‘Six’ Comes To Louisville And Teens Find It More Than Just The Songs

“Six” finally arrived in Louisville last month — just four years after it opened on Broadway and the Covid pandemic quickly forced its temporary hiatus.

It already had a stellar history from its impressive debut in the 2017 Edinburg Festival Fringe to the release of its powerful original studio cast soundtrack the next year. The songs took top spots on UK soundtracks and US and cast albums charts in the following years.

Then in 2022, after its 2021 Broadway reopening, came the blockbuster album “Six: Live on Opening Night.” With the vocals of the Broadway cast, it premiered in the #1 spot on the Billboard's Cast Album charts . Moreover, two weeks after its release, it had been streamed more than 3.5 million times.

Many teens, including our reviewers, know “Six” through the songs.

But when the “Six” came to Louisville, they experienced “Six” in new ways and in person. At times, it threw them a few surprises.

Read their reviews for yourself and find out.

— Elizabeth Kramer, Executive Director, Arts Angle Vantage

By Amelia Dykes | Arts Angle Vantage Reporter

Our Lady of Providence High School, Class of 2026

Heartbroken, powerful, full of love — these are some words describing Jane Seymour. Seymour was an important wife of King Henry VIII. She provided the first male heir to the throne and was the “only one he truly loved,” as she sings. Seymour (Amina Faye) is one of six in “Six,” the touring musical that opened as part of PNC Broadway in Louisville’s season and ran April 9 through 15 at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts.

Faye gave an amazing rendition of Seymour’s “Heart of Stone.” Vocally, this song is based on Adele and Sia, and their iconic ballads. Faye hits every note perfectly. A personal favorite is when late in the song she belted out “Yeah,” sending shivers down my spine. Faye’s deep power and the emotion in her voice showed the character’s anguish because she died and left an orphan son. She shows her caring, quiet, and soft-tempered individuality, unlike the other queens who are outspoken and loud. That is why her song is so powerful: she finally gets to have her moment in the spotlight, literally.

“Six” was written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss when the two were students at Cambridge University. The musical turned “pop sensation” tells the stories of all the queens who were “divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.”

Some of the most iconic female pop stars — Beyoncé, Shakira, Lily Allen, Avril Lavigne, Adele, Sia, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Arianna Grande, Britney Spears, Alicia Keys, and Emeli Sande — inspired the writers.

This gorgeously written musical takes you on a journey about the six wives of Henry VIII: Seymour, Catherine of Aragon (Gerianne Pérez), Anne Boleyn (Zan Berube), Anna of Cleves (Terica Marie), Katherine Howard (Aryn Bohannon), and Catherine Parr (Adriana Scalice). Each wife tells of their marriage with Henry VIII as each tries to be the leader of the singing group.

The contest sometimes trumps the storytelling banter. “The queen who was dealt the worst hand… Shall be the one to lead the band,” are some of the quips in between songs.

The popular two songs in “Six” are “Don’t Lose Your Head” and “All You Wanna Do.” Don’t Lose Your Head,” sung by Boleyn (Berube), is based on pop punk alternative star Avril Lavigne and pop star Lily Allen. “All You Wanna Do,” sung by Howard (Bohannon), is based on pop artists Arianna Grande and Britney Spears. Both are super-upbeat songs you can rock out to.

Berube and Bohannon showed the emotion at the perfect spots in the song, better elevating the songs’ storytelling. On both songs, the unique lighting mirrored the colors of their clothes.

The songs are both different, too. Berube strongly illustrated the character’s confident and cocky attitude. She brings that attitude into her singing. Likewise, Bohannon knows the trauma that Kathrine went through. She takes it and uses it to show that emotion in “All You Wanna Do.” The song focuses on Katherine’s lovers and reveals how much men used her — from her father through Henry. “Don’t Lose Your Head” focuses on Boleyn’s career. She rose to her status from the French court and made it to be queen.

“Six” displays women making their voices heard. The actresses portraying the queens embody the characters. Even the musicians in the band playing on stage were women. That lineup — Sterlyn Termine (bass), Rose Laguana (guitars), Kami Lujan (drums), and Jane Cardona (keyboard/music director) — also made the production unforgettable. The musicians boosted the fun. They chimed in on the banter, even talking to the queens in the background during arguments among the queens. Sometimes during songs, the queens gave them a shout-out and the musicians performed solos.

This all made the show scream FEMALE POWER! I know that “Six” will blow the roof off every theater.

Amelia Dykes (she/her), a sophomore at Our Lady of Providence High School, is on the girls soccer team and manages the track team. She also is a singer at Bella Voce and participates in Providence’s theater arts program. She wants to share the magic of live theater with as many people as possible.

