Welcome to the show, to the Histo-remix- the six queens of Henry VIII are taking over Broadway. Tudor history will be taking centre stage on 13 February 2020 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in New York with Six the Musical making its Broadway debut.
Six the Musical, created by Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow, is a fresh look at the six women who married Henry VIII. Not a traditional show, this pop musical gives the Queens a voice and lets them take control of their own history. Although there are some changes to the history to fit the music and lyrics, overall, the history presented is quite accurate. Moss and Marlow highlight often forgotten aspects and elements of the Queens’ histories and present a Her-story, giving all Six a new image.
Six debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017 after Moss and Marlow wrote it during their final year at Cambridge. It debuted on the West End in the Arts Theatre in December 2017, and in July 2018 a UK tour launched. It opened again at the Arts Theatre in January 2019 originally for 16 weeks and has been extended through January 2021.
Six made its North American debut at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre in May 2019 and then moved to the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts in August and September 2019. Six then went on to have its Canadian debut in Edmonton in November 2019. January 2020 saw the Australian debut of Six. And in February 2020, Six the Musical is going to be debuting on Broadway, bringing the Tudor Queens to the spotlight.
The queens of Six each have their own modern queen-spiration. The long-serving Catherine of Aragon, who was married to Henry for 24 years, channels Beyoncé and Shakira. Anne Boleyn, the woman who changed English history, draws on Lily Allen and Avril Lavigne. The quiet and submissive Jane Seymour, the queen to give Henry his longed-for son (the future Edward VI), belts in the style of Adele and Sia. Anna of Cleves, arguably Henry’s wife with the best outcome, calls on Nicki Minaj and Rhiannon to get the audience dancing. Katherine Howard, the youngest and possibly most tragic wife, serves up Ariana Grande and Britney Spears. And of course, Catherine Parr, the wife who survived, is inspired by Alicia Keys and Emeli Sandé.
If you are a fan of royal history, any of the Queens, or pop musicals, Six is a must-see. With a Diana, Princess of Wales themed musical also debuting on Broadway in March 2020, and a villainous George III in Hamilton, royal history is making its mark on Broadway and theatre.
