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Thursday, September 29, 2022
As ‘Six’ Marks One Year On Broadway, Take a Glimpse Behind the Scenes of the Smash-Hit Musical
Vogue: In the two and a half years since Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss—who together wrote the book, music, and lyrics for the hit Broadway musical Six—spoke to Sarah Crompton for Vogue’s February 2020 issue, a lot has happened.
The concert style musical SIX was a cast album I listened to on repeat during the start of the same pandemic that hit New York City and the rest of the United States right before SIX”s opening night. I think the story of SIX the musical is an example of how a show can thrive even if the show lives in an online space because of closed theaters or other factors and how shows living online and publishing recordings, proshots and backstage videos can make theater more widely available to aspiring artists who do not have the means to make it broadway or the west end to see a show. I found it interesting that the accessibility of SIX continued to be intentional after Broadway reopened. Six was one of the first shows to join the likes of Hamilton and Newsies and film a proshot making theater more accessible to all. Theo K
As a longtime fan of Six, I enjoyed seeing the behind-the-scenes photos. You can tell the actors are having a blast getting into costume and on their way to places. I completely agree with doing this series of photographs as a way to make theater more accessible. A unique way Broadway musicals are accessible is that most – if not all – have some sort of public recording that exists somewhere. Potential audience members get to interact with the shows without needing to have seen them first. This does not happen with plays (because public pro-shots are so rare), or generally with regional theater (primarily because of the resources they have to make any kind of recording happen/less commercial nature of their shows). The public does get to, say, listen to the cast recording of Six on loop, which maintains the interest in supporting the work in any way shape, or form.
Six has probably been one of the shows that I have been dying to see ever since it opened and I listened to the cast-recording. This empowering show is so inspiring and I was crushed when their opening night was cancelled due to covid. I am beyond excited that they have been on Broadway for a year now, and I can’t wait to see what this show does next. These pictures from Vogue The Dressing Room Project are inspiring to see how many different hands are involved in making and producing a show. I am so excited to see the touring version of Six later in the year here in Pittsburgh, and I can’t wait for all the exciting news that is on its way for this show.
I’ve never really listened to Six or paid much attention to it but I think I will after reading this article. I didn’t realize the meaning behind the casting decisions and the characters, and I think what they’re doing is really cool. It’s very unfortunate that their opening night just so happened to be March 12, 2020 (talk about bad luck) but they seem to be having great success since they were finally able to open in 2021. There are a few quotes that I really agree with, one of them being about how Kushner says he wants people to feel a part of the show no matter where they may be at. As a person who has never seen a show, being able to watch behind the scenes videos on Broadway.com or live streams of shows before showtime on social media had given me this feeling of connection to Broadway. I really appreciate those kinds of things and I certainly appreciated the pictures to add into that feeling.
I know the production SIX since their opening night, which unfortunately got canceled, and never got the chance to watch it or listen to its music. I love how the script and what is in this play, it is interesting and funny how the six wives of Henry the VIII are pop singers in this production and how they in a super-hero alike characteristic in it. In addition, the focus of this production is on women attracts me wanting to watch it. From the characters and the name of this production, SIX, it focuses on women and how they react to each other instead of how they would react to something that is said by men. The title of this production, SIX shows that it is going to be centered around women since instead of Henry the VIII or something related to it, it is the number of pop star super-hero alike women and naturally guides audiences focus on them.
I haven’t gotten the chance to see Six yet, but I’m definitely really excited to see it in the spring when it comes to Pittsburgh. I always make it a point to go into shows (plays, movies, musicals, etc) entirely knowledgeless, at least about the plot. I think it’s a lot more exciting to go in without having any idea about what will happen. I also hate going in with opinions about the material flooding through my head. However, I do think seeing behind the scenes photos that have nothing to do with the actual performance is really cool. Seeing how happy the actors are pre-show and seeing them out of character before a production is something I always enjoy witnessing. It’s also really cool to see how connected everyone involved in backstage work (costumes, set etc) is to the show, especially since we don’t necessarily get to see these things in the photos that make it to the articles being published.
