Theater critics have given primarily positive reviews to the Broadway debut of Six, a modern retelling of the lives of the six wives of Henry VIII. The show was first presented by Cambridge University students at the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and made its Off-West End debut later that year, followed by a 2018 UK tour and 2019 West End premiere. After a North American tour, the show was hours away from its Broadway opening, when New York theaters shut down on March 12, 2020. The production resumed performances September 17, 2021, and finally opened last night.
The musical features book, music, and lyrics by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss (who also co-directs). The remaining creative team includes Jamie Armitage (co-direction), Carrie-Anne Ingrouille (choreography), Emma Bailey (sets), Gabriella Slade (costumes), Tim Deiling (lights), Paul Gatehouse (sound), Tom Curran (orchestrations), Joe Beighton (music supervision), and Julia Schade (music direction).
The cast includes Adrianna Hicks (Catherine of Aragon), Andrea Macasaet (Anne Boleyn), Abby Mueller (Jane Seymour), Brittney Mack (Anna of Cleves), Samantha Pauly (Katherine Howard), and Anna Uzele (Catherine Parr).
Entertainment Weekly (Ruth Kinane): Six brings the queens to life in a whole new way. … The musical’s 80-minute runtime is bursting with cheeky wordplay and radio-worthy bops and ballads. … Six does it all and stands out by playing with the category’s conventions and seamlessly sampling everything from the Tudor era’s “Greensleeves” to Demi Lovato. … If you’re up for a euphoric celebration of the musical medium, Six is queen of the castle. Long may it reign. Grade: A
Hollywood Reporter (David Rooney): Very much Hamilton-lite in its appropriation of an anachronistic pop vernacular and contemporary attitudes to re-examine history, this is also a spawn of the Time’s Up era … though Six lacks the substance to tap into the debate. … What distinguishes the signature numbers primarily is the sparky personality imprinted on each wife by the hardworking, appealing performers. … Six is probably closer to a three, but it’s entertaining enough as bubbly pop confections go.
New York Daily News (Chris Jones): Some musicals move the formative bar of the art form, others have riveting story lines, a few have scores of aching beauty. This is not one of any of those. … Six is a practical, entertaining, well-executed, self-aware show that knows how to please its audience and delivers a soupçon of Broadway pizzazz and good humor without asking a lot or overstaying its welcome … just the level of commitment Broadway audiences currently are willing to make.
New York Post (Johnny Oleksinksi): Six is more of a concert than a traditional book musical, though, with nine numbers and a megamix crammed into a quick 80 minutes. The songs here, by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, are all whip-smart and catchy. … Six is one of the few original musicals in memory whose score is radio-ready. … The one element lacking in Six … is scale. … It needs more production value and dazzle: the royal treatment, if you like. Still, Six doesn’t come up short on fun. 3 out of 4 stars.
New York Times (Jesse Green): Gleefully anachronistic, mixing 16th-century marital politics with 21st-century selfies and shade, it suggests a surprising, disturbing and ultimately hopeful commonality. Which shouldn’t work, but does. … Let’s not quibble about its accuracy. … It’s not a treatise but a lark and a provocation — and a work of blatantly commercial theater. That means a fantastic physical production and unimprovable performances. … Call it #MeSix and be prepared.
Time Out (Adam Feldman): Its 80 minutes are stuffed with clever turns of rhyme and catchy pastiche melodies that let mega-voiced singers toss off impressive “riffs to ruffle your ruffs.” The show’s own riffs on history are educational, too, like a cheeky new British edition of Schoolhouse Rock. If all these hors d’oeuvres don’t quite add up to a meal, they are undeniably tasty. … Six is not deep. Six is fun. Let yourself go and enjoy the finery. 4 out of 5 stars.
Variety (Frank Rizzo): This show … is as sharp and shiny as a sequined stiletto heel, and couldn’t have come at a better time. There’s the spirit-lifting energy of an arena concert, the humor and sass of a special sisterhood, and a ton of biographical exposition easily received in rap and snap. … Others might dismiss the concert format of the musical as easy entertainment pickings. Still, there’s much to admire and love. It may not be Masterpiece Theater, but this Six is a solid 10 for joy.
Washington Post (Peter Marks): With the curtain finally rising on the opening night of Six, the Broadway season not only got a charge — it got supercharged. And what an exhilarating jolt of musical-theater wit and joyful affirmation Six supplies. … At times, the vibe becomes so contagious that it may float you out of your very seat.