Six is a triumph. Simple as that. This musical of female empowerment, in the guise of a concert by the six wives of Henry VIII, is raucous, witty, funny and extravagantly creative. The show reminds me a lot of the original production of Dreamgirls, another musical of a women’s singing group coming together. Both of these shows perfectly meld together lighting, sound, choreography, costumes, and sets into one incomparable whole.
The musical is structured as an 80-minute pop concert - think Ariana Grande or Spice Girls - where a sing-off is being held between the women to decide who will be lead singer of the group. To determine the role, each of the wives sings about how they suffered the most at the hands of Henry VIII.
The score by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss - delivered by a tightly knit, rollicking female band under the musical direction of Julie Schade - is tuneful, playful, and full of vim and vigor. The individual performances along with the group numbers are powerfully delivered in highly stylized movements. [Note: Songs from the musical can be played on the nightly 8-10PM EST all-request program of SoundsofBroadway.com, the 24/7 online Broadway radio station.]
Each of the six actresses in the show the night I attended - Adrianna Hicks, Andrea Macassaet, Mallory Maedke, Brittney Mack, Courntey Mack and Anna Uzele - brought an intensity and enthusiasm to their roles that was exceedingly entertaining and energized the audience.
Directors Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage, along with choreographer Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, bring a vitality, toughness, and overall pizazz to the production. The performers are almost constantly in motion, moving about in a strikingly synchronized fashion.
The lighting design by Tim Deiling, sound design by Paul Gatehouse, and set design by Emma Bailey are integral to the success of Six. Special mention goes to costume designer Gabriella Slade for her outrageous, yet notably effective melding of pop star glamor with period influences.
Six, the best new musical to hit the Broadway stage this season.
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