Interview: Tasia Jungbauer Talks SIX at Bass Concert Hall

The sensational hit musical SIX brings it's tour to Austin next week. With Tudor queens as pop icons, the SIX wives of Henry VIII take the microphone and transform heartbreak into 21st century girl power. Since its Broadway debut, SIX has earned 23 awards during the 2021–2022 season, including the Tony Award® for Best Original Score and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical. Critics have embraced the show with The New York Times proclaiming that SIX “totally rules!” (Critic’s Pick) and The Washington Post calling it “exactly the kind of energizing, inspirational illumination this town aches for.” As the final queen to take the mic in SIX, Catherine Parr carries the responsibility of shifting the story—from playful competition to something deeper, more collective, and ultimately more liberating. On tour with the electrifying pop-concert musical, Tasia Jungbauer inhabits that pivotal role with clarity, generosity, and quiet authority. BroadwayWorld Austin had a chance to visit with Tasia, the pivotal queen who survived Henry the XIII, for a recent interview. 

BWW: How’s the tour going?

Tasia Jungbauer: It’s going really well. We’ve had a lot of fun stops, the audiences are great, and people really love this show, which makes it fun to do. I have my dog with me, so that’s been fun.

BWW: It’s good the animals get to go too.

Tasia Jungbauer: Yeah, we have quite the zoo on tour. Two cats and four dogs.

BWW: I love that!

Tasia Jungbauer: I’ll do a production of SIX with just the pets.

BWW: That’s great!

BWW: Touring any show means different rooms and different communities. Have you noticed how audiences respond to your character Cathrine Parr, or to the show as a whole, from city to city?

Tasia Jungbauer: In general, the response is very positive. There’s not a huge difference, but one thing I notice is at the end when Parr says, “I wrote books and psalms and meditations. I even got a woman to paint my picture.” In more arts-forward communities, that line gets a big cheer.

BWW: I feel like Austin will be that community.

Tasia Jungbauer: Yes—Austin, and San Diego too. They really loved it there.

BWW: I know the show has such a precise, high-energy structure. Once you’re living in it night after night, what surprises you?

Tasia Jungbauer: It’s an eighty-five-minute show, and we never leave the stage. When I was learning it, I genuinely didn’t know how I was going to do it. I’ve never been in a show where you’re onstage the entire time. My number is at the end, but I’m supporting every queen through dancing and singing before that. Building the stamina has been surprising and exciting.

Tasia Jungbauer: Now that I’ve been with the show for about a year, it’s about finding new ways into the material and into my song. A lot of these queens’ histories aren’t happy stories, so finding a joyful entry point—almost like a Trojan horse—lets the audience receive the deeper message and carry it home.

BWW: Parr is the queen who moves the story from competition to collective truth. What responsibility do you feel carrying that final emotional beat?

Tasia Jungbauer: I love it, but it is a responsibility. You’re asking the audience and your fellow queens to trust you to pivot after seventy minutes of momentum. I find it really rewarding. It starts with a short monologue that signals, “We’re about to do something different.” When it lands, it’s incredibly satisfying.

BWW: Her story isn’t centered on surviving, but on reclaiming her voice and agency.

Tasia Jungbauer: Absolutely.

BWW: How does that shape the way you approach the role?

Tasia Jungbauer: Parr had a full life before Henry. She was a scholar, a writer. Henry was at the end of his life, and she was expected to care for him, but she never stopped being herself. She continued her education and her writing, even when it got her into trouble. She was incredibly smart and knew how to navigate power. When I approach the role, I keep that in mind. The show wouldn’t exist without Henry, but it’s about celebrating her autonomy. At the end, we shatter that gaze and turn toward each other, lifting one another up. The ultimate message is celebrating who we are as individuals, separate from this man.

BWW: What’s it like playing an actual historical figure?

Tasia Jungbauer: One of the joys of SIX is that while we honor the history, we’re encouraged to make the role our own. Each queen is also inspired by contemporary pop artists—mine by Alicia Keys—and that blend of history, inspiration, and personal experience makes it creative and alive. Audiences come back again and again because every performer brings something different. You’re not just watching someone from centuries ago—you’re seeing a living artist channeling that history through their own life.

BWW: “I Don’t Need Your Love” has such a different musical and emotional texture. What’s the challenge in landing that?

Tasia Jungbauer: It’s pared back compared to the big pop numbers. But by the time it comes in, the audience is ready for relief from the tension and competition. Carrying that tonal shift is a challenge, but people are ready for it.

BWW: Parr reframes the entire competition. How did you come to understand yourself as the anchor?

Tasia Jungbauer: I felt ready for it, but it only works if every queen is on board. That trust is built in rehearsal. We’re all choosing together. The audience can feel that collective decision.

BWW: That kind of buy-in isn’t a given in every show.

Tasia Jungbauer: Exactly. We’re in service to the show and to each other. Being onstage with only six people is vulnerable. Before each show we circle up, hold hands, and remind each other, “I’ve got your back.” That support is essential.

BWW: You step into a leadership role every night as Parr every night. What has that taught you about power?

Tasia Jungbauer: We often think leaders have to be loud and dominating, but Parr shows the power of gentleness. She invites instead of commands. Vulnerability and sensitivity are often seen as weakness, but they’re actually strengths. Parr asks questions and allows people to arrive at the truth themselves. It’s also taught me that you don’t have to be the loudest person in the room to make a difference.

BWW: That feels like the perfect place to close. What do you want audiences to take away from the show?

Tasia Jungbauer: That we’re stronger together. That individuality is something to celebrate, not fear. Our differences don’t have to put us in competition—they’re something to be curious about and excited by.

SIX continues to prove that power doesn’t always arrive with spectacle alone, but it can also emerge through listening, trust, and shared resolve. With its high-octane score, devoted fanbase, and performers deeply committed to the story they’re telling together, SIX remains as much a celebration of collective voice as it is a theatrical event. Jungbauer’s Parr stands at the heart of that invitation.