'SIX' overthrows royal history with 21st-century girl power and a side of pop: Review
Welcome to the history renaissance, Louisville.
"SIX" is here and it's changing everything you thought you knew about Tudor history.
Perhaps the most talked about Broadway musical of the 2023-24 PNC Broadway in Louisville season, "SIX," the high-octane stage musical written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, is the modern reimaging of the lives of Henry VIII's six wives. From Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses, the six wives take the mic to reclaim their identities out of the shadow of their infamous spouse.
And reclaim their identities they do.
The queens deliver their 'herstory' on stage at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts with powerhouse pop performances, sick beats, and soaring ballads. The royal court during Tuesday's performance was made up of Gerianne Perez as Catherine of Aragon, Zan Berube as Anne Boleyn, Amina Faye as Jane Seymour (the only one Henry VIII 'truly' loved!), Terica Marie as Anna of Cleves, Aryn Bohannon as Katherine Howard and Adriana Scalice as Catherine Parr.
Each of "SIX" conjures the vibe of different pop music icons in an exuberant celebration of 21st-century girl power. We're talking Beyonce, Shakira, Avril Lavigne, Adele, Rhianna, Ariana Grande, Britney Spears, and more. At an 80-minute runtime with no intermission, "SIX" is a pop concert that explores heartbreak, tragedy, and all the things wrong with the patriarchy in a way that's so deliciously catchy you'll want to dance in your seat.
Each of the Queens, nay "Ex-Wives," takes the audience through their story in a "faux" competition to see which woman suffered the most during their marriage to Henry. (Frankly, they all have a lot to complain about).
The first foray into history begins with "No Way" from the pitch-perfect Perez, who explains how she was thrown aside, had her marriage annulled and almost sent to a nunnery all so Henry could marry Anne Boleyn, arguably the most famous of the wives.
Berube, who plays Anne Boleyn, channels the pop persona of Avril Lavigne perfectly, right down to the punk rock buns and exaggerated eyeshadow. Upon hearing this simplified version of her story, it is actually wild to think the King literally broke apart from the Vatican and created the Church of England all so he could marry this woman.
Men.
But ... we all know that didn't end well for Boleyn, who, though she swears she "didn't really mean it," ends up with her head in a basket.
Next up, Amina Faye sang the most powerful ballad of the night as Jane Seymour, and you maybe, just a tiny bit, think Henry is not so bad because of how much she loved him, declaring her love "is set in stone." Don't worry. That feeling for "poor Henry" doesn't last long before Anna of Cleves storms the stage in a bring-the-house-down performance by Terica Marie, who, honestly, has the best outcome of all the queens and is allowed to do her "thing in her palace in Richmond."
A moment, here, to address the costumes in this show, which are glamorous, sparkly, and pop personified. Costume designer Gabrielle Slade would have been in high demand were she outfitting queens in the 1500s. The costumes are endlessly fun and eye-catching and I can imagine any of the pop legends above wearing those on stage.
The show is rounded out by Bohannon as Katherine Howard, who sings "All You Wann Do" and reminds us that life was ... not great for women during this period in a song that gives the audience real pause to consider some of the atrocities these women faced. (And, she was beheaded after all of that, too!)
Finally, Scalice as Catherine Parr, the one who survived and outlived Henry, reminds us that we have a voice and shouldn't be afraid to use it in the epic "I Don't Need Your Love."
Prior to Tuesday's performance, I had listened to this soundtrack dozens of times but seeing it on stage was an entirely new experience. "SIX" is exuberant, vivacious, and just plain fun.
Who knew history could be so sexy?
Reach features editor Kathryn Gregory at kgregory@courier-journal.com.
'SIX'
WHAT: From Tudor Queens to Pop Icons, the "SIX" wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix five hundred years of historical heartbreak into a euphoric celebration of 21st-century girl power. This new original musical is a global sensation that everyone is losing their head over. "SIX" has won 23 awards in the 2021-22 Broadway season, including the Tony Award for Best Original Score (Music and Lyrics) and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical.
WHEN: now through April 14
TICKETS: Available by calling 502-584-7777 or online at BroadwayInLouisville.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 'SIX' musical PNC Broadway in Louisville review 2024
