Carol's Theatre Reviews ~ It's Fun To Go Out: January 2026

The Six Wives

I’ve been wanting to see “SIX The Musical” by Toby Harlow and Lucy Moss for some time now. It debuted at the Edinburgh film festival in 2017, was picked up on London’s West End and officially went to Broadway in 2021. It’s presented as a concert-style show as the queens compete to see who will score as the most popular.

I love history and the thought of a musical about Tutor History, King Henry III and his six wives sounded intriguing: Catherine of Aragon was married to Henry the longest and for that she was sent to the Tower of London and died in isolation so Henry could marry Anne Boleyn, Catherine’s Lady in waiting.

Anne was beheaded, followed by Anna of Cleves followed by Katherine Howard who was beheaded and finally Catherine Parr who outlived Henry but died in childbirth.

Emma Elizabeth Smith as Catherine of Aragon in the North American tour of “Six.” (Photo by Joan Marcus/Broadway San Diego)

The night I saw the show it was hoping with enthusiasm from young and old alike but mostly the younger set. (My date commented that we were probably 50 years too late to be overly zealous.)

Aside from not understanding all the lyrics, (it was verrry loud, Paul Gatehouse), it was high in energy, eye blaring glitzy, sequine with costumes by Gabriella Slade, choreographed with precision by Carrie-Ann Ingrouille, and vibrant stage lighting by Tim Deilin.

The on stage band consisting of bass, guitar, drums keyboard, synthesizer are under the direction of music coordinator Kristy Norter.

There is no substitute for the talent and strong voices on the stage on opening night with Emma Elizabeth Smith as Catherine of Aragon, (“No Way”), Nella Cole as Anne Boleyn (Don’t Lose Ur Head”), Kelly Denise Taylor as Jane Seymour (“Heart of Stone”), Hailey Alexis Lewis as Anna of Cleves (“Get Down”), Alize Cruz as Catherine Howard (“All You Wanna Do”), and Tasia Jungbauer as Catherine Parr (“I Don’t Need Your Love”).

Finally, Girl Power wins out and the competition is dropped as all SIX sing “The Queens”.

All this in just over 90 minutes without intermission.