Musical Review: Six (2019, Chicago cast)

Image source: https://americanrepertorytheater.org/shows-events/six/

Six is a wildly entertaining reimagining of history. Written by very talented babies Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss (who also directed), it offers revisionist glimpses into the lives of Henry VIII's six wives via lyrics brimming with winking self-awareness, delivered by ladies in full diva mode. It's energetic, fast-paced, hilarious, and absolutely recommended for lovers of history, music, dancing, joy, or all of the above.

Image source: https://americanrepertorytheater.org/shows-events/six/

The musical begins with a bang, as the Six bound onstage to introduce themselves in the catchy opening number "Ex-Wives." They challenge each other to a sing-off about their travails as former queens. Leading the pack is Catherine of Aragon (Adrianna Hicks) in a Beyoncé-inspired headdress and attitude, with "No Way," a declaration of her refusal to grant the king an annulment so he could marry his mistress. This heightens anticipation for a rebuttal from Anne Boleyn (Andrea Macasaet), but instead she sings "Don't Lose Ur Head," probably the most lighthearted treatment of her infamous life and death. (She also chimes in with a lot of beheading jokes throughout the musical, with perfect comic timing.)

And then Jane Seymour (Abby Mueller) steps up to deliver an unexpected power ballad that brings the audience down from the high of the previous songs. Seymour, known as the one who delivered a son, proclaims the strength of her love, both for the king and for the child she never had a chance to meet, as she died in childbirth. This performance is sobering, moving, and brought us near tears.

But then it's time for emotional whiplash as we shift to Anna of Cleves, whose story begins with the hysterically funny "Haus of Holbein," complete with terrible German accents and intense house music. Hans Holbein's portrait of Anna got the king's approval, but her actual face, in real life, did not. Brittney Mack had been channeling Nicki Minaj energy for the entire production, so when she busts out "Get Down," it's entirely in keeping with her bad bitch vibes. Also, I did not know this until literally right now, but this song is a huge TikTok meme.

Alas, "Get Down" set the bar so high that the next two songs pale by comparison. Katherine Howard ("the least relevant Katherine," as one of the queens sniffs), apparently best known for being abused by those in power, starts out proud of her beauty and ability to attract older men, but eventually learns that they're all just interested in sexual conquest. "All You Wanna Do," while lyrically the weakest song of the bunch, is still revelatory in its increasing misery. Plus, Katherine has the best line of the entire musical, when she runs up to Jane Seymour and cries, "Died of natural causes! When will justice be served?"

The final queen, Catherine Parr, interrupts the competition to question why they're fighting whose trauma/abuse was the worst, but is shouted down by the others. So she affirms herself with "I Don't Need Your Love," recounting her life, love, and successes before the crown, and invites the other five to take control of the narratives that had been focused for too long on their ex-husband.

"Six," their final song, reimagines what their lives might have been as the center of their own respective stories, using the same chords and beats as their signature singles. The song is also fully aware that everyone's time is limited and breaks the fourth wall by counting down the minutes until the performance ends. When the final note died, we all surged to our feet and clapped like deranged seals.

In conclusion, well done, everyone, and I would be remiss not to mention the Ladies in Waiting, or the band members outfitted in awesome black leathers and spikes. Here is the entire soundtrack on Youtube, because you need bops right now. And because I am obsessed, here is the opening with the original British cast.

TL;DR: SPECTACULAR WATCH IT RIGHT NOW!!!!!1!!!!!

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This post brought to you by the woman who went to the show in Anne Boleyn cosplay, and the nerds who were super tickled by any mention of the Haus of Holbein!