REDWOOD Previews- Page 2

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/24/25 at 1:48pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "When REDWOODplayed out of town, an artificial “tree” was set up in the lobby, and its “leaves” were hanging sticky notes where people wrote down messages, comments, well wishes, thoughts on the show, etc.

I wonder if they’ll recreate that at the Nederlander."

idk, but I remember Nederlander lobby space being TIGHT even without fake trees...

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 1/24/25 at 5:06pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "When REDWOODplayed out of town, an artificial “tree” was set up in the lobby, and its “leaves” were hanging sticky notes where people wrote down messages, comments, well wishes, thoughts on the show, etc.

I wonder if they’ll recreate that at the Nederlander."

the Nederlander lobby is tiny, so this would have to be adjusted somewhat but it sounds like if done right, it could set quite the scene upon entry. that said its hardly original---feels like something a civil rights/atrocity-focused museum might do. I know there are a bunch of these "trees" in Berlin museums, for example.

[Famebroadway2]

Posted: 1/24/25 at 5:22pm

Looks like the video screens extend out into the audience. Found this from the dress. 
 

https://x.com/incitafusio/status/1882834543155040329?s=46&t=YcKJS7eLt42acRxikZ86eQ 

[inception]

Posted: 1/24/25 at 6:06pm

Looks similar to how it was in La Jolla, just that theatre is all sort of stadium seating instead of a separated orchestra/mezz etc

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/24/25 at 6:33pm

It's really crazy that there still isn't a separate Projection Design category at the Tonys.

Between this, Sunset Boulevard, Maybe Happy Ending, McNeal, Dorian Gray, and a slew of others.

It's a different job than Scenic Design or Lighting Design.

(They can add a Hair & Makeup award while they're at it.)

[RW3]

Posted: 1/24/25 at 7:13pm

Link to Redwood merch: https://www.broadwaymerchandiseshop.com/collections/redwood?srsltid=AfmBOorea8mFugSAXN0KXiSBqhwnRzzySeG38DyrtIiQSENFAyOWmmO_

I like the 'In the Leaves' tee and the tote bag.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 1/24/25 at 10:01pm

There is nothing I hate more on a t-shirt than a straight square edged graphic and the nerve to charge $40 for it is INSANE.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 1/24/25 at 10:29pm

According to Reddit, there was about a 4-5 minute stoppage tonight due to technical issues. Idina came out to do a Q&A with the audience.

Updated On: 1/24/25 at 10:29 PM

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 1/24/25 at 10:49pm

So what'd we think? How was Dazeem?

[nightnic0012]

Posted: 1/24/25 at 11:15pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "So what'd we think? How was Dazeem?"

Adele was in phenomenal voice. The show? Woof. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/24/25 at 11:23pm

The show stop was 35 minutes long, not 4-5 minutes. Gonna gather some thoughts in a few mins. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/24/25 at 11:51pm

This was an interesting one for me tonight. My friend and I left both saying she's phenomenal but the material is way too uneven and clunky (as is) to really serve her as well as it should. Some of the music is excellent, some is just downright bad. Some scenes are beautiful, some go on way too long and feel unnecessary. But this is why I love first previews, when the work hopefully starts and the hacksaws come out which they definitely need to, here. 

I agree with my friend that this could maybe even be a one woman song cycle meditation on loss and grief and cut out all of the other stuff surrounding it that just doesn't serve the plot of this story. But as is, the two tree people (whatever they're called) played by Khaila Wilcoxon & Michael Park are two characters that seem to BEG to be cut into one. We don't need both of their backstories, one would be more than enough. I even think the character of Idina's wife could be entirely cut with nothing lost and we can hear about her in phone calls just from Idina's side. Maybe I'm wrong about that one but at this moment It seems like it would be a good cut for time and just moving the story forward. 

The scenic design with the projections is really beautiful, some of the best I've ever seen with these types of things. If you're wondering where to sit, if you can sit close to try to feel immersed in what they've created. Again, some of the music is really beautiful and I can't wait to hear it again. The 11 o'clock number did have me in tears so good on them for that. 

But overall again, this is entirely too long. With the show stop tonight, we got out at 10:50 so this show regularly would be a little over two hours with no intermission and that's just way too much for this one and it does start to drag at quite a few points throughout. 
 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 1/24/25 at 11:59pm

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

As she is new to the musical, how was Khaila tonight?

Does the entire theatre still rumble during the forest fire sequence?

Although the score works for the most part, so I hear, there was one song in particular, “A Little Bit Wild,” that many people thought stuck out like a sore thumb in San Diego. Apparently, it did give some good insight for Michael Park’s character though; did they keep the song for Broadway?

Folx have also been singling out Piser’s song that he shares with Idina as a gorgeous highlight. Is that the one you had mentioned, Jordan?

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/25/25 at 12:03am

That scene and song she shares with Idina is so weird because yeah it’s good but it comes at the end of the show when it kind of needs to be towards the beginning and all I could think was how this is so out of place. 
 

Is that Michael Park’s song toward the beginning? If so it made me wish I had scissors to cut it from the score right then and there. 

[veronicamae]

Posted: 1/25/25 at 4:05pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

As she is new to the musical, how was Khaila tonight?

Does the entire theatre still rumble during the forest fire sequence?

Although the score works for the most part, so I hear, there was one song in particular, “A Little Bit Wild,” that many people thought stuck out like a sore thumb in San Diego. Apparently, it did give some good insight for Michael Park’s character though; did they keep the song for Broadway?

Folx have also been singling out Piser’ssongthat he shares with Idina as a gorgeous highlight. Is that theone you had mentioned, Jordan?

"

Barely spoilerish answers to these quetsions:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Khalia as the new Becca is a stellar recast imo.

Yes it still rumbles.

