Redwood, Starring Idina Menzel, Will Take Final Broadway Bow on May 18

Redwood, starring Tony winner Idina Menzel, will play its final performance at the Nederlander Theatre on May 18. The show, which opened February 13, will haved played 127 performances, including 17 previews, at the time of its closing. Menzel had previously set her final performance for August 17. 

Redwood follows one woman’s journey into the precious and precarious world of the redwoods. Jesse (Menzel) seems to have it all—a successful career and devoted family—until a life-altering event drives her far from everyone and everything she knows. When she finds herself at the foot of the redwoods in Northern California, a chance encounter and a leap of faith will change her life forever. Redwood explores the lengths and heights one travels to find strength, resilience and healing.

Written and directed by Tony Award nominee Tina Landau, Redwood features music by Kate Diaz and lyrics by Diaz and Landau. The show is conceived by Landau and Menzel, with additional contributions by Menzel.

“While we had of course hoped for a longer run, we're incredibly grateful to have been able to tell this beautiful story for the time we've been given," said producers Eva Price and Caroline Kaplan in a statement. “Redwood has been a labor of love since the very beginning of this process, and we are immensely proud of the incredible work our cast, crew and creative team have wholeheartedly poured into this production. The themes of connection and community have really resonated with audiences, and we’ll take that with us long after the show closes on Broadway.”

Menzel is joined in the cast by De’Adre Aziza (Passing Strange), Michael Park (Dear Evan Hansen), Zachary Noah Piser (Dear Evan Hansen) and Khaila Wilcoxon (SIX). Menzel, Aziza, Park and Piser all reprise their roles from Redwood’s 2024 world-premiere production at La Jolla Playhouse. The company also includes Daniel Brackett, John Hemphill and Veronica Otim. Jessica Phillips serves as standby for Menzel’s character Jesse.

The creative team for Redwood includes Jason Ardizzone-West (scenic design), Hana S. Kim (video design), Toni-Leslie James (costume design), Scott Zielinski (lighting design), Jonathan Deans (sound design), Melecio Estrella, BANDALOOP (vertical movement/vertical choreography), Tom Kitt (music supervision) and Haley Bennett (associate music supervision) with orchestrations and arrangements by Diaz. 

The original Broadway cast recording will be released digitally on May 13 with the physical CD set to arrive on June 13, followed by the vinyl release on July 25.