Mirror Review: SIX

Six, the Hamilton-style historical musical has taken theaters by storm. Based on the historical story of Henry VIII and his six wives, the show has gained traction with many different demographics because of its catchy songs and feminist ideals.

The performance begins with six queens introducing themselves with how their time with King Henry VIII ended by singing the song “Ex-wives,” telling the audience how they were divorced, beheaded, died or survived. They start the show by explaining to the audience that whoever was dealt the worst hand with the King will win the contest and be the band's next lead singer. The Queens explain their hardships through song, starting with the story of Catherine of Aragon (played in Boston by Khaila Wilcoxon). Catherine of Aragon as the first wife of Henry VIII sings the upbeat song “No Way.” In her song, she explains how the King cheated on her with Anne Boleyn (played in Boston by Storm Lever) then shortly after divorced her.

The second wife, Boleyn, performs the pop rock song “Don't Lose Your Head,” where she sings about how the King mistreated her and beheaded her for cheating on him even though he did the same to her.

Jane Seymour (played in Boston by Jasmine Forsberg) who is the third wife, belts out one of the slower songs of the musical, “Heart of Stone,” where she demonstrates how dying in childbirth and being heartbroken is the worst end of them all.

The fourth wife, Anna of Cleves (played in Boston by Olivia Donalson), explains that the King did not think she looked enough like her profile picture, and, therefore, rejected her through the song “Get Down.”

The fifth wife, Katherine Howard (played in Boston by Didi Romero) tells her story of being used and abused by men and her painful death of being beheaded through the song “All You Wanna Do,” all while she playfully twirls her ponytail.

The sixth and final Queen sings “I Don't Need Your Love,” where she sings about her true love, which is not the King. After all the singing, the only question left is who will win the battle of the ex-wives and become the bands new lead singer.

Throughout Six, each performer played their role perfectly. They kept up the energy throughout the whole show, keeping the audience engaged with each song and story. The Queens’ outfits were brightly colored with lots of sequins, which added to the fun and vibrant vibe of the show and, unlike many musicals (though similar to Hamilton), the set did not change during the show. Most of the songs in the musical were lively and upbeat, but “Heart of Stone” stood out as a more sorrowful ballad similar to songs sung by Adele. A fan favorite song of the play was “Don’t Lose Your Head,” which is a catchy and fun song that plays on the fact that Boleyn was beheaded with the chorus “Don’t worry, don’t worry, don’t lose your head.” Another fan favorite song was “Get Down,” which is sung by Anna of Cleves, the wife who got divorced and “complains” about her perfect life in her own castle without the King, and is similar to songs by Nicki Minaj and Rihanna. Although the King apparently did not like Anna of Cleves’ “profile picture,” this empowering song shows how men aren’t needed to have a great life by showing how this Queen seems to have had the perfect life living independently without any interference from the King. The most serious song of the night comes when Queen Katherine Howard’s song “All You Wanna Do” begins as a fun story about how all the boys like her, but takes a more serious tone as the song goes on and it becomes clear that she has been used and abused by men throughout her life.

At only 80 minutes long and no intermission, Six flies by and feels much like a pop concert. The only flaw of the show is that the ending felt a bit like a copycat of Hamilton with the six Queens declaring that they can rewrite their history, a similar theme from the popular play Hamilton. The musical Six is so fun and entertaining that it is easy to overlook this minor flaw and cheer for the Six Queens.