Okee dokee folks... Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived. That lists the fates of each of King Henry VIII's wives: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Kathryn Howard, and Catherine Parr. Take those wives, a very clever concept and writing, add a lot of Spice Girls, Tudor history, flashy costumes and lighting and you come out with Six the musical. Wow! And I mean, WOW! This show is fun, funny, visually stunning and musically marvelous.
Harpsichord music filled the air as we took our seats at The Providence Performing Arts Center and waited for the performance of Six the musical to begin. After a bit, an announcement let us know it would begin in SIX minutes. The gold-bordered, purple curtain raised to the sound of a traditional version of "Greensleeves" (a composition often attributed to the monarch) that morphed into a pop version of the 16th century song. "Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived" was sung by the six silhouetted performers spread out equally across the front of the stage. The lights flashed on, the music pumped up and the show was in full swing. That was the beginning of this 80-minute musical romp that covers the 38 years of Henry VIII's six marriages.
"History's about to get overthrown," sang the wives as they all tried to decide whose marriage to Henry was the worst. Each queen took on a pop/rock/rap star persona and sang their Tudor woes. Their voices and performances were stellar. The lyrics were brilliantly intertwined historical references and contemporary innuendos. The queen divas dissed the king repeatedly and hysterically. They made history, or as they referred to it, "herstory," fun!
This was a powerful show about women and entirely performed by women, band included. Girl power and reclaiming women's own stories were the true themes. The costumes would make pop princesses jealous. They were glittery, sexy and individual works of art. The stage was akin to a techno cathedral whose house band played through the genre shifts of each queen. The audience could barely contain themselves during the show. Hoots and hollers filled the air and was encouraged by the consorts. This show was truly lively and entertaining. If I had to rate this musical on a star scale of one to five stars I would give it a SIX!
This is a musical you can take the kids to, especially if you have teenage daughters, they will LOVE it! They will thank you for it. All ages will enjoy this one as I saw smiles of approval on the faces of everyone, young and old, in tonight's audience. I highly recommend that you see this one if you can. I came out with a grin, you can, too. Six will be at PPAC from now until April 23. For more, don't lose your head, just get over to PPACRI.org.
