Six Cheers for 'Six the Musical'!: The Tudor Queens take the Wilson Center
- Kate Barber
- Jun 26
- 7 min read
Divorced. Beheaded. Died. Divorced. Beheaded. Survived.
You remember the rhyme from history class, don’t you? If not, don’t lose your head: the queens are here to remind you.
Five hundred years after their deaths, the six wives of Henry VIII return to the stage to belt out their
sides of the story—and to argue over which one had it worse.
With each refusing to concede, the six queens—decked out in sequins and high-heeled boots—decide to hold a pop concert, giving each the chance to tell her story—and the audience will decide which queen suffered the most under Henry VIII.
Was it Catherine of Aragon, Henry’s wife for 24 years until he begged the pope to annul their marriage because she could bear him no sons? Anne Boleyn, the woman he broke with Rome to marry and beheaded when she, too, could bear him no sons? Jane Seymour, the bride he took days after Anne’s death, who did bear him a son but died shortly thereafter? Anne of Cleves, the German princess he ditched after deciding she wasn’t as beautiful as her portrait? Katheryn Howard, at least 30 years his junior, beheaded for adultery? Katherine Parr, his last wife, who finally outlived him?
"Six" was written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss at The Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society, who had offered the pair a chance to write an original musical for an upcoming slot in the Edinburgh Fringe Theatre Festival. Conceived on the thought “What if the six wives of Henry VIII were a musical pop group?”, the show seeks to provide a new perspective on the queens, not just as Henry’s wives, but as women in their own right. At the same time, the queens’ stories highlight similarities in women’s narratives that still feel relevant today (well, not so much the beheadings, but you get the idea).
Part of the Broadway North American Tour, "Six" hit the Wilson Center from July 12–14.
Emma Elizabeth Smith dazzled as Catherine of Aragon, dressed in a glittering gold number reminiscent of armor, likely a nod to the queen’s role in the defeat of the Scots at the Battle of Flodden. On her head rests a golden crown like sun rays framing the back of her head. Her leading song, “No Way” is a protest to Henry, a staunch refusal to resign her position as Queen of England and step aside to make way for Anne Boleyn. Catherine of Aragon’s musical style was based on Beyonce and Shakira, and Smith embodies all three female icons as she hits notes that would’ve broken church windows in any nearby cathedral—Catholic and Protestant alike.
When you think of Anne Boleyn portrayals, you might call to mind representations like Natalie Dormer in The Tudors or Natalie Portman in The Other Boleyn Girl. What I love about this Anne Boleyn is that she’s nothing like the real-life, highly intelligent Anne Boleyn or the media-depicted seductress Anne Boleyn. As Catherine finishes her number and the queens draw back to let Anne take the stage, we see Anne giggling at a phone in her hand, not paying attention to anyone or anything. “What,” she asks. With musical inspiration rooted in Avril Lavigne and Lily Allen, this Anne Boleyn is equal parts punk and ditz. Nella Cole nailed Anne’s quirky character, sporadic giggle fits, and constant interruptions to remind everyone: she lost her head. In her number, “Don’t Lose Ur Head,” she apologizes (while giggling) for the trouble she caused England, claiming she didn’t mean to hurt anyone (lol)—so don’t lose your head about it. Green is a color typically associated with Anne Boleyn, and this costume both calls back to traditional representation of her in color and departs from them entirely with a two-piece punky top and skirt.
Jane Seymour, the third wife, steps in here to insist she had it even worse than Catherine or Anne because Henry actually did love her, and she died tragically young. I once heard a historian describe Jane Seymour as being “about as interesting as a glass of warm milk,” and that’s generally how I’ve always felt about Wife #3. Kelly Denice Taylor had the Wilson Center hanging on every word of her Adele-and-Sia-inspired heart wrencher “Heart of Stone.” She sang with such intensity and emotion about losing the love of her life, knowing Henry’s love for her was conditional, and her son having to grow up without a mother that I teared up more than once—her performance absolutely melted my heart of stone for Jane Seymour. This is the only number without choreography or backup vocals: all eyes on Jane on a dark stage, missing Henry (for God only knows what reasons!).
My favorite number, “Haus of Holbein,” divides the six queens’ turns in half. Setting up for the story of Anne of Cleves, this song pays homage to Hans Holbein, the famous Tudor painter who miraculously kept his head after Henry fell in love with Holbein’s portrait of Anne… but not with Anne herself. An EDM-inspired German glow rave, the Queens sport neon green sunglasses and collars as they move under strobe lights—you really can’t help bobbing your head to this one!
