Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. Those are the fates that awaited the six wives of Henry VIII who ruled England for almost 40 years. And most of those women have been simmering in their discontent until given boisterous new voice in the musical Six, now at Playhouse Square.
Created by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss as an idea for a fringe festival goof, Six has grown into a behemoth of color, movement, lights and stellar voices that demands your total attention. It's a mash-up of "Ru-Paul's Drag Race," the "Me Too" movement, "Mean Girls," and "American Idol."
But if you're going, understand that no matter how intensely you listen, you're gonna miss some of the witty lyrics. So, prepare ahead of time—Hamilton-style—by Googling the lyrics to the nine songs.
If you do, you'll appreciate how Marlow and Moss fashion a new lens through which to view those half-dozen women: A singing competition in which they each tell their story and "the queen that was dealt the worst hand/Shall be the one to lead the band." This is a neat switch on the typical empowerment shows which focus on the girl or woman who has immense talents that are hidden or unrecognized.
No, all these women—dead all these many centuries—have to offer is their sad marriages to H-5 and often sadder fates. But there's nothing downbeat about their competitive presentations, as each woman is given the stage, with full back-up by the other five, to sell themselves as the new bandleader in eternity.
After an "Ex-Wives" amuse bouche, divorced Catherine of Aragon (Gerianne Pérez) starts off the contest by jamming historical details and contemporary female rage into her up-tempo "No Way" rant: "So you read a Bible verse that I'm cursed/'Cause I was your brother's wife/You say it's a pity 'cause quoting Leviticus/'I'll end up kidiless all my life'/Well, daddy weren't you there when I gave birth to Mary?/Oh, hi baby, daughters are so easy to forget."
From there, the other women take their turns in twisting history and their own personal fates to their own purposes. A snarky, valley girl-ish Anne Boleyn (Zan Berube) is justifiably pissed off about her misplaced cranium in "Don't Lose Ur Head." As she notes about her life, "Henry's out every night on the town/Just sleeping around, like what the hell?/If that's how it's gonna be/Maybe I'll flirt with a guy or three/Just to make him jell."
She is joined in her beheadedness by Katherine Howard (Aline Mayagoitia), who recalls her several dalliances with other men in "All You Wanna Do" before and during her marriage to Hank.
Two of the six have few regrets. Anna of Cleves (Terica Marie) shares her cushy former life in "Get Down" as she boasts, "Now I ain't saying I'm a gold digger/But check my prenup, ahh!/.../'Cause I'm the queen of the castle/Get down, you dirty rascal." As for Catherine Parr (Sydney Parra), she challenges the whole notion of competing in this misery derby as she sings, "Henry, yeah, it's true/I'll never belong to you/'Cause I am not your toy to enjoy/'till there's something new."
A quartet of female musicians fill the Connor Palace with a wave of sound to accompany the six performers. And although each of the singers has a featured number there is no showstopper, since this 80-minute bullet train of female theatrical energy isn't about to be halted by man or beast. But Amina Faye comes close as Jane Seymour when she tears "Heart of Stone" a new one.
The scenic design by Emma Bailey is static, just a couple steps up to a platform where the musicians perform their combination of hip-hop, electronica, house music, and soul. But it features an active electronic wall that continually flashes colors along with minimalist representations of chapels and such. The most impressive design element are the costumes by Gabriella Slade, flashy color-coded outfits that are ready for battle—no gauzy gowns or frilly frocks for these gals.
Ultimately, the creators shit-can their competition idea in favor of more singing, including a re-mix. While some of the forced cleverness and groaner puns overwhelm at times, you ultimately won't mind because Six never takes its foot off the gas. It's determined to make you love this rude and joyous collection of empowered (at long last) women.
Six
Through September 10 at Playhouse Square, Connor Palace Theater, 1615 Euclid Ave., playhousesquare.org, 216-241-6000.
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