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Regional Reviews: Phoenix Six: Teen Edition
Spotlight Youth Theatre's production of Six: Teen Edition has a fantastic cast of exceptionally gifted vocalists, smashing choreography, and smart direction. It's an excellent production of this energetic and infectious musical. Six ingeniously retells the stories of King Henry VIII's six wives through the lens of a pop concert. The show features a series of upbeat and memorable tunes that shine a light on the challenges and trials each wife endured, presenting their stories as a playful competition to determine who had it the worst. Though the book has a few minor flaws and occasionally dips into female stereotypes, it ultimately portrays all six wives as empowered, unapologetic women who unite to celebrate their shared history and resilience. The musical was conceived and written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, who won the Tony Award for their catchy pop score, and they have made only a few small edits or changes to their lyrics and dialogue to make them more PG-13 friendly for this teen edition. The score includes all the songs from the original West End and Broadway productions. While most of Henry's wives were in their mid to late 20s when they married him, this musical still provides a fantastic platform for talented teenagers to showcase their vocal abilities. It's also an empowering show that effectively emphasizes the characters' independent perspectives and underscores the importance of women uplifting one another, rather than tearing each other down. There are two sets of cast members playing the six wives across the two-week run of the show and at the performance I attended, Morgan Massey, Sophie Bell, Makenzie Massey, Jaely Damasco, Katerina Anderson, and Zoie Moller played the wives. Each has excellent vocal abilities, with several having voices that hit impressive high notes and superb phrasing. They each also find many ways through the combination of Chanel Bragg's effective direction to successfully delineate and distinguish each wife; watch any of the wives when they are singing backup or commenting on another ex-wife's plight and you'll catch them always doing things in character that add to the number or scene due to Bragg's exceptional direction. Falin Taylor's excellent choreography is varied, fun, and always additive to every number to elevate each one into a show-stopper. Briana Thompson's visually distinct costumes use a color-coded scheme for each wife that echoes the Tony-winning designs from Gabriella Slade. The set design by Erin Davidson is fairly simple, with a single throne at the center and six pedestals on the sides for the wives to occasionally sit or stand on, but the use of graffiti on the walls highlights important messages within the song lyrics. Jessi Nessi's lighting is superb and provides an immersive, rock-concert feel to the production. The entire cast deliver impressive harmonies and lush vocals under Elise W. Kurbat's music direction. Though Six has a fairly simple plot, it's a vibrant, concert-style musical that gives a fresh spin on history, allowing Henry VIII's wives to take center stage, reclaim their stories, and support one another. The central them of female empowerment also resonates with the challenges young women face today. The teen edition of the musical serves as a fantastic platform for showcasing young talent, and with a strong cast and sharp direction, Spotlight Youth Theatre's production truly shines. Six: Teen Edition runs through September 15, 2024, at Spotlight Youth Theatre, 10620 N 43rd Avenue, Glendale AZ. For tickets and information, please visit www.spotlightyouththeatre.org or call 602-843-8318 Director: Chanel Bragg Cast: |
