Review: SIX at Broadway At The Hobby Center

From Tudor queens to pop princesses, the 6 wives of Henry VIII take the mic and remix 500 years of historical heartbreak into a euphoric celebration of 21st-century HERstory. Springing from the minds of Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss (who also co-directed with Jamie Armitage), this global sensation is what everyone is losing their head over. All told, SIX won 23 awards during its Broadway run, including the Tony for Best Original Score and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical.

Let’s just get this out of the way: this is going to be an unequivocal rave. Since first seeing it in NYC, it’s become one of my modern favorites. It’s a joyous romp, educational without feeling pedantic, and crafted with such precision that it feels effortless (which, I’m sure the queens onstage would tell you, it absolutely is not). SIX is 90 straight minutes of pop hits, killer choreography ( from Carrie-Anne Ingrouille), and pure, adulterated (wink) fun.

Framed as a concert-style “competition,” each ex-wife steps forward to tell her story and vie for the title of lead singer. The staging (Emma Bailey) and lighting (Tim Deiling) are slick and dynamic, while the all-female band  (give it up for The Ladies In Waiting and sound designer Paul Gatehouse) keeps the energy sky-high. Gabriella Slade’s costumes cleverly fuse Elizabethan silhouettes with contemporary pop flair, uniting the queens in black while giving each her own signature color.

Each wife, and her song, channels a distinct pop genre, drawing inspiration from iconic divas. They all bring the house down individually, and together their harmonies soar. Emma Elizabeth Smith as Catherine of Aragon kicks the show into gear with “No Way,” a full-throttle opener worthy of Beyoncé or JHud. Nella Cole’s Anne Boleyn tears into “Don’t Lose Ur Head” with the perfect dose of punk-pop irreverence, channeling Avril Lavigne and Lily Allen. Then comes (imho) the sleeper hit “Heart of Stone,” delivered with stunning control by Kelly Denice Taylor as Jane Seymour, a classic power ballad that would sit comfortably in the catalogs of Adele or Céline.

After a hilarious musical interlude the second trio get their turn. Hailey Alexis Lewis commands the stage as Anna of Cleves in “Get Down,” radiating boss-level confidence à la Megan Thee Stallion or Rihanna. Katherine Howard might have been the  least remembered of Henry’s wives, but Alizé Cruz is anything but, she brings the youthful pop excellence we are used to seeing in Ariana and (in her peak) Britney Spears. Closing out the lineup, Tasia Jungbauer’s Catherine Parr delivers “I Don’t Need Your Love” with soulful intensity reminiscent of Emeli Sandé or Alicia Keys, ultimately shifting the show’s perspective and uniting the group.

By the end, the queens reject the idea that they’re defined solely by their marriage to history’s most infamous misogynist (at least until recently…). Instead, they reclaim and remix their narratives as individuals and as a collective force that doesn’t need a single leader. The result is exactly what we want: a reimagining of who these women might have been, and what they could have achieved.

This tour stop has a short run, so grab a friend (or two) and get your tickets while you can.