By JULES SHINKLE
BG Independent News
Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.
The six wives of King Henry VIII are known best for their relationship to the infamous monarch. In “SIX”, the audience is asked to hear the queens out and decide which one had it worst.
“SIX” reimagines the queens as pop stars, hip to modern trends and keen on setting their own. Each sports a flamboyant outfit of bejeweled headbands, glistening polyester, rhinestone fishnets, and of course, matching wedding rings.
The Toledo Repertoire Theater is putting on “SIX – Teen Edition,” written by Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss, under the direction of Victoria Monhollen-Bandeen. The music director is Ben Tittl and the choreographer is Jacob Toth. Performances run through Aug. 8 – 10: Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Click here to purchase tickets https://cur8.com/40182/project/130144.
Gilded microphones in hand, they take turns lamenting their fates in chronological order. First up is Catherine of Aragon (Charlie Garibaldo), whose political savvyiness made her a beloved figure across England. Her marriage with Henry was annulled after he began courting Anne Boleyn, much to her scorn. Catherine, along with the Catholic Church at large, refused to acknowledge the annulment as legitimate. Thus, she was banished from the court.
Anne (Annabelle Bucko) rubs it in Catherine’s face that Henry found her to be more desirable. Her character is played up as ditsy and aloof. After snapping a quick selfie with the on-stage band, she asks the ex-wives why they are even competing – how can anyone top being beheaded for not producing a male heir?
Jane Seymour (Scarlett Dalton) was the only one to die while still married to the king, a fact the queens continuously point out. She claims that she was the only one Henry truly loved. It eats at Jane that he may have only felt this way because she successfully gave him a male successor.
Anna of Cleves’s (Meg Amburgey) courtship is depicted as a classic 16th century dating app experience. Henry, not knowing what Anna looked like, had her portrait commissioned. Having liked what he saw, he “swiped right” and proceeded with the arranged marriage. When the two finally met in person, Henry felt as though he had been misled by the portrait. The wedding was too soon to call off, so instead it was annulled shortly after. While Anna is embarrassed by his rejection of her, she admits that her life was filled with luxury and relative independence.
Catherine Howard (Aubrey Herrera-Hess) sweeps all the others aside with an emotionally devastating tale of the abuse she endured. She was the youngest of the six wives, not even eighteen, and her time with Henry was plagued with accusations of infidelity. Like Anne, Catherine was beheaded for “treason.”
Catherine Parr (Eve Jackson) steps up to the plate and suggests calling the contest off. Should they really be making sport out of their trauma and misery? She sings a song that rouses them to focus on their accomplishments as ones independent of King Henry.
The ex-wives’ performances are wonderfully expressive and dynamic. All the makings of a pop star personality come through – sharp comedic delivery, refined elegance, and the self-importance required of a diva. When the six stop duking it out for supremacy, they realize that each has already achieved icon status.
“SIX” tells a witty and refreshing story about how women and girls ought to be the subjects of their own lives. The musical nudges the audience to wonder: what would history look like if women were agents, not objects?