Again, I am such a geek when it comes to backstage looks at theater productions. This article was much different than the one for Kinky Boots. I think that Six is such a great show to highlight how theater can really bounce back. It is really easy to get wrapped up in the sadness of all the shows that had to close on Broadway even once everything opened back up. However, Six was the one who defied all of this. I haven’t seen this show yet but I’ve listened intently to the soundtrack and have plans to go and see it when it comes to tour in Pittsburgh and I have many friends who have seen it and have loved it. I really love the story behind it and the fact that they wanted to break the norms of musical theater in giving 6 non-males leads and centering the story on them. I also really enjoyed that in the caption of the photos, each person in the photos was listed below as well as their role on the show. I think that this is a great thing to highlight when doing these types of articles. I’m so excited to see this when it does come to Pittsburgh and this excited me even more.
I really do think it is a little bit embarrassing how little I know about musical theatre, or theatre in general, as someone who studies in the realm of this industry. But as anyone can say, I love a good behind-the-scenes tour, look, glimpse, what have you. I think the only things I know about Six are that it has to do with the wives of Henry the Eighth and that some song of it went viral on TikTok for the lyric "no one wants a waist over nine inches," or something. I feel like I have been hearing a lot about Six within the last couple of months, but as with most things, I kind of just absorb the name of the thing without really looking into it, so I don't know what's going on with Six either, but this was a fun little look into the world of it.
Six was something unique in the way that it was popularized. It was something we found before Broadway did, and I remember the audios trending on tiktok long before the Broadway cast recording ever came out. In fact, I remember a lot of people being upset about it going to Broadway specifically because of how unique the show was with its costuming and casting- all understudies and swings had their own costumes, not repeat costumes of the same queen, and recording was expressly encouraged during the post-finale ‘megasix’. I think what Kushner mentions about accessibility is also what drew a lot of its initial audience- the way that this show was run made performance videos very easy to find, and these videos show women that everyone can relate to and see themselves in. I’d be interested in seeing the changes that the show made when it went from being a smaller show to being on Broadway and getting a lot of attention. I wonder if that goal truly did remain there.
Six is one of those shows that a lot of people have heard of - for a reason! As Andrea Macasaet says, the show is an “empowering love monster”. It being historical gives us previous context, and the power pop ballad structure is rocking, making it a short and fun, but impactful show. It’s a bit of a breath of fresh air from the two-act structure that many of the current running Broadway shows conform to. I love seeing behind the scenes photos like this, to see the joy and the process that goes into every single performance every single night. Seeing the wigs, the makeup, the small backstage moments that connect every person working a show together, is honestly very inspiring. The magic of theater, and the magic of Broadway is very real, and I’m glad this photographer was able to capture it so well - giving us access to such a cool show!
As one of my favorite musicals of all time, it is really exciting to see SIX continuing to make a wave on Broadway as it continues to run past its one year anniversary. Although their debut was set back by the closure of Broadway due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show went on to open in 2021. The article specifically highlights the topic of how shows often emphasize powerful male leads, with narratives that highlight the achievements of people who are often not women or gender-non-conforming people, and how SIX as a show brings a refreshing perspective of powerful/influencial women within history. They specifically highlight the idea of hoping people are able to relate to the show in a way that they may not have been able to before because of how heavily masculine shows tend to lean.
Six the musical is a great show full of bad ass female leads. Each character has there own personality and personal style in every thing they do. I’m glad to see such a show continue to have a successful run and tour. I personally am not aware of all of the story in six I only really have heard the parts that have been going viral on tik tok and there performance at the Macy’s thanks giving day parade. The show seems to be a modern interpretation of a historical event being the six wives of Henry the 8th. There story is not one that was often told because everyone talked about the king instead. Telling the story of these women in history (especially because this is history many people are fascinated with) encourages people to dig deeper into what they learn in history class in high school. I will now being looking deeper into this musical and hope to really enjoy it.
“Six” is a work of art. I was lucky enough to win lottery tickets for it this summer in NYC and I truly enjoyed it. I like that this show doesn’t follow a lot of Broadway musical conventions: the storyline, the characters, all seem to breathe a bit more beyond a rigid structure. Not to mention the all-women band that doesn’t leave the stage (or even really sit down) once. It’s one act because that’s what it needs to be. It feels contemporary, but relatable. The music is insanely creative, and it put a smile on your face. I’ve never stood up in my seat so much in a formal theatre. I’ve said to some of my friends that it feels like a show like this could have stemmed from a Playground piece because it was innovative, fresh, and relevant. It makes me hopeful for theatre that is to come.