"A Little Bit Wild" was cut; Park has a different song and his character has been made a bit more serious (and less wild).

And Piser's solo (which Idina does join a bit) is definitely when those who were on the cusp of tears and managed to refrain will lose it.

 

[inception]

Posted: 1/25/25 at 8:37pm

veronicamae said: 

As she is new to the musical, how was Khaila tonight?

Does the entire theatre still rumble during the forest fire sequence?

Although the score works for the most part, so I hear, there was one song in particular, “A Little Bit Wild,” that many people thought stuck out like a sore thumb in San Diego. Apparently, it did give some good insight for Michael Park’s character though; did they keep the song for Broadway?

Folx have also been singling out Piser’ssongthat he shares with Idina as a gorgeous highlight. Is that theone you had mentioned, Jordan?

Barely spoilerish answers to these quetsions:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Khalia as the new Becca is a stellar recast imo.

Yes it still rumbles.

"A Little Bit Wild" was cut; Park has a different song and his character has been made a bit more serious (and less wild).

And Piser's solo (which Idina does join a bit) is definitely when those who were on the cusp of tears and managed to refrain will lose it.

"

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Good to hear that song is gone.  It was embarrassing. 

What about that short scene when she was watching the TV show Maude on her laptop?

 

[nightnic0012]

Posted: 1/25/25 at 10:13pm

inception said: "veronicamae said:

As she is new to the musical, how was Khaila tonight?

Does the entire theatre still rumble during the forest fire sequence?

Although the score works for the most part, so I hear, there was one song in particular, “A Little Bit Wild,” that many people thought stuck out like a sore thumb in San Diego. Apparently, it did give some good insight for Michael Park’s character though; did they keep the song for Broadway?

Folx have also been singling out Piser’ssongthat he shares with Idina as a gorgeous highlight. Is that theone you had mentioned, Jordan?

Barely spoilerish answers to these quetsions:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Khalia as the new Becca is a stellar recast imo.

Yes it still rumbles.

"A Little Bit Wild" was cut; Park has a different song and his character has been made a bit more serious (and less wild).

And Piser's solo (which Idina does join a bit) is definitely when those who were on the cusp of tears and managed to refrain will lose it.

"

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Good to hear that song is gone. It was embarrassing.

What about that short scene when she was watching the TV show Maude on her laptop?

 

Oh, that's there. Grinding the plot to a halt for 2 minutes.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 1/25/25 at 11:38pm

I had high hopes for this, and was genuinely excited going in. I am one of the few people who loved If/Then, and consider myself an Idina fan. That being said, I found Redwood to be a brutal two plus hour chore to sit through.

The first (noticeable) issue is the appallingly bad sound design. I could not make out about 75% of the lyrics in the opening number due to the sound mix and this weird “echo” effect I think they may have been trying to go for?

The use of projections to move through the forest and capture the scaling of trees is an interesting one, but it is poorly executed. It just looks like cheap CGI most of the time.

The less said about the book and score the better. There are countless eye roll inducing “jokes” and moments of outright sappiness. The rap song the son sings has got to go. The penultimate number is touching, but comes way too late in the evening.

Most shocking is Idina’s rough performance. Her voice sounds completely garbled and shot. Matters are not helped by the awful material she is saddled with delivering.

I was reminded of Jagged Little Pill quite a few times with the barely glossed over myriad of hot button issues wrapped up in a Lifetime Movie Network plot. At least that show had the great tunes of Alanis Morissette to power audiences through all the mundane sentimentality…

All in all, a giant miss and boring slog of a show for me. I can’t think of anyone I’d recommend this to - diehard fellow theatre fans included.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/25/25 at 11:59pm

It’s interesting you mentioned JLP because I had forgotten I had that same thought at one particular point in the show and did roll my eyes, too. But of all the problems I have with the show, I really thought she sounded great

But I’m also glad you called out the sound design. A lot of the lyrics, especially in the first half of the show, are impossible to understand. 

Updated On: 1/26/25 at 11:59 PM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/26/25 at 12:09am

bwayphreak234 said: "I was reminded of Jagged Little Pill quite a few times with the barely glossed over myriad of hot button issues wrapped up in a Lifetime Movie Network plot. At least that show had the great tunes of Alanis Morissette to power audiences through all the mundane sentimentality…"

Idina did early workshops of Jagged Little Pill, and Redwood and Jagged share a lead producer.

[carolinaguy]

Posted: 1/26/25 at 10:10am

There was a big feature on Idina and the show on CBS Sunday Morning today. I believe she is on Today sometime this week as well, so the publicity wheel has started turning. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 1/26/25 at 12:18pm

carolinaguy said: "There was a big feature on Idina and the show on CBS Sunday Morning today. I believe she is on Today sometime this week as well, so the publicity wheel has started turning."

Extended version:

 

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 1/26/25 at 3:46pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "carolinaguy said: "There was a big feature on Idina and the show on CBS Sunday Morning today. I believe she is on Today sometime this week as well, so the publicity wheel has started turning."

Those clips didn't sell the show to me. The second they showed Idina singing in front of the giant fake tree we both just started laughing. It may work very well in the show but it came across super cheesy on tv. I also am so bored of stories of white women escaping into nature to 'find themselves' or heal. 

Extended version:

 

"

T

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 1/27/25 at 3:45pm

Idina was on TODAY this morning and premiered one of the new songs written for the Broadway iteration, "In the Leaves":

https://www.today.com/video/idina-menzel-performs-in-the-leaves-from-new-show-redwood-230346821727

[Claudia Draper]

Posted: 1/27/25 at 3:56pm

Why does IDINA even have a standby for this show?    Given the marquee has her name bigger than the title, I assume the show would just be cancelled..  I think must would want a refund.. 

Updated On: 1/27/25 at 03:56 PM