Broadway Access Review -
Six
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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.
Theater
Lena Horne Theatre
All comments on the accessibility of lighting are in reference to seats in the center of the 9th orchestra row
Bathrooms:
Located up a flight of stairs from the orchestra. There is an accessible restroom on the orchestra level
They are divided into the binary, though once the line gets long they used privacy curtains in the men’s bathroom to make it co-ed and it was really cool!
Other theater accessibility:
The entrance of the theater to the orch is step-free. There is no elevator.
They offer assistive listening, LOOP, audio description, and captioning devices in the lobby
We got our tickets through the lottery and were placed on the far side which makes strobes worse and the box office was super nice & helpful in moving us!
Click here for more information on the physical accessibility of this theater.
Light/Sound
There is no intermission (the show runs 80 minutes)
I would highly recommend ear defenders for this show
All of the costumes are super sparkly which refracts light weirdly onto the audience and sometimes creates accidental strobes. The guitars also had the same effect
This review is going to be structured differently from my usual reviews given the structure & presentation of this show - it’s concert style, meaning there are flashing lights in pretty much every number. Though it was WAY less triggering than I thought it was going to be! Most of the flashing lights are not white and are pointed at the stage, not the audience, so there are lots of places for an eye strain break. I’m going to list each song and what color the lights were and how flashy it was rather than each specific light because I simply couldn’t write fast enough to keep track of it all. (Blues/purples/whites tend to cause more eye strain than warmer colors like amber/pink)
The major lights in this show are the LED/projections (1), the bulb lights (2), the low lights (3), the moving arc lights (4), and the moving downlights (5 - this is where most of the strobes come from, often at an angle) Here’s a map, it isn’t fully where they’re located but you get the idea
Pre-Show:
blue/purple lights pointed down onto the orchestra
show opens with a blackout, loud crescendo, vibrating bass, and smoke (doesn’t really go over into the audience)
Ex-Wives & Reprise:
I couldn’t keep track, this song is really strobey and has some lights pointed at the audience, all of it is semi-predictable because it is really clearly on the beat and during interludes and whatnot
Primary light colors are orange/amber and blue/white
Dialogue after this number/before the reprise has a lot of the white lowlight flashes throughout (these come up throughout the show, usually one queen will say a line and then the lowlights will flash white once)
Reprise is just as strobey as the original
No Way:
Primary light colors are yellow/amber and red, though there are some white strobey downlights (pretty much just during the chorus)
After the ding there are lots of moving lights on the audience for like 10-15 seconds
When she stands up a white light moves over the audience
Gets really flashy after the high note
Don’t Lose Ur Head:
Primary light colors are teal, pink, and purple
Lots of LED/projection movement
The dialogue before this number has a lot of lights moving over the audience
“Swordsman swing” has a loud hatchet noise
Low vibratey bass end of song
Heart of Stone:
This song is a great eye strain break!
Has some low vibratey bass/drums throughout
Moving downlights on audience at the end of the numbers (same lighting set as pre-show) - it’s more of a slightly harsh twinkle effect than a flash or sweep
Haus of Holbein:
Primary light color is green with white at the end
This song is really strobey, has neon involved, smoke
Low vibratey bass throughout
It is also really short
Get Down:
Primary light colors are blue/white and red
There is a red light that sweeps over the audience near the beginning
Audience participation alert! She picked someone in the front row and had them stand and dance
Dialogue after this number has a lot of the white lowlight flashes throughout
“Oh wait like this” line has purple strobe after it
All You Wanna Do:
Primary light color is pink
This song is sorta an eye strain break? (the only strobes come from location 4 on the light map and they are dim strobes that only happen during the chorus)
Low vibratey bass throughout
Lots of horizontal LED/projection movement
After all the hands go on her there are 2 white strobes, one that’s a downlight, one that’s the lowlights
TW for this song (SA and CSA)
Dialogue after this number has a lot of the white lowlight flashes throughout
“Hit it” orange lights flash on audience, they then very very slowly move around pointed sorta at the audience for a bit (they’re pointed up, I don’t know if that hits mezz or not)
I Don’t Need Your Love:
This song is a great eye strain break! I didn’t write anything down
I Don’t Need Your Love (Remix):
Primary colors are blue and white
Super very strobey! Back lights move and downlights flash
Flashing yellow on the audience at the end of the song
Dialogue after this number has a lot of the white lowlight flashes throughout
Six:
Also super very strobey! Transitions through each color associated with each queen, though primarily orange/amber and blue/white
More flashy during/after the “we’re six” section
Onstage confetti cannons at the end of the song
Megasix: (song after bows)
As strobey as the opening number
Confetti cannons onto orchestra at the end
Content Warnings
This kinda contains spoilers! Be warned!
misogyny/sexism
sexual innuendos
abuse/implied DV
death/murder
implied SA/CSA
mentions of miscarriages