If there is one thing that makes me feel like an actress and singer while walking down the streets of the University of Rhode Island and chilling in my dorm room, it’s “SIX” the musical.
The musical is about the six wives of King Henry VIII telling the audience how each queen became his wife. They are all in a band and, besides singing about their life with King Henry VIII, they compete against each other to see who should lead the band based on who had the worst marriage with him.
The six wives in order of marriage are Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr. Each wife has their own solo where they sing about their respective life with the king and about rewriting their history.
While each song is fun to sing along to, my favorite song is “Don’t Lose Your Head,” the story of Boleyn’s life with the king. With an upbeat tempo, she shows her innocence as if she did nothing wrong even though she ends up beheaded in the end.
There are many locations where the musical is performed, such as New York City, the West End of London, England, Australia and many country tours. The Norwegian Cruise Line ships Bliss and Breakaway used to hold performances but ended it after seven productions.
I had the privilege to see New York City’s 2.0 cast and it felt magical, I remember mouthing the words to each song. While each cast member played each queen stupendously, my favorite cast member was Zoe Jensen who was Howard. Howard’s song is seven minutes because she had many men that impacted her life. While the song was long, Jensen’s voice made the song feel like three minutes because I was enraptured by it.
I can’t say I have a favorite queen because their different acting styles are so unique. Aragon is savvy and persistent about keeping her marriage with Henry VIII. Boleyn is fun, acting innocent about how she changed history. She always knows what she wants and will do anything to get it.
Seymour showers her love for the king while showing her strength as she dies in childbirth. Cleves is sassy and comedic when she finds out that the king only liked her portrait, not her actual self. Howard portrays comedic talent while being raw about her relationships with the men in her life, including the king who only used her for her body and never truly loved her. Parr is wise with her words, singing about how she’s more than just Henry VIII’s last wife.
One show I wish I got to see was SIX 4.0 on Norwegian Cruise Line Breakaway because Jessie Bodner, one of the cast members, is one of my favorite actresses. She played Boleyn in the fourth production and watching her part in the last song “Megasix” through Instagram reels is wonderful and well portrayed.
Altogether, the queens rewrite history in an enjoyable way whether you watch it live or listen to the soundtrack.