On February 13, 2020, SIX: The Musical was supposed to open on Broadway. Instead, that same night, the show went on a [then] indefinite hiatus, along with the entirety of the Main Stem, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. By that point, though SIX had had a successful run in the West End, there was no guarantee that this pop musical about the six wives of Henry VIII would survive the 18-month COVID shutdown. After all, it was a show with an entirely original book and score, from an unknown team of writers, with no stars in its cast. Marketing a show like that would've been a challenge for any Broadway show, much less one that had to close just as it was finding its footing. But this story has a happy ending.
Not only did SIX reopen after the shutdown in 2021, it reopened to an extremely receptive audience and positive reviews. The show has since become one of Broadway's most consistent hits, still playing to nearly full houses at the Lena Horne Theatre. It is also still running in the West End. What is it about SIX that has so captured audiences on both sides of the Atlantic? Here are five reasons we at 半岛体育 think you should see the show.
1. That Catchy Pop Score
SIX is written by the British team of Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, who wrote the show back when they were in college for their friends to perform. Because they were in their early 20s, their score has a pop sensibility, with each character on the stage modeled sonically after a different pop diva (from Beyonc茅 to Adele to Ariana Grande). So in short, it's not the score that you think of when you think of a history musical, which makes it a surprise from when the first chord hits. Just like in Hamilton, which uses rap and hip-hop to tell the story of a real revolutionaries, SIX uses modern pop music to make historical figures immediately relatable to today's audience.
But that sonic anachronism might not work as well if the SIX score wasn't so catchy. When writing pop songs, a hook that audiences can leave humming is not just welcomed, it's a life-or-death requirement. And Marlow and Moss' score has plenty of catchy hooks, from the vampy "No Way," to the sultry "All You Wanna Do," to the heart-felt "Heart of Stone." If you love pop music, you will leave SIX wanting to re-listen to the cast album immediately. And many people have鈥攖he cast album has received over one billion streams.
2. Forget History, This is Her-Story
Most Americans know the general gist of the story of Henry VIII and his six wives; he had six of them and beheaded two, one of whom was the mother of Queen Elizabeth I. But unless you're a history major, you probably don't know much else. After all, the historical record notoriously skews male. Well, prepare to be educated at SIX, as each wife of Henry VIII steps forward to tell her story鈥攁nd to show the audience that she was more than "divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived." One wife, Catherine Parr, even wrote books and advocated for women's education. Obviously, all six women were not alive, in history, at the same time, so Marlow and Moss created an ingenious framing device. Because the show features a pop score, it is structured like a pop concert, where the six women are a girl group each taking turns telling their story and leading a killer solo. This means that each woman is given the chance to make a memorable impression on the audience, while teaching us about decades of British history in just 80 minutes. For any student of history, this show is catnip.
3. The Vocals
Because each woman in SIX is modeled after a different pop songstress, impressive vocals are a must. And the singing in SIX does not disappoint鈥攖here are vocal runs, key changes, and complex harmonies aplenty (and blazing guitar solos courtesy of the show's all-female band). The first time all six women harmonize together, it makes the hairs in the back of you neck stand up; it's that good. If you are the type of musical theatre fan who comes to shows for impressive live singing, SIX more than delivers.
But what also makes SIX feel so fresh even after four years on Broadway is the girl group at the center of it feels like a cohesive unit. That's because every year, a new crop of women come into the show at the same time鈥攗sually selected for their chemistry and how well their voices blend together, while also individually standing out. This encourages repeat visits so fans can see a new group of Queens putting their own flair, and group dynamics, to the material. Sure, SIX may only have one set and very limited costume changes鈥攂ut the spectacle at this musical is all vocal pyrotechnics.
4. Inclusive, and impressive, casting
By now, you've probably gotten the sense that SIX isn't aiming for complete historical accuracy鈥攖here are no heavy gowns or medieval English here. That anachronism also extends to the casting. Taking a page from Hamilton, which tells the story of America's past using the citizens of today's America, the queens in SIX are usually played by actors of different ethnicities and genders (they've cast non-binary actors in the show鈥擬arlow once stepped in as one of the Queens for a few performances). Because the show demands performers with powerful vocals and undeniable stage presence, it's normal for former SIX queens to take on other memorable roles after they've left the show. Samantha Pauly (the original Broadway Katherine Howard) is now in The Great Gatsby, Joy Woods (a Catherine Parr replacement) is now in Gypsy, and Jasmine Forsberg (a Jane Seymour replacement) will next be seen in Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends. So if you've seen SIX, keep an eye on the actors in it because you'll want to follow their careers.
Plus: The variety of the people who've been cast makes the show's themes of female empowerment and ownership of self even more potent to today's audience. Around the world, the voices of women and trans/non-binary folks continue to be marginalized. And, as SIX makes clear, a key way to fight back is to use your voice and shout/sing loudly. It's a message that anyone can relate to, most especially.....
5. Its Teenage Fanbase
Like Wicked that came before it, SIX has entered the musical theatre canon through the power of . If you go to a SIX performance, you'll notice that the audience tends to skew younger and more female. That's usually because adult women tend to come see the show and then take the girls in their lives with them, a testament to how the show proudly wears its female empowerment theme on its bedazzled sleeves. But it's not just the messaging. The show is distinctly modern in the way it speaks to audiences, talking to today's generation in a language they understand and relate to, instead of talking down to them. Appealing to younger audiences and first-time theatregoers is a big goal for any Broadway show, and SIX succeeds with flying colors. If you love theatre, and want to know what the younger generations are obsessed with now, head on over to SIX.
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Najah Hetsberger, Gianna Yanelli, Kelsie Watts, Krystal Hernandez, Kay Sibal, and Taylor Marie Daniel
Najah Hetsberger, Gianna Yanelli, Kelsie Watts, Krystal Hernandez, Kay Sibal, and Taylor Marie Daniel
Kay Sibal
Kelsie Watts and Krystal Hernandez
Najah Hetsberger, Gianna Yanelli, and Kelsie Watts
Taylor Marie Daniel
Najah Hetsberger, Gianna Yanelli, Kelsie Watts, Krystal Hernandez, Kay Sibal, and Taylor Marie Daniel
