a solitary journey to the redwood forests of Northern California. There, she meets two arborists, Finn and Becca, and forms complex relationships with them and a particular redwood tree. The natural setting becomes a place of healing and self-discovery for Jesse, with the redwood tree symbolizing resilience, patience, and renewal.[4]
This musical, with music composed by Kate Diaz and lyrics co-written by Diaz and Tina Landau, explores themes of mourning, love, healing, and humanity’s connection to nature. Inspired by Landau’s personal experience of losing a family member to fentanyl-laced drugs, Redwood blends emotional storytelling with evocative music to deliver a powerful message of hope and renewal amid deep loss.[5][6]
Previews of the Broadway run began on January 24, 2025, at the Nederlander Theatre (where Menzel had performed in Rent), before an official opening on February 13.[10]
Reviews on Broadway were mixed to mildly positive, with praise for Menzel's vocals, the supporting cast's performances, and the set design. Critics were generally disappointed by the use of video projections, the pacing of the book, and what they viewed as excessively sentimental and predictable lyrics and ideas throughout the piece.[11][12][13][14]Redwood closed on May 18, 2025, after 127 performances including 17 previews; the closure was announced one day after the musical failed to receive any Tony Award nominations.[15]
Musical numbers and instrumentation
The Broadway production employs two keyboards with keyboard 2 doubling on guitar, acoustic guitar and electric bass, drum set, two violins, one viola, and one cello.[16][17]
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