the mommy avenger

It takes a lot to impress me with a Broadway show. Many times if a show gets a lot of buzz and I go to see it, I can leave a little disappointed. Maybe too much overhype? I don’t know. All I know is there are a couple that are high on the list of others as their favorite shows that I can barely tolerate. SIX has gotten a lot of buzz and for a little while I ignored it, then I decided to give the soundtrack a listen. I don’t normally do this because I think you need to see the show to give the music some context. I was shocked that I was able to listen to the full soundtrack and absolutely love it without first seeing the show. I was instantly hooked and immediately many of the songs went into my playlist. I’ve never done that before!

But, there is a reason for this. SIX is written to be like a pop concert, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that the music is super catchy and makes you want to listen to it over and over again. When I found out that SIX was part of the 2023-2024 season of Broadway at the Eccles, I knew all I would wanna do is see it.

I haven’t felt this excited to see a show in a long time! For those unfamiliar with the premise of the show, all six of the wives of Henry VIII come together on stage to tell their version of the stories that the world has only heard from the perspective of Henry VIII. *Side note here–make sure to look at the program when you are seated. You can get a quick biography that is a great refresher or introduction to each of the six queens before the show begins.*

We get a quick history lesson about each queen as she takes her turn on stage to sing us a melody inspired by the stylings of modern day musicians. Catherine of Aragon (Beyonce/Shakira), Anne Boleyn (Lily Allen/Avril Lavigne), Jane Seymour (Adele/Sia), Anna of Cleves (Nicki Minaj/Rhianna), Katherine Howard (Ariana Grande/Britney Spears), and Catherine Parr (Alicia Keys/Emeli Sande). Each rendition creates a thought-provoking viewpoint not before presented to us in history books. I applaud the writers of the music for taking a time period in history I thought very little about in high school and making me totally invested in now. You will be, too, because these are fantastic songs that you will want to listen to over and over again. The live performances far surpassed my expectations and I was blown away at how immensely entertaining this show was. The voices were absolutely amazing and the actresses who played the parts were very charming….I’m especially looking at you, Anne Boleyn (aka Zan Berube).

This is a very unorthodox Broadway musical. Rather than being your standard 2.5 hour performance with an intermission, it is a supercharged electric concert that will have you thoroughly entertained for 80 continuous minutes without a break. You won’t want it to stop, either, as it is just so good! While I love each and every song, there were some standouts for me: “Don’t Lose Ur Head,” and “All You Wanna Do.” The “Haus of Holbein” is also extremely entertaining. Amina Faye (Jane Seymour) really did a spectacular job singing one of my favorite songs of the show “Heart of Stone.” I had high expectations for that song and she delivered! Anna of Cleves portrayed by Terica Marie brought an energy to show like no other and she rocked the stage.

While I did know that the presentation of this show was in a concert format, I was surprised that there were so many empowering, uplifting messages that each and every one of the audience members took away from the night. I can’t rave about this show enough. It is one that surpasses the hype it got and one I want to go back to see again and again. It has secured a spot in my top 5 Broadway shows, which is hard to do! You will not want to miss the opportunity to see the US Tour while it is in Salt Lake City now through January 21, 2024. To learn more about the show and to get tickets yourself, visit them online. For an extra special treat, announced yesterday on Broadway at the Eccles Facebook page: Attn SIX U.S. Tour Fans // Student Rush will be available at Eccles Theater for all shows starting 90 minutes prior to curtain at the box office, $30.00 plus fees and tax, for remaining seats, in person only, 2 tickets per valid I.D. while supplies last.

Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.

From Tudor Queens to Pop Icons, the SIX wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix five hundred years of historical heartbreak into a Euphoric Celebration of 21st century girl power! This new original musical is the global sensation that everyone is losing their head over!

SIX is the winner of 23 awards, including the 2022 Tony Award® for Best Original Score (Music and Lyrics) and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical.

The New York Times says SIX “TOTALLY RULES!” (Critic’s Pick) and The Washington Post hails SIX as “Exactly the kind of energizing, inspirational illumination this town aches for!”

The SIX: LIVE ON OPENING NIGHT Broadway album debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard cast album charts and surpassed 6 Million streams in its first month.

^{*we were invited to facilitate a feature, all opinions are my own*}