REDWOOD Reviews- Page 2

[Auggie27]

Posted: 2/14/25 at 7:56am

To state the obvious these reviews aren't as positive as those for If/Then, but then this show has a catchier title and a concept that at least has visual significance: a grieving woman in a forest. If/Then - and I was a semi-fan, and even saw it twice - was so convoluted in structural design it was damn near impossible to market without annotating plot explications, other than to sell the star as a contemporary woman (remember the poster, Central Park with twin paths?)  I will go out on a limb (!) and guess that this show will run til Labor Day anyway. Menzel does sell tickets, and the show just looks intriguing.  

[blaxx]

Posted: 2/14/25 at 8:06am

Auggie27 said: "To state the obvious these reviews aren't as positiveas those forIf/Then, but then this show has a catchier title and a concept that at least has visual significance: a grieving woman in a forest. If/Then- and I was a semi-fan, and even saw it twice - was so convoluted in structural design it was damn near impossible to market without annotating plot explications, other than to sell the star as a contemporary woman (remember the poster,Central Park with twin paths?)I will go out on a limb (!) and guess that this show will run til Labor Day anyway. Menzel does sell tickets, and the show just looks intriguing."

Certainly, she does not sell tickets.

[GottaGetAGimmick420]

Posted: 2/14/25 at 8:31am

So... who do we think is going in the Nederlander after Labor Day?
(Slight sarcasm)

[rg7759]

Posted: 2/14/25 at 8:32am

Kween of versail

[RippedMan]

Posted: 2/14/25 at 9:19am

To me, the reviews actually made me interested in seeing the show. And proven with If/Then she does sell tickets. 

[Voter]

Posted: 2/14/25 at 9:22am

I would be so so appreciative if someone could post a gift link to the NY Times review. 

[MezzA101]

Posted: 2/14/25 at 9:25am

Voter said: "I would be so so appreciative if someone could post a gift link to the NY Times review."

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/theater/review-idina-menzel-climbs-to-new-broadway-heights-in-redwood.html?unlocked_article_code=1.w04.J8AS.TC_LJ8rRPL6t

 

[Auggie27]

Posted: 2/14/25 at 9:35am

If one is to make a blanket statement, "she doesn't sell tickets," support it with data-driven facts. If/hen played 430 performances (401 plus 29 previews) with a few positive but mixed reviews and one infamously brutal pan, in the N Times by Brantley, who didn't like show or star.. The strength of her participation was a given in the full year's run (March 30, 2014 - March 22, 2015). And on the road, once she left the major cities portion of the If/Then tour, and Jackie Burns took over, it did not sell. 

Updated On: 2/14/25 at 09:35 AM

[Voter]

Posted: 2/14/25 at 9:38am

Thank you so much MezzA101!

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 2/14/25 at 9:56am

blaxx said: "Auggie27 said: "To state the obvious these reviews aren't as positiveas those forIf/Then, but then this show has a catchier title and a concept that at least has visual significance: a grieving woman in a forest. If/Then- and I was a semi-fan, and even saw it twice - was so convoluted in structural design it was damn near impossible to market without annotating plot explications, other than to sell the star as a contemporary woman (remember the poster,Central Park with twin paths?)I will go out on a limb (!) and guess that this show will run til Labor Day anyway. Menzel does sell tickets, and the show just looks intriguing."

Certainly, she does not sell tickets."

I mean, you can hate her all you want, but this is just untrue. 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 2/14/25 at 10:13am

People are questioning her vocal stamina for this show and if she'll be able to sustain 8 shows/week for a potential year long run.

[binau]

Posted: 2/14/25 at 2:17pm

So he hated Company but LOVED Redwood.

The world seems topsy turvy. 

