Broadway Access Review -
Redwood
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ID: image of the Redwood Playbill in front of the stage with the text "Access Review" on top
General Note
This is a review of the accessibility of the theater, of the lighting/sound/scent design of the show, and a list of content warnings as a way to prep folks with various needs before they go see it.
This is not meant to scare anyone away from seeing the show. Most productions have about the same amount of content warnings and sensory warnings to go along with it, they’re just rarely explicitly written down.
For some people, knowing these things ahead of time makes it easier to enjoy the show because they know what to expect. And, often, makes those people more likely to see it in the first place. I hope that it’s helpful!
I am also happy to clarify any specifics, just send me a message or an email and I will respond when I can.
Also please note that I make these while seeing a show for the first time, so I may miss some cues or be slightly off as to their placement/cue line!
Theater
Nederlander Theatre
All comments on the accessibility of lighting are in reference to seats in the far back center/right mezzanine
Bathrooms:
no explicitly gender neutral options
located up the central staircase (above the orchestra) and there is one non-gendered accessible restroom on the far left of the orchestra
the stalls have really clear red/green vacancy labels
there are 2 steps up/down in the bathroom
Other theater accessibility:
there is no elevator, though street to orch is step-free
they have several accessible seats, as well as an accessible bar on the orchestra level
they offer captioning, audio description, and assistive listening options
Click here for more information on the physical accessibility of this theater.
Light/Sound/Scent
General:
I might recommend earplugs for this show
the theater was notably very cold, though that may have been specific to the weather that evening
the show runs 110 minutes without an intermission
the stage is entirely screens (upon entering it is entirely bright white) that are used for projections throughout the show. At the beginning the projections primarily rely on white and moving flashes on black screens. Later they transition to being more like expanding images and flying over things which, to me, felt more disorienting than the flashing (the latter exist in almost every song, I will not note them further)
the screens extend out to the edge of the mezzanine
the sensory accessibility of this show is similar to that of Sunset Boulevard, Death Becomes Her, and Tommy (more in regard to projections feeling disorienting and the flashiness of the first ~10 or so minutes than anything else)
The Show:
the show begins with a loud blackout and harsh white noise
Drive (opening number)– ~10 or so minutes run time. Has a continuous fast breathing motif as well as flashing and flickering white moments (in high contrast with the mostly dark stage) throughout
loud camera shutters once Jesse lays on the ground
brief moving flashlights
white flash after “you better go back now”
yellow flash after her son comes up to her
low bass after “stay forever on our money” - then moving/flashing white bars for ~7 sec
after they all do spins climbing up the tree there is low bass and it gets loud until they get to the platform
“I could rest. I could breathe” - quick cue shift
“so dope” - flash
“the way you fucked up your life” - loud flash - maybe ~20 or so of these in a row, crescendoing volume for ~30-45 seconds with fast breathing motif
“do not miss another moment with your son” - lightning flashing for ~15 sec
smoke on left of stage (and later from center stage) – it appeared unscented and didn’t make the stage particularly hazy
low bass at the end of The Fires (there is no more significant projection movement after the fire, this is the last place I noted it)
Content Warnings
grief/death/child loss
mentions of drug use and overdose
contemplation of jumping out of a tree with the intent to self harm
wildfire
panic attack imagery, particularly at the beginning– there is a quick breathing/heartbeat motif that appears for much of the first 20-30 minutes and then reappears a small handful of times throughout the rest of the show