Last week, Broadway Theatre League (BTL) brought the Tony Award-Winning Broadway Musical Six to Huntsville, where it played an 8-show run (the first 8-show Broadway tour to play Huntsville). This historic (or should I say her-storic) show is officially the best-selling show BTL has ever brought to Huntsville with over 12,000 people in attendance. I was lucky enough to win a lottery for front-row tickets to the sold-out Sunday matinee. I have seen my fair share of Nationally Touring musicals, but this one stands out as one of my favorites.
Six is a 90-minute story of the six wives of Henry VIII. Very much a non-traditional musical, it retells each wife’s story in the form of a pop song. It opened on the West End in 2019, on Broadway in 2021, and has multiple international residencies and tours.
In terms of standout cast members, to be honest, they all were amazing. Specifically, Alizé Cruz’s performance as K. Howard and the song “All You Want to Do” was one of the most moving I have ever seen. The character development that I watched her experience throughout the song, brought a much deeper meaning to her experience than I had initially known listening to the soundtrack. The best performance, in my opinion, was by Kelly Denice Taylor as Jane Seymour. Unsurprisingly, Taylor has been with Six for three years, including as a member of the Broadway Company. During “Heart of Stone” she simply stood at center stage, motionless, with no complex lighting or choreography necessary, and delivered her story. It was one of the most powerful theatrical experiences I have ever witnessed. The vocals were the highlight of the overall performance and left many jaw on the floor at multiple points.
Technically, this show is also top-tier. The lighting design was the best I have seen on tour since Hamilton and the costume was incredibly intricate. The small details in the makeup, nails, and jewelry all added a nice touch to each performer. Even the earrings were chosen to represent each queen’s Roman Numeral, respectively. Sound design and was executed with no perceivable flaws, quite uncommon for touring groups.
My only overall complaint/hesitancy is the length, at 90 minutes, it is definitely not standard. When I pay good money to see a show, it feels good to have that 2.5-hour experience where you get intermission, but in the case of Six, the six performers could not feasibly do much more than they are doing. They each left the stage less than four times each by my count, doubtfully with enough time to even use the restroom, so I quickly rescinded this complaint after seeing the show. Aside from that, one could “complain” that it isn’t classic Broadway, and that is valid, but as long as you go in with reasonable expectations you will likely enjoy it. Sure, there aren’t any tap numbers or massive sets, but this show is breaking barriers, and that is exactly what it intended to do.
- Side Note: I had not previously seen a show from so close up, let alone front and center, but this made an incredible difference in my experience. The concert environment combined with the interactive nature of the show allowed me to truly feel like I was a part of every moment. I was beaming the entire time. The best moment came when, after the queens sang “MegaSIX” and were about to leave, one of the queens took my phone and recorded a video from the stage. This is quite possibly the most surreal moment of my entire life.
Broadway Theatre League has 3 more musicals this season, including Mamma Mia!, Peter Pan, and Les Miserables. I would highly recommend catching these. As Huntsville grows, it is easier for BTL to attract big-name shows, and ticket sales for this season have a large impact on future scheduling as well. More information can be found on BTL’s website HERE.
I encourage you to listen to the soundtrack of Six HERE.