[blaxx]

Posted: 2/14/25 at 3:45pm

Auggie27 said: "If one is to make a blanket statement, "she doesn't sell tickets," support it with data-driven facts.If/hen played 430 performances (401 plus 29 previews) with a few positive but mixed reviews and one infamously brutal pan, in the N Times byBrantley, who didn't like show or star.. The strength of her participation was a given in the full year's run (March 30, 2014 - March 22, 2015). And on the road, once she left the major cities portion of the If/Then tour, and Jackie Burns took over, it did not sell."

And it lost every penny of its investment, just like Redwood will.

She does not have the power to return an investment on name alone, that's a fact. 

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 2/14/25 at 3:48pm

"She does not have the power to return an investment on name alone" and "Certainly, she does not sell tickets" are two completely different statements.
 

Updated On: 2/14/25 at 03:48 PM

[verywellthensigh]

Posted: 2/14/25 at 10:16pm

Idina!  Tree!  Trauma!  BRILLIANT!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/14/25 at 10:22pm

I saw this again the other night and while they have made some improvements to it since the first preview, a lot of the main problems I felt the show had are still present. But to be fair, I still think there is much to like inside this production. I’m very much looking forward to a cast recording where I’m sure I’ll listen to half the score quite a bit and I do think Idina is quite wonderful in her role. I also think, and maybe it’s because the subject matter she’s going through is almost identical to what my family (and so many more) has gone through, it tells a story a lot of people can relate to. And grief is a tricky bitch that can take many forms. 

Anyways, I don’t think the show is a disaster but its a shame because they could have fixed it much better than they did. 

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 2/15/25 at 10:31am

WiCkEDrOcKS said: ""She does not have the power to return an investment on name alone" and "Certainly, she does not sell tickets" are two completely different statements.
"

Rather than arguing about something without offering any evidence, let's take a look at the actual data. If/Then had several very lean months in its year-long run. Ultimately, Idina Menzel did not have the ticket selling power that many here think she did.

Now, her popularity has since grown, thanks in part to Frozen, but has it grown enough to sustain another show with mixed reviews? Time will tell. In any case, when we analyze the actual data from If/Then, it seems silly to use that specific data to suggest she can sell tickets.



 

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 2/15/25 at 11:00am

jimmycurry01 said: "WiCkEDrOcKS said: ""She does not have the power to return an investment on name alone" and "Certainly, she does not sell tickets" are two completely different statements.
"

Rather than arguing about something without offering any evidence, let's take a look at the actual data. If/Then had several very lean months in its year-long run. Ultimately, Idina Menzel didnot have the ticket selling power that many here think she did.

Now, her popularity has since grown, thanks in part to Frozen, but has it grown enough to sustain another show with mixed reviews? Time will tell. In any case, when we analyze the actual data from If/Then, it seems silly to use that specific data to suggest she can sell tickets.



Ok, here’s my final word on this:

“Certainly, she does not sell tickets” is a theory completely debunked by the graph you just provided. IF/THEN was a financial flop at the end of the day, to be sure. But you think a show about a woman having a mid-life crisis came even remotely close to cracking $1M a week during previews because of the subject matter? The large majority of ticket buyers bought tickets to that show FOR Idina, period. 

Same for REDWOOD.  People aren’t buying tickets to see the tree. 

The “she can’t return investments” argument is a completely different statement and one that has a sound argument, based off of IF/THEN and (so far) REDWOOD’s steady decline in sales.

I’m not saying she can do the latter, but she can certainly do the former and move a substantial amount of tickets based on her name. The woman isn’t (successfully) touring regularly for nothing. 

Updated On: 2/15/25 at 11:00 AM

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 2/15/25 at 11:13am

Successfully touring in small venues for one or two nights for  mostly subscription based concert series does not really say much about her ability to sell tickets. That data will be more difficult to come by. She certainly gets bookings and plays to those houses, though. Still, I think we will have to wait and see how Redwood goes before we can suggest that she can actually sell tickets based on her name.

