Over the course of nearly five hundred years, a group of notable and powerful
women have been reduced to little more than a footnote in history: “Divorced,
Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived.” This rhyme characterizes six
matriarchs only in relation to their marriage to a monarch, the royal and rakish
King Henry VIII. Broadway's newest smash hit, SIX The Musical, rights this
wrong by rescuing six Tudor Queens from their historical shadows, revisiting their
marital misfortunes, and restoring them, their
crowns, and their voices to a position of power.
SIX is an extravaganza for the eye and the ear: a tuneful and vivid pop concert
that shimmers and sparkles with all the glamor and brilliance of the royal crown
jewels. Underneath its jewel-encrusted exterior, SIX is also an unassuming,
clever, and intentionally subversive work of revisionist feminism. The show's
format is also a forum for competition: each Queen gives testimony, offering a
musical account of why and how they were dealt the worst hand by King Henry
VIII. The cast and band recontextualize the lives and loves of the marginalized
monarchs: with a spotlight and a microphone, these women rule over their adoring
subjects and the stage–not only as Queens of England but also as contemporary
Queens of Pop. Empowered, they reclaim their stories and their place in
history–or her-story.
Creators Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss secured their own places in Broadway
history with a partnership far more harmonious than their inspirational Queens. As
children, Marlow and Moss were both theatre-lovers and theatre-makers–they
wrote and danced and acted from an early age. They met at Cambridge University
in 2014, where they respectively studied English literature and history, and
creative sparks began to fly. When given an opportunity to create and produce a
show in the world's largest performing arts festival, they quickly settled on an
idea that married their politics and their passion for performance: they would
reimagine Their Royal Majesties as pop icons. In 2017, The Cambridge University
Musical Theatre Society presented the world premiere production of SIX at the
Edinburgh Fringe Festival–their collaboration, and the production, was an instant
success. The production team grew, the Queens were given a makeover, and
SIX’s global conquest began.
Professional performances occurred in Norwich, England, and the production
returned to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2018. The Queens then recorded a studio
album, showcased in London, toured the United Kingdom (twice), toured Australia
after premiering at the Sydney Opera House, performed in cities across North
America, and landed in New York City–all in less than three years. Since then,
SIX has continued to play to sold-out houses on Broadway and the West End,
opened a new production in Toronto, toured the Netherlands, and had its first
foreign language production in South Korea. SIX stars Queens who lived nearly five hundred years ago, but it's about something more immediate: owning our stories, using our voices, and inspiring others to do the same.
SIX The Musical opened on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre (later renamed the Lena
Horne Theatre) on October 3, 2021. Six won 2 Tony Awards ® in 2022.
Visit sixonbroadway.com/queenoftheweek.php to see how members of the Queendom are using
their voices to make a difference today.