Menzel-led REDWOOD to transfer to Broadway this season

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 9:02am

https://www.theatermania.com/news/idina-menzel-sets-broadway-return-in-new-musical-redwood_1742851/

Updated On: 6/13/24 at 09:02 AM

[Dolly80]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 9:04am

Producers really just want to throw their money down a drain don’t they?

[Kad]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 9:04am

Big year for Landau, directing this and Floyd Collins.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 9:06am

The major question is why? 
It wasn’t a hit at La Jolla. 

[bigbelterbaby]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 9:07am

Happy Menzel has found a vehicle that caters to her strengths. I liked the songs I’ve heard from the show. 
 

..

[OhHiii]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 9:10am

rosscoe(au) said: "The major question is why?
It wasn’t a hit at La Jolla."

It got great reviews in La Jolla? And Idina sells tickets? Pretty easy answer actually…

[gibsons2]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 9:13am

Kad said: "Big year for Landau, directing this and Floyd Collins."

One musical is about spelunking and another is about... hiking? As a nature enthusiast, I'm all for it!

Updated On: 6/13/24 at 09:13 AM

[KevinKlawitter]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 9:15am

Best Actress in a Musical is going to be a bloodbath two years in a row, it seems

[steven22]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 9:16am

I know nothing about this show. But I’ll see anything Idina is in. 

[HenryTDobson]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 9:22am

I've heard less than great reports about this from several friends. I hope they put the work in to improve it. 

[bigbelterbaby]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 9:28am

steven22 said: "I know nothing about this show. But I’ll see anything Idina is in."

The show is about Julia Butterfly Hill, an environmental activist that saved an ancient redwood tree from being destroyed and lived in the tree for almost two years. There’s a book and documentary about it. She’s also a lesbian and De’adre Aziza played her partner in La Jolla. 
 

..

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 9:28am

OhHiii said: "rosscoe(au) said: "The major question is why?
It wasn’t a hit at La Jolla."

It got great reviews in La Jolla? And Idina sells tickets?Pretty easy answer actually…"

Well If”/Than certainly set the box office on fire! 

[OhHiii]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 9:35am

rosscoe(au) said: "Well If”/Than certainly set the box office on fire!"

It ran for over a year. And had several weeks north of $1mil in 2015 which was not the same era we are in now.

I swear this board loves to b*tch and moan about the lack of original work on Broadway and then something original gets announced with a star that does have some level of selling power and the pitchforks come out to say you know better than producers. It makes no sense lol. 

[inception]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 9:37am

Nope. That is not the plot. I saw the show twice in March.  It is inspired by the story of Hill, but it is not her story.  In the show Idina's character googles and learns about Hill, and then is like "I'm gonna do the same thing!"  The show has some songs that play to her strengths, and uses projections in a fantastic way, but the book was a mess.

bigbelterbaby said: "steven22 said: "

The show is about Julia Butterfly Hill, an environmental activist that saved an ancient redwood tree from being destroyed and lived in the tree for almost two years. There’s a book and documentary about it. She’s also a lesbian and De’adre Aziza played her partner in La Jolla.


.."

 

Updated On: 6/13/24 at 09:37 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 9:40am

If/Then wasn’t a hit and didn’t recoup, but it wasn’t an embarrassing flop. It had strong box office numbers initially, clearing $1mil frequently, though they gradually diminished. Producers pulled the plug rather than recast Menzel. 

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 9:42am

The producers also announced that it “partially recouped.” 

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 9:51am

OhHiii said: "rosscoe(au) said: "Well If”/Than certainly set the box office on fire!"

It ran for over a year. And had several weeks north of $1mil in 2015 which was not the same era we are in now.

I swear this board loves to b*tch and moan about the lack of original work on Broadway and then something original gets announced with a star that does have some level of selling power and the pitchforks come out to say you know better than producers. It makes no sense lol."

Yep. And then they say they don't want revivals but freak out when a big name comes back in a star-studded revival, while at the same time asking for original work, and then they don't support the original work. It's stupid, sorry 

[MadsonMelo]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 9:58am

Scherzinger, McDonald, Simard, Hilty, Foster, Brayben, Shen... now Menzel?

And possibly Peters, Salonga... maybe Chenoweth?

Oh, 2025 Tony's for Best Actress in a Musical will be INSANE!

[Ensemble1704909160]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 10:09am

bigbelterbaby said: "steven22 said: "I know nothing about this show. But I’ll see anything Idina is in."

The show is about Julia Butterfly Hill, an environmental activist that saved an ancient redwood tree from being destroyed and lived in the tree for almost two years. There’s a book and documentary about it. She’s also a lesbian and De’adre Aziza played her partner in La Jolla."

No, not at all. It's about grief and running away from NYC life to live amongst the Redwood trees in northern California. They reference Hill, and yes, Menzel's character sleeps overnight in a tree at one point, but not to prevent it from being cut down. Most of the show is about her learning to climb trees and reflecting on the events that caused her to come to the forest in the first place. 

Updated On: 6/13/24 at 10:09 AM

[bigbelterbaby]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 10:10am

Interesting! Sounds a lot more like Wild the movie about Cheryl Strayed. Which incidentally was the name of a show she also did recently. 

[Kad]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 10:14am

Considering the cast at La Jolla was only 8 actors including understudies, this seems like a more modestly sized show that with a star like Menzel at the helm could do reasonably well …. As long she’s in it, at least. 

Updated On: 6/13/24 at 10:14 AM

[Ensemble1704909160]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 10:17am

Kad said: "Considering the cast at La Jolla was only 8 actors including understudies, this seems like a more modestly sized show that with a star like Menzel at the helm could do reasonably well …. As long she’s in it, at least."

She didn't have an understudy in La Jolla, so I am curious to see who they end up picking. She never called out, but they said they would cancel if she did. 

[OhHiii]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 10:37am

Ensemble1704909160 said: "Kad said: "She didn't have an understudy in La Jolla, so I am curious to see who they end up picking. She never called out, but they said they would cancel if she did."

It will almost certainly be Jackie Burns.  Pending plans for Burlesque anyway…

Updated On: 6/13/24 at 10:37 AM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 10:42am

No theatre or dates always makes me skeptical

Sometimes (not always) that’s wishful thinking or a way to drum up investors and never transpires. Such as Landau’s other recent musical, Transparent. 

[veronicamae]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 11:18am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "No theatre or dates always makes me skeptical

Sometimes (not always)that’s wishful thinking or a way to drum up investors and never transpires. Such as Landau’s other recent musical, Transparent."

It's coming. :)