[veronicamae]

Posted: 2/15/25 at 11:53am

jimmycurry01 said: "Successfully touring in small venues for one or two nights for mostly subscription based concert series does not really say much about her ability to sell tickets. That data will be more difficult to come by. She certainly gets bookings and plays to those houses, though. Still, I think we will have to wait and see how Redwood goes before we can suggest that she can actually sell tickets based on her name."

I am compelled to state that she hasn't done concerts as part of subscription packages in many years. 

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 2/15/25 at 1:00pm

veronicamae said: "jimmycurry01 said: "Successfully touring in small venues for one or two nights for mostly subscription based concert series does not really say much about her ability to sell tickets. That data will be more difficult to come by. She certainly gets bookings and plays to those houses, though. Still, I think we will have to wait and see how Redwood goes before we can suggest that she can actually sell tickets based on her name."

I am compelled to state that she hasn't done concerts as part of subscription packages in many years."

And yet she was part of my season subscription in 2023 in Indianapolis.

[veronicamae]

Posted: 2/15/25 at 2:58pm

jimmycurry01 said: "veronicamae said: "jimmycurry01 said: "Successfully touring in small venues for one or two nights for mostly subscription based concert series does not really say much about her ability to sell tickets. That data will be more difficult to come by. She certainly gets bookings and plays to those houses, though. Still, I think we will have to wait and see how Redwood goes before we can suggest that she can actually sell tickets based on her name."

I am compelled to state that she hasn't done concerts as part of subscription packages in many years."

And yet she was part of my season subscription in 2023 in Indianapolis."

Idina was promoting a children's book and doing pride gigs, not on a concert tour, in 2023.

 

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 2/15/25 at 3:04pm

veronicamae said: "jimmycurry01 said: "veronicamae said: "jimmycurry01 said: "Successfully touring in small venues for one or two nights for mostly subscription based concert series does not really say much about her ability to sell tickets. That data will be more difficult to come by. She certainly gets bookings and plays to those houses, though. Still, I think we will have to wait and see how Redwood goes before we can suggest that she can actually sell tickets based on her name."

I am compelled to state that she hasn't done concerts as part of subscription packages in many years."

And yet she was part of my season subscription in 2023 in Indianapolis."

Idina was promoting a children's book and doing pride gigs, not on a concert tour, in 2023.

"

The semantics of a concert tour and touring around doing concert gigs at subscription based venues (which she did do) aside, the point still holds that her work does not demonstrate that she has any real ticket selling power.

[veronicamae]

Posted: 2/15/25 at 3:10pm

jimmycurry01 said: "veronicamae said: "jimmycurry01 said: "veronicamae said: "jimmycurry01 said: "Successfully touring in small venues for one or two nights for mostly subscription based concert series does not really say much about her ability to sell tickets. That data will be more difficult to come by. She certainly gets bookings and plays to those houses, though. Still, I think we will have to wait and see how Redwood goes before we can suggest that she can actually sell tickets based on her name."

I am compelled to state that she hasn't done concerts as part of subscription packages in many years."

And yet she was part of my season subscription in 2023 in Indianapolis."

Idina was promoting a children's book and doing pride gigs, not on a concert tour, in 2023."

The semantics of a concert tour and touring around doing concert gigs at subscription based venues (which she did do) aside, the point still holds that her work does not demonstrate that she has any real ticket selling power."

It's not semantics; she hasn't done a regular ticketed concert in Indianapolis since 2017. It's entirely possible she headlined a fundraiser there, which is very different than the point you are trying to make.

But yes all that aside, all we can do is wait and see how things develop.

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 2/15/25 at 3:28pm

It was not a fundraiser. It was a regular ticketed concert and performed with the ISO. I was there myself on October 19, 2023, and it was part of the subscription based Jazz Artist concert series offered at The Ruth Lilly Performance Hall. Furthermore, a vast majority of her concerts that she gives throughout the year are part of such subscription based concert series with various symphonies across the country. These are not concerts that can demonstrate her selling power, as most of those sales are a part of the subscription based audience, and that is the point I was making.