Rewriting Herstory: SIX the Musical – A Must-See Play

Written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, SIX: The Musical is a Broadway play about the six wives of King Henry VIII. The story focuses on a competition held between the wives to decide who suffered the most from being married to King Henry. Throughout the show, each queen sings about their own story.

SIX: The Musical opens with the queens singing the song “Ex-Wives.” I loved how the choreography matched the music and lights. The show used LED lights to create the different backgrounds and letters and set the vibe in a genius way. During “Heart of Stone,” the lights were blue and dim, which allowed the audience to feel how disheartened Jane Seymour felt (Kelly Denice Taylor). Due to how immersed in the story I was, the storm sounds in the music sent chills through my bones.

The play had a lot of audience interactions, making it feel like a real competition where we had a say in the result. Snarky comments that queens made to each other about the competition between songs were fun to watch because it added a satirical element and showed their competitiveness. After Anne Boleyn (Gaby Albo) sang the song “Don’t Lost Ur Head,” she proclaimed that she won the competition since no one’s suffering could surpass getting your head chopped off. Without a doubt.

Additionally, Anne Boleyn was one of my favorite characters due to her bubbly personality. Boleyn was very unserious and the sarcastic comments she made about getting her head chopped off made me laugh. However, through “Don’t Lose Ur Head,” Boleyn also educated the audience about her life. Boleyn’s story is a prime example of the double standards set by society. Why was it okay for King Henry the eighth to cheat, but Anne Boleyn gets her head chopped off cheating? 

Overall the show was amusing and uplifting. Before seeing SIX on December 15, I was a fan and listened to the soundtrack. But seeing SIX in person provided me with the necessary context to fully understand the songs and learn more about the six wives of king henry. 

Later in the show, Catherine Parr (Tasia Jungbauer) told that the queens had wasted their time on competitions, which Parr described as “getting cheers for trauma and abuse.” Afterwards, the queens paused to reflect on that fact. Society often pits girls against each other making everything between us a competition. SIX recognized that issue and addressed it head on. Furthermore, I love how SIX entertained people while informing the audience on issues women faced in the Middle Ages. 

During the Middle Ages, women’s education was limited to the upper class. Often, women were married young and women had limited property and financial rights. Women were only able to own property through their husbands. Society believed that it was a women’s responsibility to run the household. That era’s abrahamic religions, which are Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, also promoted “the idea that all women were, at some level, inherently disobedient and had to be controlled by men” (via Khan Academy). In the 16th century, religion promoted a patriarchal system which severely limited women’s rights. Although times have changed, women’s rights still have a long way to go. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “women are paid 84% of what men are paid.”

SIX reminds audiences how far women’s rights have come and serves as an inspiration for change. Additionally, SIX does not sugarcoat the experience of women in history and gave accurate depictions of the disparities women faced though its songs. Personally, my favorite song was “SIX.” In the first line of the song, the queens declare, “We’re one of a kind, no category, “ Through this song, the queens reclaim their history and recognize that they are more than one of King Henry VIII’s wives.

Throughout history, gender roles have shoved women into a box. By stating that they are one of a kind, the queens break out of the box that history has put them in and defy the limitations people have put on them. Thus, the queens recognize the power they hold and how special they are. SIX emulates a message of self -love and self worth and that is a message that everyone needs to hear.

Throughout history, only one perspective is often shown which spreads misinformation. Hearing multiple sides to a topic allows people to make informed decisions about their perspective on situations. Often, the perspectives of women and people of color are not told. Diverse perspectives are necessary to understand the complexities of what was happening at the time. SIX highlights the importance of hearing more than one side of a story to get an accurate picture and true facts. 

I think SIX is a great musical that everyone should see at least once in their life. The show is recommended for ages 10 and up. SIX will be in Boston until December 29 and tickets are available via Broadway in Boston’s. Overall, SIX is a fun musical to watch. But if you don’t have the chance to go see it this winter season, the soundtrack is spectacular and a must-listen too.