Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. The famous rhyme is reimagined in the musical Six which explores the tumultuous lives of Henry VII’s six wives as they compete to lead a new pop girl group. The queens of Six took the stage at the Emerson Colonial Theatre just a few miles away from our own Fenway neighborhood from November 9th to December 31st, 2022.
Six forgoes the traditional musical format and is instead staged as a pop concert. Six is an unusual musical, explaining that the audience will be asked to pick which of these six girls has a more tragic backstory and therefore become the group’s leader. From there, the queens take turns performing their songs and telling their backstories, pleading their case.
The first queen to tell their story was Catherine of Aragon (Khalia Wilcoxon), who was famous for refusing to annul her marriage to Henry the 8th. Although Catherine’s marriage to Henry lasted over 24 years, she is often overshadowed by her successors. Khalia Wilcoxon sings the scathing song “No Way,” describing the hurtful way Henry ended their decades-long marriage to start a relationship with mistress Anne Boleyn– talk about betrayal! Khalia Wilcoxon’s performance was inspired by Beyonce and Shakira, leaving a dazzling performance fit for a queen.
The one you’ve been waiting for– Anne Boleyn (Storm Lever) was the next queen to tell her story. The most infamous queen, Anne, is often portrayed as a scheming, power-hungry seductress. Anne Boleyn was the one who changed history; she is most famous for influencing the creation of the Church of England, which allowed Henry to divorce his ex-wife Catherine of Aragon. However, Henry and Anne’s marriage was short, as Anne was beheaded not even 3 years after they said, “I do.” The reasons for Anne’s beheading are not as scandalous as you may think; while Henry was out having affair after affair, Anne was jealous and decided she wanted to have some fun by flirting with a man (or three). Henry was infuriated by this and sentenced her to death. The spunky performance of “Don’t Lose Your Head,” sung by Storm Lever, was inspired by Avril Levine and Lily Allen.
The surprise stunner of the show was Jane Seymour (played by Jasmine Forsberg) who is most famously known as “the only one Henry truly loved” (rude). Although Henry did have 2 daughters with wives Anne Boleyn and Catherine of Aragon, Jane Seymour is most well known for producing an heir to the throne, meaning she gave birth to a boy. Unfortunately, Jane died during childbirth, leaving Henry heartbroken. With her power-ballad song “Heart of Stone,” Jasmine Forsberg brings the sole somber moment of the show. Although Jane Seymour is labeled as a “uninteresting queen,” due to the odds stacked against her, “Heart of Stone” illustrates to the audience and fellow queens that just because Henry didn’t divorce her or behead her doesn’t mean she didn’t suffer an unthinkable fate. Jasmine Foresberg’s powerful performance, inspired by Sia and Adele, stunned the audience and had the most prolonged applause of the show.
Next up is Anna of Cleaves (Olivia Donalson), who is most commonly known as the first “catfish” in history. The story goes that Henry saw a portrait of Anna and decided he wanted to marry her. But Henry didn’t like what he saw upon her arrival and divorced her immediately. Because their marriage was so short (and to avoid controversy), Henry provided for Anna until his death. Henry gave Anna loads of money and estate; some would say that Anna was the most successful ex-wife. The Anna of Cleaves performance, inspired by Nikki Manaj and Rhianna, was the most feminized in the show, reclaiming her freedom in “House of Holbein” and “Get Down,” which describe how men unfairly and patriarchally viewed women during the Tudor period. One might say that the theme of Anna’s story is one that women in our society know all too well; the unrealistic and unattainable beauty standards that are set upon women.
The next queen, Katherine Howard (Didi Romero), suffered the fate of beheading after being accused of having affairs with two men during her teenage years. Many spectators would agree that Katherine Howard suffered the worst luck, as she was used and abused her whole life at the hands of men. The king was far from the first man to abuse Katherine; her life ended tragically when she was only 17. Didi Romero’s performance of “All You Want To Do” showcases her sad love life. Initially sexy and seductive, Katherine’s song quickly transitions into a narrative echoed by the #MeToo movement, reflecting modern women’s experiences. Didi Romero’s performance, inspired by Arianna Grande and Brittney Spears, showcases the years of emotional and sexual abuse that Katherine Howard faced throughout her life.
And finally, the one who survived– Catherine Parr (Vidya Makan), Henry’s sixth wife. Known for her academic achievements and religious reforms, she may have been a protofeminist. In Six, she refuses to be defined by her romantic relationships, instead listing her accomplishments. Catherine’s song “I Don’t Need Your Love,” inspired by Alicia Keys, shows her fellow queens that they shouldn’t be competing with each other but instead support one another. Catherine’s role as a writer, educator, and advocate for women helped encourage the wives to take back the microphone and assert themselves outside of their marriages to Henry.
At the end of the show, a reprise of the opening song Six gets the crowd on its feet. Taking the theme of independence and allowing each queen to reclaim her story, it was the perfect ending.
There was something more profound to be said here about the six wives and a parallel with modern gossip culture in the musical Six. Many famous women’s lives are exploited for the entertainment of the media without considering their experiences as human beings. Now, with the musical Six, these queens who were often ridiculed and abused by society can finally reclaim their narrative. Throughout the musical the queens were competing to see who suffered the worst fate, but what they failed to realize was they had overlooked the villain all along, Henry. While yes, it is true that all of the wives have one thing in common, their husband, the monarch’s politics and reformation were mundane at best, so the only reason Henry VIII has stayed in the spotlight is his six wives.