Student musical production hits the heart in Basalt

The Basalt Spring Musical team is turning Tudor history into a pop concert with “Six: The Musical Teen Edition.” 

The show is a 75-minute high-energy production. Performances will take place at 7 p.m. April 17, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. April 18 and at 2 p.m. April 19 at Basalt Middle School Auditorium, 51 School St. in Basalt. 

“People should come see this show because the cast and crew have put in a tremendous amount of effort, and I think it’s going to be our best yet,” Basalt High School Twelfth Grader Daisy Diamond said. “This has been one of my favorite productions I have done with Basalt Theatre.”

Basalt High School and Basalt Middle School are jointly presenting the Tony-Award winning musical created by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. In 2022, “Six” won two Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Costume Design (Gabrielle Slade).

“The production is going amazing. We knew this was a little bit of a different kind of a show, so we took a little extra time with it, which we very much appreciate,” Director Graham Northrup said. “We are excited to put this production in front of an audience.” 

The creative team includes Northrup, Producer Molly Tiernan, Music Director Katie Hone Wiltgen, Choreographer Mary Bahr and Technical Music Director Chance Davis.

“What is novel about it is that it’s still on Broadway,” Northup said. 

According to Northrup, Basalt is among a limited number of licenses given out for the rights to stage the production. 

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On Jan. 10, at the beginning of rehearsals, the Basalt cast traveled to see the national tour of “Six” performed at the Denver Center for Performing Arts. Students also had the opportunity to visit multiple departments — like props and costumes — and tour several theaters. 

The opportunity surfaced through a donation by an anonymous Aspen community member who loves theater.

“The cast went and watched the show together and had a backstage tour — that really got the cast excited about the musical. They could see what was possible, and why it’s such a phenomenon. The music and dancing are fantastic,” Northrup said. “It’s just one of those musicals that’s an unexpected pleasure.” 

Tiernan and Hone Wiltgen are the ones who first championed bringing the show to the community. The story offers a modern, song-driven retelling of Henry VIII and his six ex-wives and how their experiences have been undermined.

Northrup, a 30-year theater veteran, said the show initially caught him off guard. 

“What is surprising about this show is that it is strikingly emotional. There are some numbers that I cannot get through without tearing up — even in rehearsal,” he said. “Each of the six wives had a different experience, which they sing about. It runs the gamut from ‘This is super fun’ to ‘We’re going to rip your heart out of your chest right now.'”

The cast features students from sixth grade and up.

While the story still represents the six queens and Henry VIII, there is an added bevy of storytellers known as the ladies-in-waiting. This version omits the live band in the original production. 

“Six” has also been adapted for youth by toning down the language and double meanings, leaving more up to the imagination.

“There are still mature themes in it, but they are built in such a way that they are not as overt or explicit — but they deal with mature themes like abuse and manipulation, but also love, loyalty and commitment,” Northrup said.

There will be video walls and strobe lights, something that’s also new for Basalt, according to him.

“We also built a catwalk from the edge of the stage that goes out to the audience, which is different from what we’ve done before,” he said.

Northrup is the former director of Education with Theatre Aspen, where he spent 12 years. Since he left in 2021, he has been asked to direct in various places and schools. He directed the Basalt Middle School production of “Mean Girls Jr.” (2024) with Basalt High School prior to this production.

Two of his daughters — Jacqueline Northrup and London Northrup — are both part of the cast. 

The show offers wheelchair-accessible seating. Tickets run $11.58 to $16.78 including service fees. For more information and tickets, visit onthestage.tickets/show/basalt-choir-boosters.