By James V. Ruocco
(Now on Tour through July 26, 2024)
"What hurts more than a broken heart?" asks Jane Seymour, the third wife of Henry VIII.
"A severed head," chimes Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII who was beheaded on May 19, 1536, at London's Tower Green for adultery, incest and high treason.
No history lesson, here, as Henry VIII had six wives.
Who were the other four?
Catherine of Aragon. Anna of Cleves. Katherine Howard. Catherine Parr.
How did they die?
Who did what to whom?
Was it love that captivated Henry?
Or was he just looking for someone to bed, wed and give him the next heir (or heirs) to the throne?
In "Six the Musical," all confusion as to who came first, who died, who survived and who lost their head is cleared up immediately with references to the popular British "Henry VIII Wives' Rhyme."
"Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived."
It's a fun fact - and one of the many - that keeps the slick and sassy "Six the Musical" spinning and turning front, center and sideways in all its spangly Renaissance glory for a full 80 minutes of crafty, ballsy and snarky entertainment that gets the pulses racing, the adrenaline flowing, the hands clapping and pretty much anything else you can toss into the mix.
This is theatre.
Smart.
Sparkly.
Speedy.
Sexy.
Strong.
Fueled by contemporary-styled pop music designed for the music industry's diva-of-the-moment experience, this musical showcase for Henry's perturbed, pissed off, often forgotten royal rejects, "Six The Musical" not only tends to set the record straight with fictionalized star turns - think rock concert - but gives voice to six very different women who time remembers mostly as the wives of Henry VIII and very little else.
As written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, the musical wisely opts for a modern telling of the lives of Henry VIII's wives set against the backdrop of a pop concert that becomes a competition of sorts.
Who suffered the most?
Who has the best story?
Who should become queen?
Who is the true winner?
With the groundwork laid, Marlow and Moss bring plenty of girl-squad power and imagination to their story, interspersed with juicy and playful tidbits about divorce, beheadings, miscarriages, church reformation, childbirth, sexual intercourse and the size of husband Henry's penis. What follows is a detailed, class-ridden investigation that morphs into absolute, sheer fun with biting commentary and deliciously wicked notoriety that never once disappoints or stops the action dead in its tracks.
Here, you get finite jest, cynical voice, targeted observation, marvelous stand-alone quotes and well-orchestrated moments that cut straight to the heart of the juicy drama between the six main female characters.
Musically, "Six The Musical" is told through 13 songs, which navigate the dynamic and rhythmic thrust of the score with distinct, impressive individuality, vamp and acoustic clarity. They are: "Ex-Wives," "Ex-Wives (reprise)," "No Way," "The One You've Been Waiting For," "Don't Lose Your Head," "Heart of Stone," "Haus of Holbein," "Get Down," All You Wanna Do," "I Don't Need Your Love," "I Don't Need Your Love (Remix)," "Six" and "The Megasix (Encore)."
Guided with a sure hand by Marlow and Moss, who wrote both the music and the lyrics, each of the musical numbers is well balanced and immaculately shaped, imbuing song styles and lyrics perfectly in sync with the story, its sarcasm, its irony, its fight for the spotlight, its strongness and its pop diva luster. The onstage band, aptly titled "The Ladies in Waiting" (Jo Ann Daughtery (conductor/keyboard), Janetta Goines (bass), Rose Laguana (guitars) and Paige Durr (drums), heighten that sensation with eschewed distinction, boom, flush and flow that smartly reflects the concert vibe and punch intended by the show's creators. It's affecting. It's splendid. It's telling. It's diverse.
Staging "Six the Musical," co-directors Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage create a perfectly proportioned, emotionally connected production of contrast and tempo that intrigues, delights and overwhelms with its whip smart blend of pop-fueled concert staging and atmospheric crescendo. It's rave and illusion, all rolled into one, offset by individual, animated moments of high-rendered, intricate blocking and staging techniques that change course from moment to moment and song to song. This directorial conceit is sustained throughout the production, and is nicely paired with the dance moves, patterns and synchronized beats and rhythms created by choreographer Carrie-Anne Ingrouille. Since no two numbers are alike, the end result is both splendid and beautifully expressed with masterful subtlety, form, position and invention.
"Six The Musical" stars Khaila Wilcoxon as Catherine of Aragon, Storm Lever as Anne Boleyn, Jasmine Forsberg as Jane Seymour, Olivia Donalson as Anna of Cleves, Didi Romero as Katherine Howard and Gabriela Carrillo as Catherine Parr.
As the ex-wives of Henry VIII, each actress takes center stage with big, joyful, colorful interpretations that unfold with jolts of energy, charm, sexiness and whipped out diva power. Make no mistake, these women are ready to rock the Queendom, engage in Tudor wordplay, spill the dirt, shake you up and tell their story in liberated, intoxicating Broadway style.
They snark. They amuse. They sneer. They sing. They dance. They excite. They hypnotize.
They work as a team. They support one another. They reenact the spirit of sisterhood. They unite as one.
Musically, every one of their vocals and ensemble numbers are performed with absolute pulse and feeling, ignited by soul, heart, emotion and sincerity. It's the real deal - flawless, magical, feisty and bloody well brilliant.
A musical celebration of the highest order, "Six The Musical" is a colorful, explosive, confident work about six very cool, very outspoken queens who join together as one to sing, dance, chat and converse over royal history in glorious Tudor finery that complement and define their shout-out, volatile, pop-drenched musical stories.
It's front-row-center fun mixed happily with roar, glee and amped up messages of in-your-face feminism that glide across the stage in steamy, high-voltage Technicolor.
It tilts. It snaps. It seduces. It charms. It excites. It beckons.
It's kiss-ass entertainment - 21st century girl power recalling 500 years of British historical heartache and trauma - where the energy never falters, the spell is never broken and the concert vibe it creates lingers long after the six queens disappear into the darkness as the music swells.
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