The Spotlight’s Shadow
14: Café Bicyclette Stage
5 stars
The Spotlight’s Shadow is a tender and heart wrenching new musical that brings the hidden romance of two New York Ziegfeld Follies girls into focus.
Created by St. Albert playwright, lyricist, and actor Daphne Charrois, with music by her father, composer Dan Charrois, and directed by Vanessa King, the two-person show is both intimate and powerful.
Set entirely in a shared dressing room, the story follows Vera (Daphne Charrois), a hopeful newcomer eager to make her mark, and Nettie (Grace Bokenfohr), a glamorous Follies star.
As their friendship blossoms into romance, the pair are soon put to the test. Secrets, blackmail and the suffocating weight of a so-called “lavender relationship” force the women to confront the cost of honesty in a world determined to silence and criminalize them.
The chemistry between Vera and Nettie is magnetic, pulling the audience deep into their story. Their soaring vocals capture both the exhilaration and heartbreak of their journey, building to the powerful moment when they choose to stop hiding their love.
The visuals are equally striking: period costumes sparkle with Follies-inspired glamour, while the intimate staging pulls the audience into the characters’ exposed vulnerability.
Though the story takes place in the 1920s, The Spotlight’s Shadow resonates far beyond its period, carrying a message that remains clear and deeply necessary today: love is love.
