By Lucy Thompson | Arts Angle Vantage Reporter
Presentation Academy, Class of 2026
“Six,” the musical, was so worth seeing, because the storyline, acting, and costumes are so breathtaking.
The musical, with a script, music, and lyrics created by Lucy Moss and Tobey Marlow in 2017, came to the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts as part of PNC Broadway in Louisville’s season from April 9 through 14.
“Six,” is about Henry VIII's six wives and tells their stories through songs where they compete about who had the most tragic life. But it alters into a theme about empowering women. In the musical, the wives tear each other down and fight throughout the show instead of holding each other up during their time of need.
Terica Marie as Anna of Cleves (center) in the North American Tour of “Six” (Boleyn Company). Photo by Joan Marcus. Courtesy PNC Broadway in Louisville.
The actors had so much talent. The power of their voices was remarkable. The costumes were mind-blowing. I am one who always pays close attention to costumes. I have seen videos of these costumes and been amazed by them. Seeing them in person was a phenomenal experience. The colors, the crystals, and the movement of the costumes perfectly matched each queen's personality. Jane Seymour's costume was stunning. Seymour is historically known for being quiet and her outfit interpreted her personality with darker colors, long sleeves, and a longer skirt.
My favorite queen, Anne of Cleves (Terica Marie), has a story that may be the least tragic out of all the queens. Still, it fascinates me the most. She was the only one who didn’t need Henry to live. She thrived as a single woman in the 1500s in a palace that she happened to own. Henry divorced Anne of Cleves because he disliked her appearance. He claimed she looked better in her portrait. Terica Marie played her perfectly. Her voice, costume, and dancing portrayed Anne of Cleves fantastically. She was energetic and lively. Her voice was so powerful and beautiful. In “Six,” Anne of Cleves is a bold woman, and Tercia Marie embodies that. You could practically see confidence radiate off her while she performed.
The songs, music, and clever lyrics were incredible, particularly in “Don’t Lose Your Head” sung by Anne Boylen (Zan Berube). It is about Anne Boleyn’s life with Henry and how she was beheaded. “Don’t lose your head” is great because of how easy it is to quote, and it uses modern-day language such as “LOL” and “XO.”
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The band, a.k.a., The Ladies in Waiting, was extraordinary, and the best part was the band was onstage, unlike many Broadway musicals. In the band, there was a keyboardist (Jane Cardona) who was also the music director, a bassist (Sterlyn Termine), and a guitarist (Rose Laguna) who all did outstanding jobs. I was in complete awe of how perfectly they played.
The lighting designer (Tim Deiling) did a wonderful job. The colors were beautiful, and the lights would change depending on who was singing. If Anne of Cleves was singing the lights would change to red to match the color of her costume, a clever idea. It brightened the musical and made it more fun to watch.
The perfect ending pulled everything together in such a smooth-fitting way. The queens realized they did not need to compete and fight each other over who had the most tragic story. They realized that all they needed was each other.
Lucy Thompson (she/her), a sophomore at Presentation Academy, is active in theater and a member of the golf team at her school. In theater, she has participated in set building and prop design. Thompson aspires to study psychology and become a psychologist after high school.
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