Dazzling vocals, stage tricks, etc., can’t mask the dreadful stories of the king’s ex-wives, and the need to spotlight herstory

By Monica Tanner  | Arts Angle Vantage Reporter

Mercy Academy, Class of 2025

What do the six wives of Henry VIII, a night at the theater, and club lights all have in common? Seemingly, nothing except for the Tony Award-winning musical “Six.” It is certainly the only show where Renaissance monarchs perform as pop princesses, nay, queens. With a synth-pop sound of a Hot 100 Hit, the musical effortlessly blends theater and modern pop, while still paying homage to its classical inspiration.

The queens took the stage and invited the audience to help decide who would be the leader of their newly formed band during the opening night of a six-day run at the Kentucky Center for the Arts as part of PNC Broadway in Louisville’s season. They competed for the title by performing individual songs that focus on the one thing they all share — their lousy ex-husband.

As the queens went along (in chronological order), they told their life stories and explained the trials they faced as Henry’s wife. Catherine of Aragon (Gerianne Pérez) started strong as she performed a Beyoncé style belter about her refusal to step down from the throne. She was followed immediately by her rival, Anne Boleyn (Zan Berube), who took on the persona of a TikTok It-Girl, who “just wants to have some fun.” The show slowed down a bit as Jane Seymour (Amina Faye) sang a heart-wrenching ballad of her devotion.

The energy picked right back up with a flashy group number and more solos. Anna of Cleves (Terica Marie) got the audience moving with a song about her carefree life in Richmond. Kathrine Howard (Aryn Bohannon) brought a peppy beat, with a dark edge as she recounts the many times she was taken advantage of by powerful men as a child. Finally, Catherine Parr (Adriana Scalice) concluded the competition as she sang a letter to her lost love.

Each solo was enjoyable in its own way, but the truly heavenly moments came when the queens joined forces. With only three group numbers in the whole show, the angelic blend of voices was rare, which made it that much sweeter.

However, their personalities did not blend as harmoniously as their vocals. That made for endless witty banter and petty feuds. Watching them interact felt like watching your favorite episode of a trashy reality show. The rivalry between Catherine of Aragon (Pérez) and Anne Boleyn (Berube) was particularly hilarious, as they even resorted to one-upping each other by tallying miscarriages.

Despite their entertaining relationships, the most interesting dynamic was between the queens and the audience. Unlike a traditional show, the cast was fully aware of their spectators and addressed them directly throughout the performance. Anna of Cleves (Marie) was the queen with the most crowd chemistry. She played the audience into the palm of her hand before she even hit the first chorus. Her over-the-top energy and strong confidence came off in waves, which knocked the stillness right out of the crowd. At every moment, the crowd was going wild for her. Even two songs later, a simple one-liner earned her a gush of rousing applause.

The musical’s infectious energy went beyond the queens themselves. The laser-licious lighting (Tim Deiling) turned Whitney Hall into a nightclub fit for royalty. Pair this with the live band accompanying the queens on stage, and you’re left with a buzzing set unlike any other production.

But under this musical’s fog machines, glitter, colors, and lights, lies an important question: Why is a man defining these women? Catherine Parr (Scalice) pulls this issue into the spotlight and ponders if boiling themselves down to a shared ex-husband was an injustice to their individual attributes.

The queens could leave you to process this revelation on your own. Instead, they provide an indulgent ending where each writes her own happy ending. As idealistic as the closing number was, when the lights came up and the adrenaline faded away, you’re left with the saddening realization that that’s all it was — idealistic. In real life, these women were hated, abused, and even killed.

“Six” forces you to think about how women are described in history and dig deeper into the stories that have passed through generations. Not only is “Six” revolutionizing musical theater, but it’s also refocusing on “herstory” one note at a time.

Monica Tanner (she/her), a junior at Mercy Academy, is active in Future Business Leaders of America serving as the treasurer in her region and as a chapter officer. She is an officer of her school’s environmental club, where she works to help make her community more eco-friendly. Her favorite subject is English, where she enjoys analyzing literature and experimenting with her writing.

‘Six’: a harmony of riches that transforms woeful stories into empowering messages

By Lucy Thompson  | Arts Angle Vantage Reporter

Presentation Academy, Class of 2026

“Six,” the musical, was so worth seeing, because the storyline, acting, and costumes are so breathtaking.

The musical, with a script, music, and lyrics created by Lucy Moss and Tobey Marlow in 2017, came to the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts as part of PNC Broadway in Louisville’s season from April 9 through 14.

“Six,” is about Henry VIII's six wives and tells their stories through songs where they compete about who had the most tragic life. But it alters into a theme about empowering women. In the musical, the wives tear each other down and fight throughout the show instead of holding each other up during their time of need.

The actors had so much talent. The power of their voices was remarkable. The costumes were mind-blowing. I am one who always pays close attention to costumes. I have seen videos of these costumes and been amazed by them. Seeing them in person was a phenomenal experience. The colors, the crystals, and the movement of the costumes perfectly matched each queen's personality. Jane Seymour's costume was stunning. Seymour is historically known for being quiet and her outfit interpreted her personality with darker colors, long sleeves, and a longer skirt.

