Songwriter, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist Kate Diaz is currently making her Broadway composing debut with the Idina Menzel-led musical Redwood at the Nederlander Theatre.
Diaz, who composed the music, co-wrote the lyrics with director Tina Landau, who conceived the musical with star Menzel, who provided additional contributions. Diaz also penned the orchestrations for the new musical, which casts Wicked Tony winner Menzel as Jesse, a woman who retreats to a redwood forest in Northern California after a tragic event, hoping to find solace. The small company also features de'Adre Aziza, Michael Park, Zachary Noah Piser, and Khaila Wilcoxon.
Diaz's credits as a composer, co-composer, or additional music composer include the films 76 Days, Merry Little Batman, A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting, Gringa, Double Down South, Singing in the Wilderness, The Last House Standing, and Women in Blue as well as the TV productions Hot Wheels: Let's Race, The Beachbuds, Jam Van, Hello Future, and A Town of Everything.
In the interview below for the Playbill series How Did I Get Here—spotlighting not only actors, but directors, designers, musicians, and others who work on and off the stage to create the magic that is live theatre—Diaz shares her journey from film to Broadway composer, including her Redwood audition process, and why her neighbors think she has an incredible singing voice.
Where did you train/study?
Kate Diaz: I
studied music at Berklee. My major was for orchestration/arranging and
recording/music production, and I was a guitar principal.
Was there a teacher who was particularly impactful/helpful? What made this instructor stand out?
The
faculty and curriculum at Berklee were so impactful to me and really
shaped the musician I am today. I feel so grateful to have gotten to
learn from incredible musicians, who are also inspiring and knowledgeable
teachers. Their extensive classwork gave us the opportunity to develop
so many skills and tools I still use daily—from orchestrating for big
band and full orchestra to producing studio sessions to scoring for
media. I also had many amazing guitar teachers there, including Bob
Stanton, whose fingerstyle expertise really elevated my playing.
How and when did you get involved with Redwood?
In
early January 2021, I received an email from Tina [Landau] saying she found my
music online and was looking for a composer/co-lyricist outside of the
theatre world for a project she was working on with Idina. Tina met
with me on Zoom and told me more about the script and her vision for
immersive visuals. Inspired by some beautiful images she sent me of a
woman at the top of a redwood tree looking down at the world below, I
wrote a song called “Great Escape” for my audition, drawing from my
background in both film/TV scoring and songwriting/production. I wanted
to combine contemporary pop grooves and melodies with big cinematic
orchestration to communicate the story’s dichotomy of an intimate
journey set in the grand scale of the redwoods. I sent Tina a fully
produced demo of the song, and a month later I was really excited and
honored when I heard back from Tina and Idina that they’d like to
continue with me.
What was the process like writing the songs for Redwood since
you worked with Tina Landau on lyrics and Idina Menzel is also credited
with additional contributions?
Most
often the collaboration process was through emails interspersed with
some Zooms, which seemed to work best to juggle the time zone difference
with Tina on the East Coast and Idina’s busy schedule. Tina would send
me emails with new scene descriptions and lyric ideas sometimes along
with visual references, excerpts from poems and books, or other
inspiration. I loved getting into the nitty gritty of the scenes with
her, discussing the characters’ emotional arcs and what we wanted the
audience to feel from the scene’s music.
My writing process is that I
first write an acoustic version of a song on either guitar or piano.
Then I produce a fully orchestrated demo, where I record myself singing
and playing guitars, bass, and piano, and I program in MIDI placeholders
for the other instruments, such as strings and drums/percussion, as well
as any synths and sound design elements. I would send my demo back to
Tina, we would then go back and forth on lyrics over Google Docs, and
then Tina would send it to Idina.
Tell me about the first time you heard
Idina sing selections from the score.
The first time I heard Idina sing
from the score was at a meeting in her backyard, and I was struck by
both the amazing power and vulnerability of her voice.
What has been your favorite moment about the Broadway experience so far?
Ah,
there have been so many pinch-me moments! I think a major highlight
for me was our first band rehearsal. I’m also the orchestrator of the
show, so getting to hear my charts come to life played by such talented
musicians was truly a dream.
Are you a musical theatre fan? Do you have a favorite musical?
I had never really explored musical theatre before Redwood, which
had been Tina and Idina’s intention—to have a non-traditional score by
a composer who isn’t from a musical theatre background. My favorite
movie musical as a kid was Tarzan, and I especially loved its score by Phil Collins, so I grew up listening to that on repeat. Since starting on Redwood, I’ve been going to as many shows as I can, and I learn so much from each show I see.
Do you have any other projects in the works that you can discuss?
Not that I can discuss at the moment, but I continue to also write for film/TV projects.
What is the most memorable day job you ever had?
For
the first four years I lived in L.A., I was the on-site property manager
at a quirky 1920s Hollywood apartment building in exchange for free
rent. I collected tenant rent checks, showed available units, let
maintenance workers into apartments, etc.—which was all actually a
convenient break from my real work, since my music studio is in my
apartment where I work all day composing for various projects.
In spring 2021, Idina came to my apartment so I could record her singing for the Redwood demos. It’s an old apartment building with pretty thin walls. For the next few weeks afterward, tenants said they had heard me singing and that I had an incredible voice…little did they know it was actually Idina Menzel!
Is there a person or people you most respect in your field and why?
I
have immense respect for both Tina and Idina! I feel so grateful to
have learned a lot about theatre from both of them, and I really
appreciate their out-of-the-box thinking.
What advice would you give your younger self or anyone starting out?
One
piece of advice I hold close is to always remember the joy you felt
when you first started playing music, and never lose that as it becomes
your profession.
In
such difficult times in this country and around the world, how do you
think theatre can play a positive role, either for yourself and/or the
community at large?
Our
show talks a lot about the importance of connecting with others and not
isolating ourselves when times are tough, and the communal experience
of live theatre offers just that. I hope our show can be uplifting and
cathartic for the audience.
