In 1985, Alison Bechdel introduced the world to a simple test used to measure the representation of women in fiction, now commonly known as the Bechdel Test. In order to pass the Bechdel Test, a piece of media must meet three criteria, including: 1) there must be at least two women represented, 2) those women must have a conversation with one another and 3) that conversation cannot be about a man.
Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’s “Six,” a musical that tells the story of the six wives of Henry VIII in the form of a modern pop concert, features only women and passes the first two criterion of the Bechdel test with ease. The third criteria is where “Six” falls short. Despite the all-female cast, Henry VIII tends to loom over the proceedings as if he were a character himself. As the musical comes to explain, the queens on stage, and in the history books, are forever tied to their ex-husband.
However, “Six” attempts to give the queens back their autonomy with a musical that doesn’t just tell the oft-unknown stories of the monarchs in flashy, pop music numbers, but also cheekily addresses the patriarchal system that allowed their suffering in the first place.
A traditional curtain and Elizabethan-era music (think “Greensleeves”) greet the audience as they file into their seats in the Connor Palace. But when the curtain rises for “Six,” it becomes immediately obvious that this is no traditional musical.
Emma Bailey’s stagnant set design features semi-circular, tiered steps where the band underneath music director Julia Schade, called the Ladies in Waiting, sits. The six cast members portraying Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr, are immediately welcomed by raucous cheers from the audience as they open up the show describing their respective fates: “divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.”
The sound is loud, Tim Deiling’s lighting design is a non-stop freight train of movement and activity and the costuming is practically a character in itself. The women wear color-coordinated, exquisite rhinestone skirts, sparkly heels, fishnet leggings and alternative crowns provided by costume designer Gabriella Slade. When the queens directly address the audience, they call out Cleveland by name, encouraging clapping and dancing and cheers–which are procured easily from an audience eager for an entertaining night.
It’s easy to forget that this is not an actual concert where six ex-wives-turned-pop-stars are hosting a singing competition to decide which queen suffered the worst abuse, but a National Tour of a hit musical that officially opened on Broadway in 2021.
It’s also easy to get lost in the explosion of color, sound and downright entertaining, high-octane choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille–but the underlying themes conveyed through the nine, uber-catchy songs are always present. While each queen delivers a signature song, the entirety of the score works in cohesion to shed a light on abuse while reclaiming power and identity.
After an introductory ensemble number, the powerful and confident Emma Elizabeth Smith as Catherine of Aragon begins the singing competition with “No Way,” a song where she describes how Henry VIII wanted to annul their marriage and send her to a nunnery after he caught eyes for Anne Boleyn.
Queen Anne, played by the spunky, expressive Nella Cole, follows up with “Don’t Lose Ur Head,” a number that pokes fun at the previous queen for losing her hold on Henry VIII, until she also loses his interest. When she retaliates with infidelity of her own, she is beheaded, which Anne believes is enough cause for her to win the competition outright.
Her successor, Jane Seymour, had what the other queens considered to be the easiest time with the king, widely agreeing that she was the only one that he truly loved. A super-sweet and charming Kelly Denice Taylor delivers Jane’s signature ballad, “Heart of Stone,” with sincerity and grace, even as it outlines Henry VIII’s conditional love.
The show once again picks up pace when Hailey Alexis Lewis, an unapologetic, independent Anna of Cleves, takes the mic. Henry VIII fell in love with a portrait of Anna, but was disappointed by the actual woman. The story of the lucrative life she lived after her short marriage is explored in the catchy song, “Get Down.”
Originally deemed “the least relevant Catherine” by the other queens is Katherine Howard, played by a quietly powerful Alizé Cruz. “All You Wanna Do,” where Katherine describes how her beauty was taken advantage of from a young age, is an unsuspecting, emotional punch to the gut.
Rounding out the individual performances is Tasia Jungbauer as a mature, steady-headed Catherine Parr. As she explains in her song “I Don’t Need Your Love,” Catherine was also robbed of her future by her marriage to Henry VIII, even though she survived the ordeal.
Directors Lucy Moss & Jamie Armitage keep the show moving at a fast clip–totalling 80 minutes sans intermission–and some lyrics of the songs get lost in the coordinated commotion of a concert performance. The quippy, clever lyrics will be best appreciated by audiences who familiarize themselves with the music ahead of time. And the dialogue will best be appreciated by those who don’t find modern lingo totes cringe, lol.
“Six” was doomed to fail the Bechdel Test, as Henry VIII is forever tied to these six queens’ stories. But what “Six” does so wonderfully, and with such talent and great entertainment, is rip the crown away from the king and place it firmly on the heads of important women who deserve to have their stories told in their own right.
“Six” runs through November 16 at Playhouse Square,1501 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland. Visit playhousesquare.org or call (216) 241-6000 for tickets, $70-174.
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