Hailey Alexis Lewis had the audience laughing and cheering as she performed the Nicki Minaj and Rihanna-inspired “Get Down.” In this number, Anne of Cleves admits maybe she didn’t really have it so bad—after all, even though the king “didn’t like her profile picture,” she does end up with her own palace in Richmond, where she gets to live out her days, thankfully without Henry. Lewis’s energy shook the Wilson Center and had the audience clapping and waving in time with her. She added a spunky and mischievous twinkle to the queen who’s often thought of only as “the ugly one,” absolutely glittering just as loudly as the sequins on her red and black jumpsuit.
Katheryn Howard is mostly remembered for two things: being slutty and losing her head. This K. Howard, inspired by Ariana Grande and Britney Spears, maintains a childlike spirit while giggling about her sexual conquests, reminding us that Katheryn Howard was exactly that—a child. With a long pink ponytail and midriff-baring outfit reminiscent of both young pop stars, Caroline Siegrist was a perfect combination of preppy and peppy. Her song, “All You Wanna Do” begins as a flirtatious number where K. Howard mostly brags about how hot she is, calling herself a “10 amongst these 3s.” Where the genius of the song lies is in the shift from cute and poppy into a sinister and dark suggestion of grooming and sexual abuse. Howard’s confident, sexy poses slouch and shrink inward as the other queens paw at her body without her consent. We don’t know whether Henry’s fifth wife’s premarital affairs were consensual or coerced or how far they went, but Siegrist slayed the delivery of the final line that leaves you uncomfortable and unsure.
When it’s Katherine Parr’s turn, she first refuses to sing, pointing out that fighting over whose story is more traumatic is a waste of time. When she finally agrees to participate and sings “I Don’t Need Your Love,” she’s the first to invoke the wild idea that maybe she doesn’t need a man to love her to feel whole. In a reversal that spins the direction of the show on its head, Katherine Parr reminds us there’s more to women than just who their husband is. (What’s Henry VIII remembered for most, anyway?) Tasia Jungbauer is as commanding and captivating as I imagine the real Katherine Parr was, with the air of an older and wiser woman who proves what a match she is for the king’s intellect and wit—because after all, she’s the only one who survived. Jungbauer delivered the sixth queen’s story and commentary with such emotional depth that I was hanging on her every word like the next one was brand new, despite knowing the song by heart.
As individuals and as an ensemble, Smith, Cole, Taylor, Lewis, Siegrist, and Jungbauer were a powerhouse of vocal talent, choreography, and comedic delivery. Want to see for yourself? One of my favorite parts of Six the Musical is that during the last encore, the audience is permitted to film for the “last five minutes [they’re] Six.”
At its heart, "Six" is a commentary on how different stories are depending on who is granted the power to tell them—and from what time period. The pop concert genre—a genre that itself is often criticized for being too silly, too sexy, and too girly—lends itself so well to a gruesome and heartbreaking story, allowing the audience silly, comedic, but ultimately introspective and critical access to the Tudor story. These Queens gave a flawless performance that would’ve made Anne Boleyn’s head spin with pride and laughter. I’ve seen this one in London, too, and these American Queens? They measure up just as fierce and breathtaking as their British counterparts.
Which queen wins? Oh, I can’t tell you that. You’ll have to chase down the Queens and find out for yourself.
RESIDENT TUDOR NERD AND ENCORE MANAGING EDITOR, KATE BARBER, PRESENTS HER OWN TUDOR QUEEN FUN FACTS:
did you know?
Every wife was a lady in waiting to at least one other Tudor queen before her marriage to Henry, with the exception of Anne of Cleves.
Anne Boleyn’s sister-in-law, Jane Lady Rochford, was beheaded alongside Katheryn Howard as an accomplice in the queen’s crimes. Jane served all five of Henry’s wives until her death.
Anne Boleyn absolutely did not have a sixth finger (this was pure post-beheading propaganda), but she might have had an extra sixth fingernail.
The lover whom Katherine Parr is devastated not to be able to marry is Jane Seymour’s brother, Thomas Seymour, who was later found guilty of assaulting Queen Elizabeth as a child.
While Anne of Cleves did live out her life in Richmond Palace, she was far from happy there, and longed to return to court. When Katheryn Howard was beheaded, rumors flew Henry would take back Anne, and she was hopeful for this outcome.
While most historians agree Anne Boleyn was innocent of adultery charges, Katheryn Howard was almost certainly guilty—if not of full consummation, intention and inappropriate rendezvouses.
Anne Boleyn and Katheryn Howard, the two beheaded queens, were first cousins.
Henry’s request for an annulment from Catherine of Aragon was based on the fact that because she was previously married to his brother, Arthur, the relationship was incest in the eyes of God. However, Henry had already taken Anne Boleyn’s sister, Mary, as his mistress prior to this, making their marriage equally incest and requiring a dispensation (that he sidestepped by making himself head of the church).
Katherine Parr was the first English woman to print an original work under her own name.
