SIX the Musical

SIX the Musical

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Posted 2022-06-02 by All About Entertainmentfollow

Fri 17 Jun 2022 - Sun 07 Aug 2022


Cue the Royal fanfare. SIX , the electrifying musical phenomenon by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, is at Comedy Theatre Melbourne from 17 June 2022.

A witty, pop-fuelled musical packed full of sass, SIX remixes the history of the six wives of Henry VIII - Britain's notorious Tudor King - as they take to the microphone to re-tell their stories and reclaim their HERstories, once and for all.


Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr are all inspired by the canon of music divas Adele, Nicky Minaj, Ariana Grande, Beyonce, Rhiannon and Katy Perry. With support from the SIX band "Ladies in Waiting", the women transform from Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses as they tell their rebellious tales.


Catherine of Aragon had a lengthy reign as Queen, so the creators of SIX modelled her on Beyonce with a gold costume. She was King Henry the VIII's first wife and had the longest marriage to him. The creators, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, wanted to create each Queen modelled on well-known popstars for their own vocal style and individuality. Expect to hear a selection of music genres - R&B, dance hip hop, ballads and pop. Determined to make it silly and entertaining, they drew inspiration from a Beyonce video album that weaved storytelling with a concert performance. Catherine of Aragon is modelled after Beyoncé because she was the longest-serving queen. Marlow also kept a shrine to Beyoncé in his university bedroom.


For those who aren't familiar with SIX it's the brainchild of Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow. Both attended Cambridge University for its strong student theatre scene that launched the careers of successful actors like Emma Thompson. In 2015 Marlow was chosen to write an original musical that the Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society would bring to the upcoming Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He had the idea of "Henry VIII's wives & #8594 ; like a girl group & #8594 ; pop songs" and pitched the idea to classmate Lucy Moss. They wrote the show in short bursts - a weekend at Marlow's family house, an afternoon in a college room.


Word of mouth spread quickly about the popularity of the show at the Edinburgh Fringe, and influential figures began to turn up and ask about securing the rights. Marlow reached out to a family friend who had been in a band with his father - composer George Stiles who urged West End Producer Kenny Wax to see the show back on campus at Cambridge University. Wax suggested a four-night showcase in London in 2017, and the rest is let's say - history. Lucy Moss was the youngest ever female director of a Broadway musical, at the age of 26. In 2019 SIX debuted on Broadway, and Australia is the only continent outside the UK and US to stage SIX.


I was lucky to see this show on opening night at Her Majesty's Theatre Adelaide, and was just blown away. So much so, I went back, and also plan to see it again in Melbourne.

The opening number is a spectacle in itself. With dramatic music, visual effects and spine-tingling harmonies, we are introduced to the six wives of King Henry VIII in order of marriage - Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr. After their opening number, the Queens explain their competition to the audience - whoever had the worst marriage to Henry VIII gets to be the lead singer. They begin detailing their private lives with Henry VIII, from divorces to executions to intimate details. They start bickering until they conclude that they should not base their worth on being the King's wife, but on their own accomplishments as Queens of England.


The dynamic all-female band on stage are part of the show and the backbone of the popular catchy songs (I recommend listening to the cast recording you'll thank me). The set design, costumes and don't even get me started on those boots - are insane! The cast execute (pardon the pun) a high level of energy, so much so that by the end of 75 minutes, expect to be up on your feet dancing and singing along to the SIX mega mix finale - set off by a gold confetti cannon! It's a high octane roller coaster of emotional songs that portray love, heartache, passion, loss, and joy.

Did King Henry the VIII have a thing for Catherines? We will never know.

Nominated for eight Tony awards, SIX really is Girl Power at its finest.

Meet the Queens, and check out their live performance in Adelaide here .

Six The Musical is at Comedy Theatre Melbourne from 17 June until 7 August, 2022. Book your tickets here.

#concerts
#girls_day_out
#musicals
#theatre
#june
#july
#august
!date 17/06/2022 -- 07/08/2022
%wnmelbourne
213722 - 2023-06-16 06:57:23

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