De'Adre Aziza on Redwood, Parenthood and Why It's Hard to Be an Introvert on Broadway

Any actress would jump at the chance to create a role described by writer/director Tina Landau as “earthy, sensual and spicy,” a woman filled with “fire, wit and queen energy.” On top of all that, the character in question—a photojournalist named Mel—is paired with Idina Menzel in the new Broadway musical Redwood.

To embody all those enticing qualities, Landau tapped De’Adre Aziza, a Tony nominee for playing multiple characters in the 2008 musical Passing Strange. Aziza has spent most of the past decade working in TV and film (including the recent boxing drama The Fire Inside, opposite Brian Tyree Henry), but her gorgeous singing voice is ideally suited to theater newbie Kate Diaz’s cinematic score. Now settling in at the Nederlander Theatre, Aziza is having a ball working with Idina while planning the release of a jazz EP and celebrating her recent engagement. As for social media and the demands of the stage door? She’s… ambivalent.

How does it feel to be back on Broadway after 11 years?

Oh my gosh, it’s a different world. It’s one thing to do Broadway when you’re naive and fresh in the business. But with social media so prominent now, it changes the dynamics. For example, at curtain call, I see a hundred phones instead of just faces, so that’s weird! But at the end of the day, it does feel great to still be cranking along.

What excited you about joining the cast of Redwood? You’ve done your share of original musicals.

First of all, Idina Menzel—I mean, come on! I’m going to share the stage with a legend. And I’ve worked with Tina [Landau] a few times and have full trust in her. When she said, “We’re still trying to develop the character of Mel,” I was very interested in taking on that challenge. Creating characters is one of the things I love most about acting.

Tina obviously loves Mel, who is feisty and assertive in her relationship with Jesse [the grieving gallery owner played by Menzel].

Early in my career, I struggled to fit into a mold of what I thought people wanted to see—they wanted me to be more polished and refined. I was like, “I’m from Jersey!” I spent years hanging out in Harlem, so I’m going to come in with a certain grittiness that can’t be polished by acting school. [Aziza graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.] In school, you feel like they’re trying to change the way you speak, the way you walk, sometimes your entire personality, and you get confused. The irony is that most of the characters I’ve played in the past decade have been closer to who I really am instead of me trying to conform to a personality that’s more polished. I appreciate being in this moment in time, when originality is more sought after. I have a little edge that’s being accepted and rewarded.

You mentioned being excited about sharing the stage with Idina. What’s that been like?

Incredible. It’s crazy to look into the eyes of a scene partner and think, “Oh my god, I’ve been admiring you for decades, and now I’m working with you.” Sometimes that pops up while I’m on stage, and I have to bury it. Focus! It feels amazing to work with someone who has done such groundbreaking, historic work. I mean, Rent? It was part of the fabric of the new school of musicals, definitely an inspiration for Passing Strange, and she was part of the creation of that.

Are you enjoying singing on stage again?

Um… in a way. [laughs] I’ve been spoiled by film and TV, I’m not going to lie to you. It’s a very different discipline to do eight shows a week. And again, although the audiences have been fantastic during the show, the other stuff that comes with it—the social media pressure, the stage-dooring—is a little too much, to be honest. I love the anonymity of the New York artist that just does the work and then disappears, which happens much more in film and TV. With this, you can’t really hide. You walk out [thinking], “Oh god, I left that on the stage! Why am I not just getting in my car and going home? I’m an introvert. Don’t look at me—I’m not Mel, I’m boring.” I say all that with a certain amount of pride. There are people in the industry who love to be seen and love the attention, and I’m the opposite.

So, you never thought, “I want a big career—I want my name above the title like Audra or Idina”? You didn’t care about that kind of fame?

It’s not a goal of mine. I go with the flow as to where I’m being led, by the spirit and by fate. There’s something fun about having a smaller role and breaking it open. One of my friends said, “Wow, you can get blood from a stone,” and I think about that with every character: How can I break every word of this open and flesh it out? That’s not to say I wouldn’t take on a large production, if that’s where I’m led. I’m not going to back down from the challenge of leading a company, but I’m perfectly happy with what I call the juicy supporting roles. In the case of Mel, every time she appears on stage, she’s in a different emotional place. Her journey is not linear, and I like the challenge of time passing and showing the audience, “This is where her relationship with Jesse is now.”

In real life, you were a young mom, and your child is now 23, the age of Jesse and Mel’s son in Redwood. What rings true about the way parenthood is depicted in the show?

Well, I say that they’re hard and spectacular years, and there are no right answers because every child is different. Every parent tries to do their best, but it doesn’t necessarily work out the way you want. Once the child gets to a certain age, they have their own ideas of who they are and what they want to do, and you have to surrender to that.

What was that juggling act like for you, and is your child interested in show business?

There were many times when I was doing nonprofit work and off-Broadway and had to choose, “Am I going to spend this money on rent or on a babysitter? Hmm, this week, you’ll have to come to the theater with me.” My kid was definitely immersed in it. They also went to a school that had a lot of kids of actors, and so they became interested in it, but now they’re like, “Nah, I’m good.” They’re not into the acting world, and I’m happy about that.

Almost everyone who was in Passing Strange is having a moment right now, including Oscar nominee Colman Domingo. Do you all stay in touch?

We do! The last time we got together, we sat for hours and caught up. We’re still a family, and it feels good to see my fellow Strangers doing well. Rebecca [Naomi Jones], Daniel [Breaker] and I were all in the same Broadway season at different times [in Stereophonic, Once Upon a Mattress and Redwood], and Daniel is in Hadestown now. It’s one of those things we could never have imagined when we all first met. There’s a lot of love there.

How cool is it that you worked with Spike Lee on the TV adaptation of She’s Gotta Have It a decade after he filmed the final performances of Passing Strange?

I’ve worked with Spike a few times since Passing Strange. When he directed Mike Tyson on Broadway, I was Mike’s voice coach and a dramaturg. I did the [2012] movie Red Hook Summer and most recently played Raqueletta Moss in She’s Gotta Have It, which was a great time.

You recently showed off an engagement ring on Instagram. Tell us about the groom. And when is the wedding?

I am engaged, yeah! I don’t have a firm date now that I’m committed to eight shows a week. Maybe on a Monday when I have a day off, or when the run is over. The groom is a lovely, lovely man from Brooklyn. He’s a basketball coach and a girl dad, very patient and very kind. His kids are adults and so is mine, so we’re empty nesters. It’s going to be party central in the house, just me and my man.

For now, it's a pleasure to have you back on Broadway in a musical.

There will be more singing on the horizon from me: I’m releasing a jazz EP this summer. I’ve loved jazz since I was 11 years old and asked my classical piano teacher to start teaching me to play jazz. I’m also working on compositions for my one-lady musical [Datbishcray, in which Aziza plays 34 characters]. It’s a silly comedy, and I sing in all different styles. The script is done, and now I’m going into the studio. I’m very excited. It’s been a passion project that I started in 2016, so it’s definitely time.