onstagepittsburgh.com: As women, we often find ourselves in spaces that require us to prove ourselves constantly. Despite our triumphs, tenacity, grit, or personality, sometimes women are categorized together in the same breath and reduced to a monolithic footnote in a larger patriarchal story. But what happens when women take history into their own hands, or crowns, and repurpose their stories to go from history to ‘herstory?
5 comments:
1. As someone who was obsessed with Tudor England, the six wives of Henry, and a religious revolution, this show is tantalizing. I agree with the article when it mentions that women often have to “prove ourselves constantly.” This musical takes that an doesn’t just run, but sprints to the point that each of these women were influential and important women both inside and out of their relationship with Henry. In a time when we are constantly learning that women were erased from the story time and time again, it’s validating to have the story reframed to the perspective of the people living the history and not from the ones who got to tell it. As far as content, I understand why they make it a competition of “who had it the worst” they unfortunately still have to tell the story in relation to the link between the Six Queens. I really appreciate that in telling their stories we don’t just stop at the relationship with Henry and the turmoil within that, but that we see the Six Queens support each other in various ways throughout the show and get more information behind their stories, unfortunately since they are given 80 minutes and one song each we miss other major parts of their stories.
I saw six about a year ago and I actually really liked it. I went into it thinking I was going to hate it because of its concert style set up. But I thought it was really entertaining and just flashy enough to keep me engaged, not too flashy that it felt disconnected. I cannot say I have ever learned the lyrics to the song or thought about it a lot after seeing it but it was really enjoyable. One thing that I think it does really well is getting people in the door that would not typically go see theatre. Some people might find the concert style show appealing and then we get more people in seeing theatre that would not typically go. I do think the writing is also well done however I did have a hard time following the lyrics sometimes. Although that could be my fault because I guess most people already know the story.
Six was actually the first musical I ever saw in the States, and it left such a huge impact on me. I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did, but it completely blew me away. The concert style setup was so fun and energetic, it felt more like a pop concert than a history lesson, and I think that’s what makes it special. It’s flashy, but not in a way that feels fake or overdone. I also love how it takes these women from history who are usually only remembered as “wives” and gives them their own voices and personalities. It’s empowering without being too serious, and the songs are genuinely catchy. I think Six is a great way to get people into musical theatre who might not normally go, because it’s modern, funny, and powerful all at once. I would really love to see it again.
I adore SIX, and thus I was immediately happy to hear that it was coming to Pittsburgh. I was absolutely obsessed with the songs from it, leading up to me seeing it on Broadway last year. Seeing it on Broadway only made me love it even more, and to this day, I am still an avid listener of the soundtrack. I could gush about the music forever, and I often use it in playlists I make, expressing the vibes and attitudes of my original characters. Not to mention that the interactions between the queens in between musical numbers are hilarious and very well done throughout the show. “Wearing Yellow To A Funeral” is one of my favorite little tidbits from the musical, and I often quote it, as I find it super funny. I would love to go see it again with friends or just on my own. It is such an amazing musical, and I think it would be a fun night out post-classes.
I got to see “Six” last year while on a school trip and it was such a fun show. I thought it was such an interesting concept for a show as I had never heard of anything done like it before. I wasn’t expecting the music to be as poppy as it was and for it to be parody’s of pop songs I knew. I liked how engaged the show kept me. The colors were so bright and all the characters had a great stage presence. I thought this show was really interesting too. I had very little initial knowledge of Henry’s wives so this was a very interesting story to me. I had never known that only one of six wives survived. It was unfortunate though that we do probably miss some of the history since each character only has one song and the show is fairly short for a broadway show.
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