Review: SIX at The Paramount Theatre

Dear Readers, It’s true, the Queens are back.  The glorious rock show “Six” is back at the Paramount to melt our faces and maybe even teach us a little history.  And while it’s still the same amazing show that, if you know, you know, I just wish the Paramount, and really all the musical theater houses in town, could work out their sound mixes so lyrics could be heard over the rockin’ band.

For those unfamiliar, I pity you and I’m here to help rectify that.  The Tony Award winning show from Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss covers the six wives of Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr (Chani Maisonet, Gaby Albo, Kelly Denice Taylor, Danielle Mendoza, Alizé Cruz, and Tasia Jungbauer).  They’re here from the past and PBS to share their stories and vie for the honor of Queen of the band by determining which one of them had the worst life with Henry. 

What could have been a silly romp is actually an incredibly smart and clever romp with catchy tunes, hilarious quips, and (most importantly) enough real history to shake a scholar at.  Beyond its eye-popping lights and costumes (Tony Award winning costumes from Gabriella Slade), the show, like its Queens, has a brain and is not afraid to show it off.  Plus, Marlow and Moss brilliantly fashioned the tunes as if the Queens were inspired by the likes of Beyoncé, Adele, and Arianna Grande (it’s even called out in the program). 

The show is fun with a brain and the ladies in the touring cast are too.  Maisonet starts us off after the incredible opener with a powerhouse performance.  Albo gives us her best bubbly bad girl as the first of the six to be executed.  Taylor delivers a beautifully mournful Ballad as Seymour.  Mendoza brings in my personal favorite with strength and sass.  Cruz manages a stunning arc on her Britney-esque number that turns dark. And Jungbauer ties it all up perfectly with her haunting ode to the love that couldn’t be.  And who wins?  You’ll have to go to find out, but everyone always comes out with their own favorite.

My biggest qualm with the show is that dreaded sound mix.  When the band, The Ladies in Waiting (awesome), gets going, they tend to overpower those delicious lyrics.  Even someone like me who’s listened to it a million times missed some.  So, until they can iron all that out, I recommend giving the show a cursory listen.

But it’s still a winner.  And so, with my three-letter rating system, I give “Six” at the Paramount not just one YAY, but SIX!  These Queens need their due, and Henry can suck it!