Idina Menzel to Lead Original Musical Redwood on Broadway in 2025

Tony Award winner Idina Menzel will return to Broadway next year as part of the 2024-25 season in Redwood, a new musical written and directed by Tony Award nominee Tina Landau with music by Kate Diaz and lyrics by Diaz and Landau. Redwood is conceived by Landau and Menzel, with additional contributions by Menzel. Dates and a venue are yet to be announced.

Redwood, which had its world premiere earlier this year at La Jolla Playhouse, follows Jesse (Menzel), a successful businesswoman, mother and wife who seems to have it all, but inside, her heart is broken. Finding herself at a turning point, Jesse leaves everyone and everything behind, gets in her car and drives. Thousands of miles later, she hits the majestic forests of Northern California, where a chance meeting and a leap of faith change her life forever.

“I’m so thrilled to be returning to Broadway, and the fact that I get to do it with Redwood, a musical that means so much to me, makes it even more special,” Menzel said in a statement. “This show has lived in my bones for 15 years, from the very first time Tina and I discussed working together. Finally getting to do it on Broadway is really a dream come true.”

On Broadway, Menzel is best known for her Tony-nominated performance as Rent's original Maureen Johnson and her Tony-winning performance as Wicked's original Elphaba. Her Broadway credits also include Aida and If/Then (Tony nomination), and she famously lent her voice to the character of Elsa in Disney's Frozen and Frozen 2. Menzel will preview songs from the Redwood score in her upcoming North American concert tour.

Additional cast and creative team members for the Broadway production of Redwood will be announced at a later date.