Broadway Musical 'Redwood' Receives Mixed Reviews Despite Star-Studded Cast
The new Broadway musical 'Redwood,' starring Idina Menzel, explores grief amid California's redwoods, but faces criticism for its shallow narrative and character depth.
Yet Redwood’s DNA contains none of the radical resolve, none of the sense of injustice, that took Hill up into the canopy.
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But despite Menzel's very best efforts, the musical's lofty ambitions never quite take root.
'Redwood' review: Idina Menzel goes out on a limb in hollow new Broadway musical
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Redwood is otherwise hampered by a pervasive sense of artificiality – songs about cathartic wonder devoid of it, surface-level characters, with insight that goes no farther than “grief is horrible and mutable but you can adapt.”
Redwood review – Idina Menzel underwhelms in magic tree musical
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Both the musical and Ms. Mendel’s performance grow more compelling as that tragedy comes more sharply into focus.
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Summary
The new Broadway musical 'Redwood,' which opened on February 13 at the Nederlander Theatre, stars Idina Menzel as Jesse, a grieving mother seeking solace in California's massive redwood trees. Despite an extravagant set that captures the grandeur of these ancient trees, the musical has been met with mixed reviews. Critics praised Menzel's powerful vocals but found the plot predictable and its portrayal of grief insufficiently deep. New elements include Jesse's challenging climb up the tree, which represents her emotional healing. Some moments offer flickers of magic, but many feel the story fails to fully connect with its audience.
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