13 comments:
The concert style musical SIX was a cast album I listened to on repeat during the start of the same pandemic that hit New York City and the rest of the United States right before SIX”s opening night. I think the story of SIX the musical is an example of how a show can thrive even if the show lives in an online space because of closed theaters or other factors and how shows living online and publishing recordings, proshots and backstage videos can make theater more widely available to aspiring artists who do not have the means to make it broadway or the west end to see a show. I found it interesting that the accessibility of SIX continued to be intentional after Broadway reopened. Six was one of the first shows to join the likes of Hamilton and Newsies and film a proshot making theater more accessible to all.
Theo K
As a longtime fan of Six, I enjoyed seeing the behind-the-scenes photos. You can tell the actors are having a blast getting into costume and on their way to places. I completely agree with doing this series of photographs as a way to make theater more accessible. A unique way Broadway musicals are accessible is that most – if not all – have some sort of public recording that exists somewhere. Potential audience members get to interact with the shows without needing to have seen them first. This does not happen with plays (because public pro-shots are so rare), or generally with regional theater (primarily because of the resources they have to make any kind of recording happen/less commercial nature of their shows). The public does get to, say, listen to the cast recording of Six on loop, which maintains the interest in supporting the work in any way shape, or form.
Six has probably been one of the shows that I have been dying to see ever since it opened and I listened to the cast-recording. This empowering show is so inspiring and I was crushed when their opening night was cancelled due to covid. I am beyond excited that they have been on Broadway for a year now, and I can’t wait to see what this show does next. These pictures from Vogue The Dressing Room Project are inspiring to see how many different hands are involved in making and producing a show. I am so excited to see the touring version of Six later in the year here in Pittsburgh, and I can’t wait for all the exciting news that is on its way for this show.
I’ve never really listened to Six or paid much attention to it but I think I will after reading this article. I didn’t realize the meaning behind the casting decisions and the characters, and I think what they’re doing is really cool. It’s very unfortunate that their opening night just so happened to be March 12, 2020 (talk about bad luck) but they seem to be having great success since they were finally able to open in 2021. There are a few quotes that I really agree with, one of them being about how Kushner says he wants people to feel a part of the show no matter where they may be at. As a person who has never seen a show, being able to watch behind the scenes videos on Broadway.com or live streams of shows before showtime on social media had given me this feeling of connection to Broadway. I really appreciate those kinds of things and I certainly appreciated the pictures to add into that feeling.
I know the production SIX since their opening night, which unfortunately got canceled, and never got the chance to watch it or listen to its music. I love how the script and what is in this play, it is interesting and funny how the six wives of Henry the VIII are pop singers in this production and how they in a super-hero alike characteristic in it. In addition, the focus of this production is on women attracts me wanting to watch it. From the characters and the name of this production, SIX, it focuses on women and how they react to each other instead of how they would react to something that is said by men. The title of this production, SIX shows that it is going to be centered around women since instead of Henry the VIII or something related to it, it is the number of pop star super-hero alike women and naturally guides audiences focus on them.
I haven’t gotten the chance to see Six yet, but I’m definitely really excited to see it in the spring when it comes to Pittsburgh. I always make it a point to go into shows (plays, movies, musicals, etc) entirely knowledgeless, at least about the plot. I think it’s a lot more exciting to go in without having any idea about what will happen. I also hate going in with opinions about the material flooding through my head. However, I do think seeing behind the scenes photos that have nothing to do with the actual performance is really cool. Seeing how happy the actors are pre-show and seeing them out of character before a production is something I always enjoy witnessing. It’s also really cool to see how connected everyone involved in backstage work (costumes, set etc) is to the show, especially since we don’t necessarily get to see these things in the photos that make it to the articles being published.
