Under the Guise of Sparkly Pop, SIX Delivers a Powerful Message

Gabby Albo as Anne Boleyn (center) in the North American Tour Boleyn Company of SIX. Photo by Joan Marcus. 

Imagine going to a wild, high-energy musical concert, one that pulls out all the stops and spares no expense in terms of lighting or effects. Now, imagine that concert mixed with a cheekily-told history lesson. This magical concoction is exactly what viewers will find in SIX, a fantastic blend of musical and concert that’s onstage now at the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC). 

SIX has been taking the world by storm since its 2017 premiere at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and it’s easy to see why. It’s so funny, so absurd, and so delightful that it almost feels sinful, like the most decadent of guilty pleasures. Written and conceived by Tony Award® winners Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, who were students at the time of creation, SIX unites all six wives of Henry VIII for a pop fest of a concert . . . except the concert isn’t just a concert. Each of the wives is given a chance to tell her story. Whoever earns the most “pity points,” these singers explain, will be chosen as the lead singer of their unlikely girl group.

In this regard, SIX has shades of shows like Bill Russell’s and Frank Kelly’s Pageant, which has a similar premise, and even Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, in which only one cat can be reborn. However, SIX is far from a copy and stands firmly on its own (fabulously outfitted) feet. Plus, what starts as a competition ultimately takes a fun girl-power twist that’s so good it would make the Spice Girls jealous.

Before all that happens, though, each character gets her moment in the spotlight, some reluctantly and some raring to go. Under the playful direction of Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage and while spinning, stomping, and shimmying to Carrie-Anne Ingrouille’s music-video-inspired choreography, the wives reveal all. 

First up, there’s Catherine of Aragon (Emma Elizabeth Smith). She explains, with a surprisingly spunky attitude, how she was cheated on and how she “hit that high C” in her story delivery, thus making her worthy of a win. However, Anne Boleyn, portrayed by a hilarious Nella Cole, firmly disagrees. This former queen shares, in language peppered with “LOLs,” how she was quirky and carefree . . . until she wasn’t. Her song, “Don’t Lose Ur Head,” is an easy crowd pleaser, and Smith and Cole share a lively, rivalrous chemistry that makes them fun to watch. 

The story turns more somber as the third wife, Jane Seymour (Kelly Denice Taylor), takes her turn. She is the wife who truly loved and who believes she was truly loved by Henry VIII. Her soulful, pitch-perfect delivery of “Heart of Stone” is so human and raw that, for a moment, the whole mood shifts into something softer and more thoughtful. But, then there’s Anna of Cleves, perfectly acted by an adorable Hailey Alexis Lewis, ready to crank the energy level right back up. This pint-sized diva explains how she was wrenched away from Germany when Henry VIII saw her “profile picture,” and how, after she failed to live up to his expectations, she was sent away to a castle to live all alone. In her eyes, though, it wasn’t bad at all. In fact, it was pretty great, and so is Lewis’ fiery delivery. She drops down low, does a quick and impressive outfit change, and embodies the celebratory feeling of freedom and independence.

The last two wives up to bat are Katherine Howard, acted by a pink-haired Alizé Cruz, fashioned to look a lot like Ariana Grande, and the strong, indomitable Catherine Parr, thoughtfully portrayed by Tasia Jungbauer. Katherine delivers a song that sounds like a lot of fun, but which features dark lyrics about sexual abuse and manipulation. It’s not a downer of a number by any means, but it does shed light, as does the musical itself, on the plight of not just Tudor women but of women in general, highlighting one of the major strengths of SIX: it showcases the struggles women faced “in the past” and how many of those struggles still exist today. In a similar vein, Catherine Parr sings about her lack of real choice and her desire to change the future. 

Each unforgettable story-through-song is told in a whirlwind 80 minutes. Each of those minutes is punctuated by live music from “The Ladies in Waiting” and jaw-dropping, constantly changing lighting effects. And, while all that pomp and glitter is a lot of fun, nothing stands out more than the smart, multi-layered writing. Every song is packed with so much meaning that you’ll want (and need) to go back and listen to it again and again, making SIX incredibly re-watchable and a surefire longstanding favorite. 

Just as everyone has (or absolutely should have) a favorite Spice Girl, each viewer will likely find a character they relate to and sympathize with most. But, as SIX teaches, that’s not really the point. The point is to show what women can do when they stop competing, stand together, and dismantle systems that are meant to keep them apart. Whether they were “divorced, “beheaded,” or “survived,” these commanding female characters feel incredibly alive, as does their message. Clad in sparkly pop star costumes, beautifully designed by Gabriella Slade, they provide a spirited history lesson told through a feminist lens, and, most importantly, they remind women everywhere to reclaim their power at every opportunity.

-Susie Potter