To say that I enjoyed the musical “Six” much more the second time I saw it is not meant as faint praise. I mean it.
The production that runs through Sunday at Proctors has a lot to enjoy. Indeed, I was able to appreciate this as a genuine theatrical experience rather than, as I first thought, a glorified rock concert.
Actually, it’s more. “Six” is a fascinating way to express history. Though it is weak on complexity, it uses modern standards to detail the abuses in Henry VIII’s famous marriages. By telling troubling stories in the current vernacular, there is the hope that beneath the sound and glitter of the production, there will come the realization that the abuse of women by powerful men is still a modern concern.
“Six” tells of the lives of Henry VIII’s six wives. In the show they are modern women who want to tell history from their point of view. They no longer want to be remembered by the simple learning device “divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.” They want honest representation. They want their voices to be heard.
The concept is that the six are forming a band. Each of the wives tells the audience, through word and song, their personal history. The woman who suffered the most becomes the leader of the group.
In this sense, “Six” remains a concert with each wife having a moment in the spotlight. Adding a clever touch to the performances is that the stories are told in the tone of a contemporary female pop star.
Kristina Leopold as Catherine of Aragon channels Beyoncé. Katherine Howard, as portrayed by Alize Cruz suggests the insolent confidence of Ariana Grande. Also adding a sense of the contemporary is Danielle Mendoza who uses a touch of Rihanna to create a sassy Anna of Cleves. Kelly Denice Taylor as Jane Seymour brings the qualities of Adele to the song ”Heart of Stone,” making it one of the more memorable moments of the night.
Cassie Silva as Anne Boleyn provides most of the comedy as she constantly reminds every one of her decapitation. Adrianna Scalice shows why Catherine Parr was the survivor. Her sweetness and clear thinking are what eventually unites the six talented women. Her closing song, “I Don’t Need Your Love,” might be seen as the anthem of the work. For sure, it sets up the ensemble number “Six” to be the proper end for a work about female empowerment.
This is a presentation that is relentless in its high power energy. Using driving rock music and concert lighting, the visual effects are ideal for the precision eye-catching choreography of Carrie-Anne Ingrouille. All combined to make “Six” an incredibly stimulating experience.
“Six” started as a concept album written by two Cambridge University students, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, in 2017. You can still see its simple roots. The show takes only 80-minutes, without an intermission and the history lessons are bullet point in depth, while offering little new information.
If you don’t care for rock music, aren’t familiar with the styles of Beyoncé or Adele and think only Rodgers and Hammerstein represent Broadway musicals, maybe you’d be better off reading one of the wonderful historical biographies on Henry and his wives written by Alison Weir.
However, if you like to have historical characters feel familiar, this is an ideal way to have fun with history.
“Six” continues at Proctors through Sunday. Information and tickets at atproctors.org
Bob Goepfert is theater reviewer for the Troy Record.
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.