Again, I am such a geek when it comes to backstage looks at theater productions. This article was much different than the one for Kinky Boots. I think that Six is such a great show to highlight how theater can really bounce back. It is really easy to get wrapped up in the sadness of all the shows that had to close on Broadway even once everything opened back up. However, Six was the one who defied all of this. I haven’t seen this show yet but I’ve listened intently to the soundtrack and have plans to go and see it when it comes to tour in Pittsburgh and I have many friends who have seen it and have loved it. I really love the story behind it and the fact that they wanted to break the norms of musical theater in giving 6 non-males leads and centering the story on them. I also really enjoyed that in the caption of the photos, each person in the photos was listed below as well as their role on the show. I think that this is a great thing to highlight when doing these types of articles. I’m so excited to see this when it does come to Pittsburgh and this excited me even more.
I really do think it is a little bit embarrassing how little I know about musical theatre, or theatre in general, as someone who studies in the realm of this industry. But as anyone can say, I love a good behind-the-scenes tour, look, glimpse, what have you. I think the only things I know about Six are that it has to do with the wives of Henry the Eighth and that some song of it went viral on TikTok for the lyric "no one wants a waist over nine inches," or something. I feel like I have been hearing a lot about Six within the last couple of months, but as with most things, I kind of just absorb the name of the thing without really looking into it, so I don't know what's going on with Six either, but this was a fun little look into the world of it.
Six was something unique in the way that it was popularized. It was something we found before Broadway did, and I remember the audios trending on tiktok long before the Broadway cast recording ever came out. In fact, I remember a lot of people being upset about it going to Broadway specifically because of how unique the show was with its costuming and casting- all understudies and swings had their own costumes, not repeat costumes of the same queen, and recording was expressly encouraged during the post-finale ‘megasix’. I think what Kushner mentions about accessibility is also what drew a lot of its initial audience- the way that this show was run made performance videos very easy to find, and these videos show women that everyone can relate to and see themselves in. I’d be interested in seeing the changes that the show made when it went from being a smaller show to being on Broadway and getting a lot of attention. I wonder if that goal truly did remain there.
Six is one of those shows that a lot of people have heard of - for a reason! As Andrea Macasaet says, the show is an “empowering love monster”. It being historical gives us previous context, and the power pop ballad structure is rocking, making it a short and fun, but impactful show. It’s a bit of a breath of fresh air from the two-act structure that many of the current running Broadway shows conform to. I love seeing behind the scenes photos like this, to see the joy and the process that goes into every single performance every single night. Seeing the wigs, the makeup, the small backstage moments that connect every person working a show together, is honestly very inspiring. The magic of theater, and the magic of Broadway is very real, and I’m glad this photographer was able to capture it so well - giving us access to such a cool show!
As one of my favorite musicals of all time, it is really exciting to see SIX continuing to make a wave on Broadway as it continues to run past its one year anniversary. Although their debut was set back by the closure of Broadway due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show went on to open in 2021. The article specifically highlights the topic of how shows often emphasize powerful male leads, with narratives that highlight the achievements of people who are often not women or gender-non-conforming people, and how SIX as a show brings a refreshing perspective of powerful/influencial women within history. They specifically highlight the idea of hoping people are able to relate to the show in a way that they may not have been able to before because of how heavily masculine shows tend to lean.
Six the musical is a great show full of bad ass female leads. Each character has there own personality and personal style in every thing they do. I’m glad to see such a show continue to have a successful run and tour. I personally am not aware of all of the story in six I only really have heard the parts that have been going viral on tik tok and there performance at the Macy’s thanks giving day parade. The show seems to be a modern interpretation of a historical event being the six wives of Henry the 8th. There story is not one that was often told because everyone talked about the king instead. Telling the story of these women in history (especially because this is history many people are fascinated with) encourages people to dig deeper into what they learn in history class in high school. I will now being looking deeper into this musical and hope to really enjoy it.
“Six” is a work of art. I was lucky enough to win lottery tickets for it this summer in NYC and I truly enjoyed it. I like that this show doesn’t follow a lot of Broadway musical conventions: the storyline, the characters, all seem to breathe a bit more beyond a rigid structure. Not to mention the all-women band that doesn’t leave the stage (or even really sit down) once. It’s one act because that’s what it needs to be. It feels contemporary, but relatable. The music is insanely creative, and it put a smile on your face. I’ve never stood up in my seat so much in a formal theatre. I’ve said to some of my friends that it feels like a show like this could have stemmed from a Playground piece because it was innovative, fresh, and relevant. It makes me hopeful for theatre that is to come.
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