Review: Broadway in Austin's Six

Revisionist history that resonates with current politics. Color-conscious casting and dynamic staging. An original score cleverly grounded in the bravado and styling of contemporary artists. These are just a few of the things that made Hamilton a transformative theatrical experience.

If imitation, as Oscar Wilde suggested, is the sincerest form of flattery, that makes Six a flashy and obsequious facsimile.

The show, on tour and in Austin for a limited engagement, gives voice to the six wives of Henry VIII, where the women – the divorced Catherine of Aragon (Gerianne Pérez) and Anne of Cleves (Jana Larell Glover); the beheaded Anne Boleyn (Zan Berube) and Katherine Howard (Austin product Aline Mayagoitia); Jane Seymour (Amina Faye), who died in childbirth; and Catherine Parr (Taylor Pearlstein), who outlived the king – work hard to reclaim their story, establish themselves as badass monarchs, and determine who suffered the most at the hands of their husband.

Because so little personal history exists about these 16th-century women (Lin-Manuel Miranda had the benefit of Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Ron Chernow’s 800-page biography and 22,000 papers written by the 18th-century Alexander Hamilton to lead the way), Six serves up an abundance of poetic license. Included is its conceit, where the Tudor Queens have been turned into Pop Icons. While almost all of Hamilton is sung through, as if an opera, Six is very much sung through as a concert, backed by a terrific all-female, onstage band that includes musical director Jane Cardona on keys, Kami Lujan on drums, Rose Laguaña on guitar, and Sterlyn Termine on bass.

Listen carefully and you’ll hear the distinctive sounds of Beyoncé and Shakira, plus a solidly nailed high C, in Catherine of Aragon’s performance of “No Way”; Anne Boleyn’s nod to Lily Allen and Avril Lavigne; Jane Seymour channeling Adele and Sia during her powerful ballad “Heart of Stone”; Anne of Cleves doing her best Nicki Minaj and Rihanna; Katherine Howard bringing some Ariana Grande and Britney Spears to the stage; and Catherine Parr presenting as Alicia Keys and Emeli Sandé.

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness” is the complete Oscar Wilde quote, and Six is very much a mediocre work. The brainchild of two senior Cambridge University students, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, the musical premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017, was field-tested on the Norwegian Cruise Line stage in 2019, and opened in London’s West End before arriving on Broadway in 2020.

While this unusual path adds nothing to the musical’s credibility, it speaks volumes about its unquestionable accessibility, which is a large part of its charm and popularity. So, too, is its nine-song score, which was the recipient of a 2022 Tony Award albeit in a post-pandemic year of pretty meager competition (Mr. Saturday Night, Paradise Square, and A Strange Loop), none of which lasted long on Broadway.

While Hamilton clocked in at nearly three hours, the brief Six is just long enough to dazzle the audience with Tim Deiling’s explosive and spotlight-saturated lighting. Emma Bailey’s scenic design consists of surrounding the performance space with even more lights, and Gabriella Slade’s eye-candy costumes – featuring fishnets and bustier corsets – are layered in sequins that make the performers glow even more.

All this dazzle is alluring, but what really wins over the audience are the virtuosic performances and relentless energy turned in by the six queens. Their voices are outstanding, their handling of Carrie-Anne Ingrouille’s repetitive but fun girl-group choreography is nicely synchronized, and their excessively pandering engagement with the audience is effective. Two performers identified in the program as “Alternatives” made their way into the opening night production with no evidence of diminished entertainment value.

If you like your musical theatre and your history lessons short, superficial, and sassy, Six is for you. Me? I would have preferred a musical about the Schuyler sisters.

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Author’s note: This is my final review for The Austin Chronicle. I am heading to Rhode Island, where I will be covering the Providence theatre scene for The Boston Globe. It has been a pleasure writing for you. Keep Austin acting.

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Broadway in Austin’s Six

Bass Concert Hall, 2350 Robert Dedman, 512/471-2787
texasperformingarts.org
Through Oct. 8
Running time: 75 min.