As an anguished mother who abandons the New York art scene for a forest full of California redwoods, Idina Menzel's Jesse is attempting the impossible: She's trying to outrun her grief. But with her Broadway return, Menzel herself is striving towards a goal she has already proven capable of, time and time again: seizing the spotlight, and blowing the crowd away with a powerhouse performance.

Upon hearing "Drive," the opening number of Redwood, theatergoers can be forgiven for wondering if either objective will be accomplished. All at once, we are thrust into Jesse's world of jagged, suppressed memories — illustrated by the cutting-edge panoramic screens surrounding the stage — constructing a frazzled mindscape as Jesse drives across the country to Eureka, Calif., getting miles away from her home as though it will stop the pain from eating her up, every step of the way. Meanwhile, the song itself is just as jagged, just as uneven, never quite giving Menzel the room to breathe let alone belt. 

But though Redwood stumbles into its start, it's not long before the show and its protagonist find their footing in a dazzling forest, with ancient, resilient trees towering above. All at once, the world opens up: Jesse finds her escape and the show presents stunning panoramic forest vistas. It's the perfect site for her to bury herself in distractions, ignoring a recent loss and desperate calls from her reasonably frustrated wife, Mel (De’Adre Aziza). And for Menzel, the power ballad-heavy musical quickly proves itself the perfect vehicle to showcase her stunning vocals.

Idina Menzel in 'Redwood'.

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Soon, Jesse forces her way into the lives (and work) of two conservationists: old school hippie with an open heart, Finn (a charming Michael Park) and a much tougher nut to crack, the guarded and impatient Becca (a scene-stealing Khalia Wilcoxon), whose passion is focused solely on protecting the forest, leaving no room for Jesse's distracting rambles.

The musical, helmed by Tony Award-nominee Tina Landau with music by Kate Diaz, and lyrics by both, begins in earnest as our anxious motor mouth Jesse forges a relationship with the environment around her, determined to climb one of the massive sequoias. Throughout, scenic designer Jason Ardizzone-West and media designer Hana S. Kim combine their talents to immersive effect, bringing the colors and textures of the forest to life, dissolving the bounds of the theater as we join Jesse in nature.

However, the show is saddled with songs that don't quite stick. The score itself is a swelling success, but too often the story slows to a halt as the first few notes of the next ballad trickle in. Menzel's solos in particular are indistinguishable, beginning to meld together, in large part because they share a purpose: Jesse has more than one cathartic moment in a tree — so when the time comes for the story's actual emotional peak, it's deeply underwhelming. We've seen and heard it all already.

Idina Menzel stars in 'Redwood' on Broadway.

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But then, the secret weapon that Redwood has under its belt is that none of this matters when the force that is Idina Menzel takes centerstage. It's near-impossible to see a song's flaws when Menzel's signature belt is the mode of delivery. The narrative essentially ceases to exist when her vibrant vocals are resounding through the theater, while the projections unfold and expand, allowing us to collapse into them. It's astounding, assuming you aren't prone to motion sickness (but even then, just shut your eyes and let Menzel carry you through).

The emotional heavy lifting falls to Wilcoxon and Zachary Noah Piser (filling a multi-man position), who effortlessly deliver. Piser's big moment doesn't come until the very end, marking the emotional high point of the show, while the former holds down the fort throughout. It's no easy feat to share the stage with Menzel and still stand out, but Wilcoxon makes it look easy.

The entire cast rises to the occasion, even when the writing fails them. Despite her charisma and comforting stage presence, De’Adre Aziza is saddled with an underused, thinly-penned character. Jesse's distance means that Mel's emotional arc is happening in isolation, and that distance is felt. We get shades of a complicated man from Finn, but only a snippet of the full picture, and a resolution that far from satisfies. Becca feels the most fully-formed, but largely due to Wilcoxon's work. 

Idina Menzel and Khalia Wilcoxon in 'Redwood'.

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As we learn that Jesse's presence isn't entirely wholesome — there's a dangling implication that she is putting Finn and Becca's professional lives at risk  — it becomes a source of tension between them, but it is only relevant to create that resistance. Ultimately, the story is unconcerned with Becca's fears, never quite finds the time to address the workplace dynamic she has with her stubborn boss, and often, uses her as a finger-wagging mouthpiece of political-correctness. Her perspective largely serves to prompt the audience to laugh and move brusquely along. She gets moments of authenticity — including a sharply delivered monologue about how her Black Jewish identity intersects with her workplace experience — but the rest comes from Wilcoxon's compelling performance, as she ekes out humanity from a shallowly written character.

In the end, Redwood's resolution to Jesse's healing journey feels abrupt, a consequence of too many underdeveloped characters. Piser nails the emotional penultimate number and almost instantly, it's time for that (obligatory) standing ovation. 

Though it doesn't rise to the towering heights of the trees it so lovingly depicts, Redwood is impressive all the same. The stagecraft, performances, and the visuals will last and no doubt offer a roadmap for future projection-heavy productions. It's a dazzling vehicle for Menzel, a staunch reminder of how powerful her voice is (even when she's dangling from a harness), as well as a memorable feature for the rest of its five-person cast, especially since they manage to make an impression with a powerhouse like Menzel standing inches away. Grade: B–