Six (musical) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids SIX |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Music | Toby Marlow Lucy Moss |
| Lyrics | Toby Marlow Lucy Moss |
| Book | Toby Marlow Lucy Moss |
| Basis | Wives of Henry VIII |
| Productions | 2017 Edinburgh 2017 Pre-West End 2018 UK tour 2019 West End 2019 North American tour 2021 Broadway |
| Awards | Tony Award for Best Original Score |
Six (written in all capital letters) is a fun British musical. It has music, story, and lyrics by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. The show takes the lives of the six wives of Henry VIII and turns them into a modern pop concert.
In the musical, each of the wives takes a turn. They are Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr. They tell their own stories to see who had the worst time with their husband, King Henry VIII.
The musical first started at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017. Students from Cambridge University performed it there. Six then opened in London's West End in January 2019. It has since gone on tours in the UK and North America. It also opened on Broadway in New York City in October 2021.
What Happens in the Show?
The six Queens introduce themselves as if they are at a pop concert. They tell the audience that the winner of their competition will be the lead singer of their band. The winner is the one who suffered the most because of their shared husband, Henry VIII ("Ex-Wives").
Catherine of Aragon tells her story first. She explains how Henry wanted to end their marriage. This is called an annulment. He wanted to send her to a nunnery. This happened because he started to like Anne Boleyn. Catherine had been loyal to him for many years ("No Way").
Next, Jane Seymour steps up. The other Queens tease her because they think she had an easy time with Henry. Jane admits that Henry might have truly loved her. But she says his love depended on her having a son. She stood by him even though he had many faults ("Heart of Stone").
The show then explores ideas about beauty. This happens in a funny scene set in Hans Holbein the Younger's portrait studio. The Queens make fun of a dating app. They show how Henry chose his wives ("Haus of Holbein"). He picks Anna of Cleves. But he quickly rejects her. He says she didn't look like her "profile picture."
Anna then complains about living in a beautiful palace. She has lots of money and no man to tell her what to do. But she is actually bragging about it ("Get Down"). The other Queens question her. Anna admits her life wasn't really a tragedy. She drops out of the competition. The Queens then make fun of Katherine Howard. They say she is "the least important Catherine." But Katherine fights back. She points out problems in the other Queens' stories.
As the Queens keep arguing, Catherine Parr asks why they are even competing. She says the competition makes them only think of themselves through Henry. She wants them to see themselves as individuals. The Queens still argue. Catherine Parr then remembers being separated from her true love. She had an arranged marriage with Henry. But instead of being sad, she talks about her own achievements. These were things she did without Henry ("I Don't Need Your Love").
The other Queens realize they have lost their own identities. They decide to stop the competition. They declare that they don't need Henry's love to feel important. They use their time on stage to rewrite their stories. They sing together as a group, not just as solo artists. They create their own happy endings, as if Henry was never involved ("Six"). After that, they perform a mix of songs from the show. The audience is allowed to film this part ("Megasix").
How the Musical Was Made
In 2016, Toby Marlow was chosen by a university group. He was asked to create a new musical for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Toby was in his last year at Cambridge University. He thought of a musical that would tell the stories of King Henry VIII's ex-wives. He worked with another student, Lucy Moss, to develop the idea.
As they worked, Toby read a book about Henry VIII's wives. Lucy watched a documentary series about them. They also got ideas from a Beyoncé concert. The main ideas for the musical were written in about 10 days.
Toby and Lucy were inspired by famous pop stars for each Queen. They used parts of these stars' styles and music. Here are the pop stars who inspired each Queen:
- Catherine of Aragon: Like Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, and Jennifer Hudson.
- Anne Boleyn: Has parts of Miley Cyrus, Avril Lavigne, and Lily Allen.
- Jane Seymour: Reminds people of Adele, Sia, and Celine Dion.
- Anna of Cleves: Includes parts of Nicki Minaj and Rihanna.
- Katherine Howard: A mix of young pop stars like Britney Spears and Ariana Grande.
- Catherine Parr: Inspired by Alicia Keys and Emeli Sandé.
Where Six Has Been Performed
First Shows: Edinburgh Fringe (2017)
The very first performance of Six was at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This was put on by the Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society. The show ran from July to October 2017. Most of the cast were students. All the tickets sold out! This led to the musical being asked to return in 2018. The show got great reviews and people started talking about it.
London's West End (2019–Present)
Six officially opened in London's West End at the Arts Theatre on January 17, 2019. The same cast from the 2018 tour performed in this first West End show. Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage directed it. Shows stopped in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Six started again on December 5, 2020, at the Lyric Theatre. But shows had to stop again on December 14, 2020, due to more COVID-19 rules.
On May 21, 2021, Six reopened for a second time at the Lyric Theatre. It moved to the Vaudeville Theatre on September 29, 2021. It has been playing there ever since.
UK Tours (2018–Present)
After its success in Edinburgh, Six went on a short tour in the UK in 2018. It played in places like Norwich and Glasgow. It also returned to the Edinburgh Fringe.
