Review: SIX THE MUSICAL at The Hippodrome

A full house of Queens is the winning hand in this rollicking, rolling, high-octane musical telling of the lives of the wives of Henry the 8th, appropriately titled Six, The Musical, now playing at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore.

More rock concert than dusty, old, dry recitation of the wives' tale (betcha can't name more than two), if British history (or in this case her-story) had been taught like this in school, I would have paid a lot more attention.

A quick, thumbnail history lesson: Catherine of Aragon was married to King Arthur (not that King Arthur) who died, and then she married his little brother, Henry (yes, that King Henry - the 8th). She couldn't produce an heir, so Henry dumps her and marries Anne Boleyn.

She gets fed up with his sleeping with anything in a coif, so she starts a flirtation or seven of her own, gets called out for it by His Nibs, and gets beheaded for her indiscretions. Enter Miss Jane Seymour. She finally produces the longed-for heir, but despite being the only one - so she claims - that he loved, her tenure was short-lived.

Literally. Next up was the less-than-lovely Anna of Cleves, who the King gets rid of after a handsome settlement so he could boink and marry her Lady-In-Waiting, Katherine Howard. She got beheaded on trumped-up charges of being unfaithful, even though it was before she even married the bloated monarch (huh?) and he then marries his 6th and final contestant, good old Catherine Parr, who unfortunately died in childbirth, but not before becoming the first woman in England to write and publish books under her own name.

Six, The Musical is the brainchild of the writing team Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow and started as a project for the Edinburg Fringe Festival. It's racked up more than 20 awards so far since its debut in London's West End. The show's concept as a singing contest where the six wives are vying for Best In The Marriage Race To Survive gives way to the realization that their lives are only measured in relation to that of their marriages to Henry.

They slowly come to realize that they are each fully realized as women in their own right and that each has her own story to tell. The musical inspiration for each wife that the writers shared on a number of platforms includes everyone from Beyoncé to Avril Levine, Rhianna, Adele, and even Celine Dion. Both co-writers are outspoken advocates of Queerness and Non-Binary issues, and Toby Marlow became the first openly non-binary composer/lyricist to win the Tony Award for Best Original Score.

The production opened on Broadway to great reviews, generally. Co-directed by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage, who were both nominated for Tonys for Best Director, with high-stepping choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, and Tony-winning costumes by Gabriella Slade, this 1st National Tour shines from the stage in a dazzling display of lighting by Tim Deiling in a stunning 80-minute concert format, complete with hand-held mics and what looked suspiciously like a couple of selfie poses.

The on-stage, all-female band, known as the Ladies In Waiting was smokin' hot. The time flies by in true pop diva concert style, with clever dialogue, excellent harmonies, and a sprinkling of melancholy to keep the story just real enough without going too deep. The sound level was at times a little jarring but let's just put that down to the reviewer's esteemed status as a senior citizen (turn that damn music down and get off my lawn!) Each and every one of these songs has a story that illustrates the experiences of the Queen at hand. Bright, catchy tunes that are just as effective, if not more so, than a couple of true ballads.

There is not a weak link anywhere in the chain of these Queens. The cast, in order of succession, is Gerianne Pérez as a dynamite Catherine of Aragon, Zan Berube as a hysterical Anne Boleyn (got to give a nod to her wink, wink nudge nudge 'head' jokes), and Amina Faye as a marvelously full-voiced Jane Seymour. And I'm sorry, but Terica Marie as a disappointing fourth wife of Ol'Henry is just not right.

She's a riot, gorgeous, and can sing her behind off. She is certainly no disappointment! Aline Mayagoitia is all legs and vocal power as Katherine Howard and bringing it home is Sydney Parra, beautiful and versatile in her emotional delivery as Catherine Parr. Every one of these ladies is a testament to talent and beauty, both individually and as a cohesive team of Divas.

Six, The Musical could have been a mash-up of rehashed pop anthems, but it is actually so much more. It's a tribute to the Rhiannas and Jennifer Hudsons, Celines, and Beyonces who rule the radio, in addition to the Queens who actually lived almost five hundred years ago, and whose stories are still relevant to women and history. As one audience member shouted out at the end of one of the group numbers, YAASSS, QUEEN!

Six The Musical runs through May 14 at The Hippodrome, 12 North Eutaw Street, Baltimore, MD. Click Here for information and tickets. Photo Credits: Joan Marcus.

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