REDWOOD Original Broadway Cast Recording Thread

Releases May 13 digitally, June 13 physically, and July 25 on vinyl! Music by Kate Diaz, lyrics by Kate Diaz and Tina Landau

First listen of Idina Menzel (Jesse) performing "In the Leaves":

Updated On: 4/22/25 at 09:11 AM

If the grosses continue at this level the release might coincide with its closing.

Zachary Noah Piser (Spencer) and Menzel performing "Still":

I would echo what others have said that it's just not for everyone. If you want a story about loss you'll probably like it. Part of it is that it's borderline play with songs rather than musical. I really liked it but I guess in hindsight kind of a tough sell

Ready to climb? Tomorrow, the full album is yours to s(tree)m.

FOR whatever complaints there might be at the show, it is a pleasure to have that iconic original thick pop sounding voice of Elphaba and Elsa singing brand new theatrical music for us again. e.g. "The Stars". It's THAT voice, the one that only comes about once every decade (Rent, Wicked, If/Then-Frozen, Redwood). The one we LOVE hearing on every studio recording we've ever heard, but never sure where it's going to go live...are we getting a repeat of the 2003 Tonys or the slime tutorial on YouTube that has appeared showing she had absolutely pristine pitch perfect vocals on the Broadway stage at times?

You know, the voice that even non-theatre commoners know so that we finally can have something in common to talk about when they don't want really want to know the history of Bernadette's vocal peak and decline and the differences between how she sung Rose's Turn in early previews vs opening night vs cast recording vs closing night vs Lincoln archive. 

"OMG YASSSS GIRL, I LOVE WICKED TOO IDINA IS THE BEST LUV DEFYING GRAVITY". 

Or the voice that actually means you don't HATE it when parents keep playing "Let It Go" to their 5 year olds over and over and over again. 

Idina, you sound FANTASTIC on the recording and there is only ONE YOU!!!


 

Overall, I find that the music is a bit stronger than the lyrics (which range from elegantly simple to sounding AI generated). I'm enjoying hearing what sounds like electronic music or electronic-inspired even if performed live (in fact some of the songs are quite high energy with the beats I would fantasise about Idina performing a solo concert version of the entire score in a club), and the composer really has worked with Idina's strengths to give us variations on a theme of heightened emotions and vulnerability. I think I prefer the melodies in Redwood than If/Then. I kind of get why Idina might have fallen in love with the show

Songs I'd recommend if people are trying to find the good:
"Drive"
"The Trees" (beautiful instrumental)
"The Stars"
"Great Escape" (it sounds like the song has actually changed notable from the demo on the website - they've changed the pitch of some of the verses and maybe even the final note if I recall correctly?)
"In the Leaves" 
"No Repair"
"The Fires"
"Still"

100% I will find regular rotations of these songs in life. 

Updated On: 5/13/25 at 03:00 AM

This is one of those weird situations where I actually kind of liked a show and can't really articulate why. In this case, I can point to being a big house plant person and liking the prominent conservation messaging. I streamed the album this morning and it's actually pretty good. Happy to have a few of these tracks in my rotation now. Wild that Idina is/was expected to sing this 8x a week.