-Brenda Hillegas
photo by Joan Marcus
FINALLY!
Get to the Kimmel Cultural Campus and bow down to the wives of Henry VIII! Six is a non-stop, 80 minute pop rock concert and hilarious history lesson that highlights the lives of Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr.
Who suffered the most? Which Queen had the worst life thanks to Henry VIII? Each Queen – absolutely outstanding solo performances by Gerianne Perez, Zan Berube, Amina Faye, Terica Marie, Aline Mayagoitia, and Sydney Parra- takes the stage to sing about why her life was the hardest! Some divorced, some beheaded. Their goal is to gain the sympathy of the audience through original songs and declare one Queen the winner. The backing band, aka the Ladies in Waiting, are also a big part of the show and you’ll be introduced to them in a rock concert styling. Meet the band, meet the Queens, and be a part of a really unique Broadway experience. Good luck sitting still, especially for the finale mashup of everything you’ve heard earlier in the show.
Six is pretty historic too. In 2016, Cambridge University student Toby Marlow was selected by the school’s Musical Theatre Society to create and write a new show that would be presented at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival the following year. He partnered with fellow student Lucy Moss to create this epic rock/pop re-telling of King Henry VIII’s ex-wives. As the show gained traction, Moss became the youngest ever female director of a Broadway musical at the age of 26. Six premiered on the West End, embarked on tours, came to Broadway, still on Broadway, more tours…clearly, this is a show that’s absolutely not to be missed.
If you can’t stop singing the Hamilton cast recording and grew up obsessed with the Spice Girls, this show is 10000% for you. In fact, the Queens’ over the top, shiny, beautiful costumes are created by Gabriella Slade who also worked on the Spice Girls’ last tour. And, if you haven’t listened to Hamilton and don’t even know the names of the Spice Girls, this show is still for you!
Six is at the Kimmel Cultural Campus through April 9th, so you have plenty of chances to see it and then see it again. Sorry if you didn’t score Taylor Swift tickets, but the real show of the season is at the Academy of Music anyway. Come meet the Queens in all their glory.
Tickets are available here and don’t forget to grab a Playbill on your way in so you can read up a bit about each Queen before the show starts. Don’t worry, you won’t be quizzed!
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