SIX–The Musical shines new light on Tudor queens, and not just stage lights

By Em Jurbala

For centuries, the six Tudor wives of Henry VIII played supporting roles in the historic telling of one of England’s most infamous royals. Now, though, their personas take the main stage in SIX–The Musical, a Tony Award-winning production that tells their stories through none other than a pop concert. As part of its U.S. tour, the show opens at The Venetian on March 21 for a short residency with dates extending through May.

Created as a student project by Lucy Moss and Toby Harlow, SIX first premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017. After gaining the support of Kenny Wax and Global Musicals, the show graduated to having its first professional off-West End production later that year. And the rest was her-story.

With catchy pop tunes and an all-women cast, SIX rewrites history to tell the story of Henry VIII’s tumultuous love life through the perspective of the women who endured it, reshaping their public personas and emphasizing their own successes. It’s an uplifting show complete with strong girl-power energy.

“When I think about the message of the show, it’s acceptance, it’s community and it’s women supporting women; queens supporting queens,” Jasmine Forsberg, who plays Jane Seymour, said. “We like to say, ‘Queens fix each other’s crowns.’

In social media and reality TV, we’re so used to watching women compete with one another, and we’re so quick to compare them rather than to celebrate their (differences.) Most of all, it’s about celebrating what unique things everybody brings to the table and how we’re stronger as a whole than we are separate.”

For the production’s single act, the leading ladies come together to form a pop group, each taking turns to sing about the hardships they faced in their marriage to the King. Some of the queens’ songs focus on their own powerful moments while other songs aim to correct the mischarac- terization they faced due to efforts to flatter the king. And each character is inspired by the pop queens of today like Beyoncé, Ariana Grande and Rihanna, of course. ticketmaster.com

“Essentially, we thought, ‘If I came to see a show where Henry’s wives were “reclaiming their stories,” what would I expect this to look like?’ The answer we found was a big, badass, Beyoncé-style ‘F-you’ to Henry,” creator Lucy Moss said in a 2019 interview with Sydney Opera House.

It’s a refreshing take on musical theater. It’s brief, upbeat and the perfect mix between history class and your favorite dance playlist, with lots of comedy, petty comebacks and some heartfelt moments. Complete with an all-female band, the Ladies in Waiting, this show puts an entire cast of incredibly talented women in a duly deserved spotlight and honors the Tudor queens’ legacies. And, at the end of it all, the ladies learn a valuable lesson about what happens when women support women.