A New Musical Born Amongst the Trees
By Makayla Hoppe for the San Diego Jewish Journal
Julia Butterfly Hill is an environmental activist best known for living in a California redwood to protest the logging industry. From Dec. 10, 1997 to Dec. 18, 1999, Julia lived in the tree, known as Luna, for 738 days. Her protest led to an agreement that the lumber company would not cut down Luna.
Today, Julia serves as inspiration for “Redwood,” a new musical premiering at La Jolla Playhouse in 2024. Tony Award-nominated artist Tina Landau conceived, wrote, and will be directing the new production. The show comes with input from Broadway veteran Idina Menzel—as well as the musical’s lead actress.
“Idina and I were both sitting around thinking about how we weren’t working [during COVID],” Tina said. “I returned to her with the idea, and we felt she had aged out of playing that character. We were interested in telling a different story, but we’re still enamored by the notion of a woman who goes to be in a tree and stays there and what that experience would be motivated by, and we came up with a whole new story around that simple image of a woman who goes at it alone and lives inside of nature in that way.”
Jesse is a businesswoman, mother, and wife. Despite success in her life, she still feels a sense of longing and pain. Confronting a pivotal moment, Jesse decides to abandon her established life, embarking on a spontaneous road trip that spans thousands of miles. Eventually arriving at the redwoods of Northern California, a chance encounter and a leap of faith transforms her world. Surrounded by the towering redwoods, Jesse discovers new connections and an opportunity for healing.
“I wrote the show mostly during the pandemic,” Tina said, “and I was holed up in my house here in Connecticut. I was really comforted by and found solace and hope in the nature outside my window. My relationship with trees really changed during that time, and it became very much a story of how important nature can be in our lives and the healing we might find through something as ancient and wise and steadfast as a redwood tree.”
Tina and Idina have been friends for many years; they worked near each other while Idina was performing in “Rent.”
“I was close to Jonathan Larson,” Tina added. “[Idina and I] were kind of traveling in the same circle, got to know each other, and have stayed in touch. We’ve always wanted to work with each other and never have.”
This is not Tina’s first time at La Jolla Playhouse. In 2003, she wrote and directed “Beauty,” a modern take on the tale of “Sleeping Beauty.” However, this is her first time working with Artistic Director Christopher Ashley.
“I love Chris–we went to college together,” Tina said. “He’s just he’s so smart. He and [Exective Producer] Eric Keen-Louie really are artists who are driven and motivated. It’s always what’s best for the work–what’s best for the process. The great thing about someone like Chris is he’s also just a really good dramaturg and note-taker, and his guidance from a writing point of view has been invaluable.”
La Jolla Playhouse was Tina and Idina’s first choice for “Redwood.”
“They said yes right away and have been really instrumental and wonderful with how they’ve supported the show over the last two years.”
The show features music and lyrics from Kate Diaz, a composer and producer from Los Angeles. Tina and Idina decided that they wanted a young female composer to helm the music for the show. For six months, Tina scoured the internet, programs, and awards organizations for up-and-coming musicians.
“What’s great about Kate is she has a background and experience in both pop music and film scoring,” Tina explained, “this piece requires both. There are sequences in the show that are just instrumental music with no speaking or singing. She just has a really unique blend of styles and perspectives that are really right for the show.”
So, how do you represent hundreds of towering redwood trees on stage?
“From the very beginning, I imagined this piece three-dimensionally,” Tina said. “The design is predominantly video and projection, but in a very immersive and interactive way…Idina’s character actually interfaces with the environment as she lives in it. I love what we’re doing because…it’s almost an empty space, and then we are using a lot of very sophisticated and rich technology to create the world in a way that I hope the audience feels like they are really in there with her.”
“Redwood” runs from Feb. 13 through Mar. 31, 2024. With many performances already sold out, San Diegans are eager to see a brand-new, original musical.
To See or Not To See 