"Redwood"

A Broadway musical about a tree that heals trauma

Some of you who’ve been here at Rx Nature since its early days may remember that in 2023, I wrote about Luna the famous redwood in northern California.

First I interviewed Julia Butterfly Hill, the woman who in the late 1990s protested the logging of ancient redwoods by living on a platform high in Luna’s branches for 738 days—more than two years. The timber company was kept at bay and a permanent preservation zone was created around Luna, thanks to Julia and her iron will. What an honor to speak to one of my sheroes!

Photo by Shaun Walker

Then I wrote an update on Luna, including the vicious chainsaw attack in 2000 that threatened to end the tree’s 1,000-year life. I also profiled the wonderful man from Sanctuary Forest who is tasked with protecting her now.

Photo by Anna Rogers of Sanctuary Forest

You can easily find more about Luna, and Julia Butterfly Hill, on the Internet. Julia wrote a book, The Legacy of Luna, and has spent the 20-plus years since then working on a variety of environmental and social justice issues. She’s active, and emotive, on Facebook and in her Patreon community. Last month she spent a lot of time in Los Angeles helping wildfire victims.

A Broadway musical

Imagine my delight when I learned that a brand-new musical opened on Broadway this weekend. It’s called Redwood and it stars the Tony-winning actress Idina Menzel of Wicked fame. She’s also the voice of Elsa in Disney’s Frozen movies. In this new play, Menzel climbs a 300-foot-tall faux redwood on stage, dances “vertical choreography” and hangs upside down from the tree branches while belting out songs. Wow!

There’s more: The story of Redwood is not only about a woman in a tree. It’s about trauma. The lead character, Jesse, is a grief-stricken mother whose 23-year-old son has died from an accidental drug overdose. She gets in her car, drives aimlessly, and ends up in a redwood forest.

This is where it starts to get personal for me.

In the past month, two friends of mine lost their 20-something child. Both of them sudden, tragic deaths. The loss no parent wants to think of, much less endure.

Then there’s the theme of Redwood: a woman finding solace in a tree. Nature’s power to heal grief and trauma. You can guess how that resonates with me—a nature therapist who specializes in trauma and wrote a book about trauma.

I’m also an unapologetic tree hugger, someone who speaks to trees and touches them, reveres them, worries about them. And I’ve had the mind-blowing privilege of walking among redwoods. Several years ago, I visited Muir Woods in northern California. This hushed cathedral forest is 200 miles south of Luna. The time I spent among those ancient, venerable giants was absolutely magical. I had to remember to breathe.

But what about Julia?

Even though I’m thrilled to see the subjects of trauma and trees making it to Broadway, there’s something disconcerting about this. When I first read a New York Times preview of Redwood, the article mentioned how Menzel had always been ”obsessed” by the story of Julia Butterfly Hill. It did not say that she consulted with Julia or met with her while rehearsing this role.

I commented on the article, asking that very question and suggesting (politely) that the musical’s creators find a way to honor or acknowledge Julia in the production. Fifty-seven other readers endorsed my comment, but … no answer from the Broadway folks.

Then, yesterday, came the newspaper’s review of Redwood’s opening night.

What did the Times critic think of Redwood?

“… a powerful if woo-woo musical about trauma and resilience.”

“Woo-woo”? I’ve never liked that phrase. So snide. Believe it or not, the word “woke” also pops up elsewhere in the piece. Ouch!

Even so, the review is generally positive. The critic praises the acting, the singing, the amazing technology used to create a realistic redwood forest onstage.

However … there’s not a whisper of Julia’s name. Or Luna. Or an epic tree sit in 1998 that sparked a generation of environmental activism.

Which I suppose makes sense. Jesse, the grieving mother in Redwood, is not protesting the loss of old-growth forests. That’s not why she climbs the tree onstage. So … I get it. This is not a play about Julia Butterfly Hill. They don’t have to acknowledge her. But I hope the show notes in the Playbill mention Julia, even if briefly.

“Inspired by …” would be just fine.

I checked Julia’s Facebook page. In her recent posts, she is totally focused on the LA wildfires. She has not mentioned the play. I wonder what she would think of it. I wonder if she will acknowledge it.

I’d like to sit beside her in a darkened theater, watching her watch the show.

Watching her remember what it was like, living in the uppermost branches of a 1,000-year-old tree named Luna.