Wives of Henry VIII tell their story in Broadway’s “Six”
Photo Courtesy of Broadway Shows
The six wives of England’s King Henry VIII have made their royal arrival to Broadway. The latest hit sensation, “Six,” follows the lives of Henry’s six wives as they battle it out to see who had the worst marriage and ultimately lived the worst life. The Broadway production is unique in that it resembles a concert. Following their opening number, aptly titled “Six,” the queens introduce themselves as if the audience is attending a show on their tour. They quickly begin to bicker and argue about who’s had it worse. Each queen decides to perform a solo to sum up the challenges they faced while being one of Henry’s wives, and whoever is deemed to have had it worse based on this solo will be crowned the lead of their band.
While the lives of Henry’s wives are well known, their stories are retold in a way that is relevant to today and the musical provides a lens into the history that many may not have known. Creators Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss took this history that has painted these women in a bad light and changed the narrative to show how these women were used as pawns by the King. They are so much more than just some of Henry’s wives.
The musical numbers, including “Ex-Wives,” “No Way” and “Get Down,” are all incredibly catchy and genuinely fantastic outside of the context of the musical. If not for their lyrics about life in the 16th century, the pop ballads sung by the group could easily be compared to the songs that are topping the charts today. Marlow and Moss have taken inspiration from modern musicians, including Beyonce, Avril Lavigne, Adele and Alicia Keys, when writing the music sung by each queen.
From heart-wrenching to hilarious, each solo left the audience in awe. A particular standout was Anne Boleyn’s “Don’t Lose Ur Head,” which gained popularity on TikTok a few months back. While the snippet seen in the short-form videos was enough to get people hooked on the show, there truly is nothing like seeing it performed in person and laughing along with the audience at Boleyn’s spitfire attitude.
Jane Seymour’s emotional “Heart of Stone” and Katherine Howard’s heartbreaking “All You Wanna Do” are other exceptional songs that, while great on their own, are amplified through the wonderful performances by Abby Mueller as Seymour and Samantha Pauly as Howard. The final performance of the show, which has come to be known as the Mega Six, was an electrifying cap to an already excellent production.
Because the show has a concert setting, the stage is bare with just the band occupying the space. Rather than a flashy set with unnecessary props, the real draw to the stage is the costumes worn by the queens. The six queens are adorned in sequins and rhinestones, making their costumes, by far, some of the most elaborate and eye-catching on Broadway today. Despite their modern elements, their structure – including puffy sleeves and corsets – still brought a historical 16th century context to their attire.
From the moment the lights go down in the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, there is a palpable electricity in the air. It’s similar to the anticipation people feel when waiting for a musician to start their concert. It’s hard not to grin as these charismatic queens take the stage and spend 80 minutes roasting their ex-husband. While “Six” doesn’t have an intermission, the show easily keeps people’s attention from start to finish. With the electric music, beautiful costume design and the heart that has been poured into it, “Six” has proven to be a one-of-a-kind musical production.