My favorite queen, Anne of Cleves (Terica Marie), has a story that may be the least tragic out of all the queens. Still, it fascinates me the most. She was the only one who didn’t need Henry to live. She thrived as a single woman in the 1500s in a palace that she happened to own. Henry divorced Anne of Cleves because he disliked her appearance. He claimed she looked better in her portrait. Terica Marie played her perfectly. Her voice, costume, and dancing portrayed Anne of Cleves fantastically. She was energetic and lively. Her voice was so powerful and beautiful. In “Six,” Anne of Cleves is a bold woman, and Tercia Marie embodies that. You could practically see confidence radiate off her while she performed.

The songs, music, and clever lyrics were incredible, particularly in “Don’t Lose Your Head” sung by Anne Boylen (Zan Berube). It is about Anne Boleyn’s life with Henry and how she was beheaded. “Don’t lose your head” is great because of how easy it is to quote, and it uses modern-day language such as “LOL” and “XO.”

The band, a.k.a., The Ladies in Waiting, was extraordinary, and the best part was the band was onstage, unlike many Broadway musicals. In the band, there was a keyboardist (Jane Cardona) who was also the music director, a bassist (Sterlyn Termine), and a guitarist (Rose Laguna) who all did outstanding jobs. I was in complete awe of how perfectly they played.

The lighting designer (Tim Deiling) did a wonderful job. The colors were beautiful, and the lights would change depending on who was singing. If Anne of Cleves was singing the lights would change to red to match the color of her costume, a clever idea. It brightened the musical and made it more fun to watch.

The perfect ending pulled everything together in such a smooth-fitting way. The queens realized they did not need to compete and fight each other over who had the most tragic story. They realized that all they needed was each other.

Lucy Thompson (she/her), a sophomore at Presentation Academy, is active in theater and a member of the golf team at her school. In theater, she has participated in set building and prop design. Thompson aspires to study psychology and become a psychologist after high school.

Drenched in pop extravagance, ‘Six” also has a dark side that lingers after the traumas are told

By Marielle Treese | Arts Angle Vantage Reporter

Assumption High School, Class of 2027

King Henry VIII never treated any of his wives well. Divorced. Beheaded. Died. Divorced. Beheaded. Survived. Those were the fates of his six wives. Henry certainly gave each of his wife’s trauma when he was married to them, and it definitely shouldn’t be something made into a competition. But what if it was?

“Six” the musical, by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss and directed by Moss and Jamie Armitage, explores the concept of things that shouldn’t be a contest. Trauma is one of these things.

“Six” opened at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts on April 9 and ran through April 14.

The show follows the six wives of King Henry VIII: Catherine of Aragon (Gerianne Pérez), Anne Boleyn (Zan Berube), Jane Seymour (Amina Faye), Anna of Cleves (Terica Marie), Katherine Howard (Aryn Bohannon), and Catherine Parr (Adriana Scalice). What starts as a simple competition to decide which queen should lead the band soon devolves into a contest of which queen had the worst trauma.

The competition was doomed from the beginning because the queens said the deciding factor should be whoever had “the biggest, the firmest, the fullest…load of B.S. from the man who put a ring on it.”

After the song “All You Wanna Do,” the queens get into a heated argument about their experiences as Henry’s wives. There’s yelling, screaming, insults, and mention of amounts of miscarriages. There are tales of manipulation, abuse, and tragedy. All this chaos stems from the first five queens’ attempts to one-up each other.

Catherine Parr (Scalice) interrupts this mess of an argument and calls them out for their ridiculous behavior. Scalice brings the character of Parr to life through her passion during her performance of “I Don’t Need Your Love.” Her facial expressions as well as her tone while singing all portray Parr’s experience of being limited to the wife that survived Henry.

Parr makes the queens realize they are twisting their trauma into a competition.

This realization causes the queens to find more positive similarities and develop bonds of friendship. This “historemix” ends with the queens claiming their crowning glory, realizing they are much more than one of Henry’s six wives.

The message of “Six” is relevant to today’s society because none of us are perfect. We all have our own traumas and our own glories, and we shouldn’t judge others because of that.

HEADSHOT • MARIELLE TREESE

Marielle Treese (she/her), a freshman at Assumption High School, has participated in Assumption’s Rose Theatre Company’s costume construction crew and earned her brown belt in taekwondo with a black stripe (the latter indicates rank achievement). She likes to try new things and expand her areas of expertise. Some interests include K-Pop girl groups, writing, mathematics, and reading books.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR : Arts Angle Vantage , a nonprofit organization, prepares youth from diverse backgrounds for success by providing them with access to the arts and empowers them to use their voices to create arts journalism that reaches a wider public. LEO Weekly has been a strong partner in this endeavor since 2018.