House Seats: SIX is a Ten!

Six wasn’t originally on my radar. It found its way to me through social media and Sirius Radio. I’d been hearing a bit about it playing in London on theater sites, however one Saturday I was running errands, and caught an interview with Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow (its creators) on the Broadway channel. They were chatting about the show’s origins at Edinburgh Fringe, and how the show translated to the West End and then Broadway. 

It was a fascinating concept: a concert of six belting powerhouses who were also the six wives of Henry VIII. Within their music and their costuming, the wives tip their hats to some of today’s greatest singers such as Beyonce, Adele, Alicia Keys, and Britney Spears. I loved the idea, but tickets for such a short show (90 minutes) were astronomical when they first opened, and I just couldn’t do it. But, through the glorious invention of the Broadway lottery, a friend and I managed to score two box seats for $40 one Saturday in the city. Mind you, this was the first and only time I’ve managed to win a show lottery, so it was totally meant to be! 

Six, in a word, was incredible. I loved everything about it. The creatives managed to make the production feel very much like a concert, complete with super cool lighting and fabulous costumes. Bigger than that though, the story became sort of a hyper-critical look at one man and how these women have been perceived throughout history because of his actions. It’s a fascinating girl power reclaiming of this story through the eyes of six very different  women. By the time the story ends with the women re-writing what could have been, the audience  is on their feet. It’s a triple threat of storytelling - music, story, and design. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt at all, that the vocals of every woman were divine! 

Because of this, I was excited to hear that they’d be filming the London production and streaming it in theaters worldwide. Again, the production was stellar! The producers decided to start with a mini-documentary of sorts on the history of the show and the six original West End queens. That was fun to see, and gave those who may not be familiar with the history, some background. 

While I knew about the history myself, I didn’t realize the six queens in the filmed production were the original six queens that premiered the show in Edinburgh and took it to the West End shortly after. I loved seeing them, and their interpretations of these characters, that were so different from the American production I was used to, but also very similar. 

The biggest change was what I’ve been calling “the attitude”. I think that the women in the American production (which is the album I listen to on repeat) give the songs a bit more bite than the Brits. Don’t get me wrong, they’re both AMAZING. But specifically in “No Way,” the American queens make those “OK’s” a bit more brash than their British counterparts. In reverse, some of the rhymes work better with the British queens’ accents. As someone who doesn’t always notice the British accent in song, that was a fun discovery.  

The camera work was also creative in a way I hadn’t seen before. During the production, there’s a small disagreement between the queens about what the show should be. At that point, the camera “turns off” and we get a more “mobile phone view” of the stage. Almost, like this fight isn’t supposed to be happening, and someone in the audience is spying on them. I thought that was such a cool touch to an already spectacular production.  

But by far, my absolute favorite part of this film was seeing the gorgeous costumes up close. The nods to the historical queens and their fates, such as the choker necklaces on Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, really brought the story to life. I loved seeing how they each wore their “crowns” and how they subtly invoked their present-day counterparts. 

It is a beautifully designed show, and these women were all incredible in it. The production is still in theaters for a limited time, but hopefully  it will be gracing a streaming service soon. I’m so glad that it was filmed for posterity and that I got to see it. The theater world at home needs a few more strong, kick-a*& women sharing their truth.

Six: The Musical is currently in theaters for a limited time.