In May 2019, a bigger UK tour was announced. It started in October 2019. This tour was also paused in March 2020 because of the pandemic. It started up again on June 8, 2021, in Canterbury.
Broadway (2020/2021–Present)
Six started preview shows on Broadway in New York City on February 13, 2020. It was at the Lena Horne Theatre. On its planned opening day, March 12, 2020, all Broadway theaters closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In May 2021, it was announced that Six would restart its preview shows. It officially opened on October 3, 2021. It was the first new musical to open on Broadway since the pandemic began. Its opening night was a big celebration. The show was already very popular because of social media, especially with young people.
Other Productions Around the World
Six has also been performed in many other places:
- Norwegian Cruise Line: Shows started on cruise ships in 2019.
- Australia: The show opened at the Sydney Opera House in January 2020. It toured to other cities and reopened in Sydney in December 2021.
- North American Tours: Two tours, called "Aragon" and "Boleyn," started in 2022. They travel to different cities across the United States.
- South Korea: The first non-English version of the musical opened in March 2023.
- Canada: A Canadian production was announced for August 2023. It will play in Edmonton and Toronto.
- Hungary and Poland: Non-replica versions (meaning they might look a bit different) opened in Budapest and Warsaw in 2023.
Who Plays Who?
The musical has a main cast of six Queens. There are also "Ladies in Waiting" who are the on-stage band. They wear costumes and act like historical ladies-in-waiting. They play music and do small dance moves.
Original Main Casts
| Role | West End (2019) | Broadway (2020/2021) | Australian Tour (2020) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catherine of Aragon | Jarnéia Richard-Noel | Adrianna Hicks | Chloe Zuel |
| Anne Boleyn | Millie O'Connell | Andrea Macasaet | Kala Gare |
| Jane Seymour | Natalie Paris | Abby Mueller | Loren Hunter |
| Anna of Cleves | Alexia McIntosh | Brittney Mack | Kiana Daniele |
| Katherine Howard | Aimie Atkinson | Samantha Pauly | Courtney Monsma |
| Catherine Parr | Maiya Quansah-Breed | Anna Uzele | Vidya Makan |
Songs in the Show
Here are the songs you'll hear in Six:
- "Ex-Wives" – All Queens
- "No Way" – Catherine of Aragon
- "Don't Lose Ur Head" – Anne Boleyn
- "Heart of Stone" – Jane Seymour
- "Haus of Holbein" – All Queens
- "Get Down" – Anna of Cleves
- "All You Wanna Do" – Katherine Howard
- "I Don't Need Your Love" – Catherine Parr
- "Six" – All Queens
- "The Megasix (Encore)" – All Queens
Cast Recordings
There are two main recordings of the musical:
- Six (Studio Cast Recording): This was released in 2018. It became very popular and won awards.
- Six: Live on Opening Night (Original Broadway Cast Recording): This was recorded live on Broadway's opening night in 2021. It was released in 2022 and was streamed millions of times.
How the Show Was Designed
Casting Choices
The creators, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, wanted to have many female or non-binary performers. They wanted the story to include different types of people. This was important because they felt the theater world didn't always have enough variety.
Is It Historically Accurate?
Six is based on real history and people. But it also changes some things to make the show more fun. It includes true facts, like the marriages and divorces of the Queens. It also shows how some Queens were executed.
Historians like Suzannah Lipscomb and Gareth Russell enjoy the show. They say it's a good mix of history and entertainment.
Sound and Microphones
The Queens in Six use hand-held microphones. Most musicals use tiny microphones worn on the head. Toby and Lucy chose hand-held mics to make it feel like a real pop concert. They wanted it to be like Beyoncé's live shows. The Queens also wear special earpieces to hear the music.
Awards and Recognitions
Original West End Production
Six was nominated for many awards in London.
- In 2019, it was nominated for five Laurence Olivier Awards. These included Best New Musical and Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical for the whole cast.
Original Broadway Production
On Broadway, Six won some big awards!
- In 2022, it was nominated for eight Tony Awards. It won two: Best Original Score (for Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss) and Best Costume Design (for Gabriella Slade).
- It also won several Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Music and Outstanding Lyrics.
- It won three Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Outstanding New Broadway Musical.
- In 2023, the live Broadway cast recording was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
Other Versions of Six
Filmed Stage Show
In June 2022, the original West End show was filmed live. All the original cast members came back to perform. This filmed version will be released in the future.
Possible Movie
In October 2020, the creators Toby Moss and Lucy Marlow said they were talking about making Six into a movie.
SVN: A Girl Group
After being in the original West End cast of Six, six of the actresses formed a girl group. They are Aimie Atkinson, Alexia McIntosh, Jarnéia Richard-Noel, Millie O'Connell, Maiya Quansah-Breed, and Natalie May Paris. They teamed up with a cast understudy, Grace Mouat. Their group is called SVN (pronounced "seven"). They released songs like "Woman" and "Free" in 2022.
