Sony Masterworks Broadway release the album Redwood: A New Musical. The recording features vocals by Idina Menzel, De’Adre Aziza, Michael Park, Zachary Noah Piser and Khaila Wilcoxon. Redwood is written and directed by Tina Landau, with music and orchestrations by Kate Diaz, and lyrics by Diaz and Landau. Following a heart-breaking loss, one woman’s journey into a redwood forest leads her to find catharsis in ways she never imagined, where a chance encounter and a leap of faith will change her life forever...

The original Broadway cast recording for Redwood contains 19 songs (57 min, 06 sec) from the musical. It's a bit of a slow burner and whilst all of the songs are wonderfully conceived and performed, it took me numerous listens to really appreciate the subtle characteristics of the collection as a complete musical. If you've seen the stage production, then this is a no-brainer. What Idina Menzel creates here is a musical which delivers so many memorable, uplifting themes that I found on each subsequent listens there was always something new to love.

While it's obviously beneficial if you've seen the musical, it's not essential. The story is pretty easy to piece together from the lyrics. Fans of musical theatre will find so much to enjoy here, especially if they're a fan of melancholic, heartbreaking songs.

'Still' was without a doubt the one track that constantly sent a shiver down my spine. A heartbreakingly melancholic, subtle piece that, for me, holds the heart of the entire production.

Other noteworthy tracks include 'Drive', 'The Trees', 'Climb', 'The Stars', 'Back Then', 'Great Escape', 'In the Leaves', 'No Repair', 'The Fires' and 'Finale' (which revisits both 'Still' and 'The Trees')... pretty much every track has something that you'll instantly fall in love with.

It's refreshing to see a new musical from an original story getting the attention it deserves. A near perfect album of uplifting, memorable songs that celebrates life, with all its barriers and pitfalls.

9

Darren Rea