Broadway in Chicago Presents SIX Review – Henry VIII’s Wives, Loud and Proud

If history is written by winners, Henry VIII's wives do it loudly and proudly in a show by British co-authors Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. Henry never appears, a fact that may strike you, as it did this viewer, as a glorious win. With a badass pop score, the six women and their female band put themselves at the center of what is essentially a story of domestic abuse. Marriage to the self-indulgent king may be their source of pain – and inspiration for a classroom chant that Marlow and Moss use as opening lyrics “divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.” But as a character, Henry is peripheral.

Six’s Women Battle for the Crown of Suffering

Six’s cast of racially, physically and temperamentally diverse actresses reach out to the Chicago audience from the very beginning to elicit support. The crowd is nothing short of pumped. As the playbill makes clear, each queen is stylistically inspired by celebrity singers such as Beyoncé, Shakira, Adele, Rihanna and others. Instead of vocal superiority, they battle each other with their individual tales of woe. She who suffers the most gets to wear the crown. 

One visual moment brought deep belly laughs to this writer. Fourth wife Anne of Cleves came to Henry’s attention via a falsely flattering portrait by Hans Holbein. Anne’s number Get Down has each woman donning a 16th century pleated collar edged in neon and lime green sunglasses. Like the costumed folks milling beneath CIBC Theatre’s marquee, the union of period cliches and contemporary schtick keeps things crackling.  

Irony Onstage for Broadway in Chicago

Ironically, the Elizabethan Era is named exclusively for Ann Boleyn’s daughter Elizabeth, who reigned for 45 years and made Britain a global power. Her dad Henry, on the other hand, reigned for 36 years and is lumped into the Tudor Era, a composite of three monarchs. While Six tinkers with many facts, others cannot be refuted. They make a strong case for female endurance. But it’s unfair to burden this show with too heavy a message. You can be a fan of nothing more specific than entertaining musicals and revel happily in Six.

WHEN:

Now through July 3rd
For performance schedule, visit Broadway in Chicago

WHERE:

CIBC Theatre
18 W. Monroe St.
Chicago, IL

TICKETS:

$39+For ticket information, visit Broadway in Chicago

RUNNING TIME: 80 minutes without intermission

Note: Picture This Post reviews are excerpted by Theatre in Chicago.