SIX Musical Live

Trigger Warnings: Subtle references to sexual assault, violent executions (e.g. Beheading), and miscarriages. Warning: Flashing lights

Fun fact about me: SIX is my favorite Broadway musical. When I heard they were going to do a Broadway movie on it, I was so excited! I will tell you, this musical movie did not disappoint, especially since they had the original UK cast portraying the iconic queens. They were able to bring out the personalities to these historic figures. While I have seen the show twice, the original actresses were able to bring their own spark to these roles and show off all the sides that we don’t know about the wives of Henry VIII.

An aspect of the film that I appreciated was the editing and how the whole film came together. There was a moment where Catherine Parr is about to do her solo but freezes, realizing the trauma that all of the women have faced (from Jane Seymour dying at childbirth to Katherine being assaulted by these grown men) and when Jane says no, the camera shorts out and we’re left for a brief second with the screen completely blacked out before getting the audience perspective on the show. This was ingenious because not only did we get to see the story unfolding within the characters but also the realness of the audience experience and the reality of what it means for the women that are stuck in Henry’s narrative. It’s a great way to ground the show and have Jane break out of the narrative of the “contest” and realize her worth and that her life was more lively after the fact that Henry died. That song always gets me grooving and this movie, along with the Billie Eilish movie was able to get me to mouth and dance along.

The editing also played to the strength of the characters, showing off each of the character’s personalities. It didn’t feel choppy or rushed, which I appreciated because there are movies where the editing feels rushed and I can’t process the scene before we’re barged into the next. However, with SIX the movie was able to ground us into the characters long enough to have us see their life through song before getting to the next one, especially with Catherine Parr and Anne of Cleves. One moment we get a ballad of Seymour saying that her life and how she died before having the chance to grow with her son. The show allows us to settle down in that moment, reflecting on her life and the tragedy behind it before transitioning over to Anna of Cleves, which yes, I was dancing in my seat to that. Along with that moment, the transitions between the two women was done well and I’m glad we got those moments where we could enjoy the dialogue after each of the songs. In my opinion, the editing choices and transitions were effortless.

Speaking of characters, the acting is top notch and it was refreshing to see. Granted, we did get the original cast of the UK show and the mini documentary before the actual movie, which I will discuss in a bit. The actresses know the mannerisms and subtle details of each of the women. I appreciated that the actresses show a lot of respect for these iconic women that endured a lot and the show creator, Toby Marlow could’ve made the women one-dimensional, I she didn’t and wanted to show the layers/personalities that we don’t always get to see because Henry VIII is always the main player in there lives and with this show, we see him in the center but not having a stage presence. Back to the queens, every one of them ooze with personality. From Anne Boleyn being sharp tongued while balancing her comedic side to Anna of Cleves exuding confidence and beauty. The interactions felt natural and never forced, which is appreciated. One aspect I do wish we got in the movie that I’ve seen in the show is the slowness of the bigger moments. For Don’t Lose your Head song, Boleyn has a moment where she says “I guess he just liked my head” while having a blowjob gesture. This is a comedic moment and I wish the actress would’ve embraced it more because this is a moment of relief for the audience to laugh before getting to the execution. Another part was during the All You Want to Do song, there are two moments where Katherine has those quiet moments. The first one is realizing she’s being taken advantage of by these men, there’s a moment where all of the remaining queens are putting there hands on her, symbolizing the men that have taken advantage/assaulted her. The moment is where Katherine is having a heartbreaking realization and her breakdown is warranted but it moves on too quick and I wish we got a moment where she can process this and then get the transition in the song for her final chorus. The final moment is when she is at the end where she is about to get beheaded and the devastation is hitting her and her final moment when she says “The only thing you wanna do is…” and then she takes her final breath before getting beheaded. While in this moment there is a brief pause before the audience claps, this moment ended too quickly in my opinion. Yes, you do have to keep the show moving before it drags on, however there could’ve been a brief moment of actually acknowledging these moments before the blackout. Overall, you will laugh or tear up with this movie.

Now, this movie I will say is interesting. Unlike Hadestown, SIX has a short documentary of how the show came together and the significance of the Vaudeville Theatre and the historical sights of each of the queens. I liked this and while I wish they would’ve promoted this prior to the movie, it did make me feel at ease knowing I was in the right theater. Yes, sometimes I am paranoid I am in the wrong theater, but it always works out! Anyway, I think this aspect is interesting because we get a deeper insight on the development of the show and the impact it had on each of the actresses and where they got their inspiration for the feelings they explore on the stage. It’s rare when we get to see the behind the scenes moments in Broadway shows and for me, I enjoyed this tidbit. However, I do wish we got some sort of announcement for this because while I knew when it ended, the show would begin, I wish this documentary aspect was included in the promotion. It was a surprise and it was for me! There’s a humility that the actresses share and I love seeing how much these women have impacted them. When Natalie was talking about the building where the real Jane Seymour was giving birth and how she would look at that building for inspiration during one of her performances, my eyes widened at that. The tidbit was a personal nod and I can tell the respect and dignity she has for this woman that came to a tragic end. I did love this little prologue to the show, I just think the promotion for it could’ve been better in my opinion.

This is my favorite broadway movie in my opinion. I know this is my favorite broadway show, but the energy and songs are unmatched. This is a movie/show I highly recommend seeing in theaters and on the Broadway stage!