As one of Henry VIII's wives, 'Six' actress brings the 'party to the stage' in Boston
Henry VIII may have been king of England, but when it came to his six wives he was no Prince Charming.
Indeed, it would be hard to find a single love match in this 16th-century royal family where Henry VIII’s half-dozen queens – Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr – are best remembered for their fates, respectively: divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.
Fast forward to today, however, and female empowerment is front and center in the musical “Six” created by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss while the Tony-winning pair were students at Cambridge University in England. The show is presented by Broadway In Boston through Dec. 31 at the Emerson Colonial Theatre.
These Tudor queens have been given a modern update and reimagined as a band of high-energy pop princesses – complete with fierce concert attire by Tony winner Gabriela Slade – competing with each other for lead singer by proving to be the wife who fared the worst.
In “No Way,” Catherine of Aragon sings of the king’s plan to annul their marriage and exile her to a nunnery when he takes a shine to Anne Boleyn – whom he subsequently marries, cheats on and has beheaded. That alone would seem to give the lead to Boleyn (“Don’t Lose Ur Head”), but she’s only wife No. 2.
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A calmer royal court follows with Jane Seymour, who contends on “Heart of Stone” that she was the king’s only true love. Maybe, but his ardor was fleeting and there were three women – Anna of Cleves (“Get Down”), Katherine Howard (“All You Wanna Do”) and Catherine Parr (“I Don’t Need Your Love”) – still in the queen consort queue, their stories yet to be told.
Marlow and Moss were inspired by a wide range of contemporary pop singers including "Lemonade"-era Beyoncé, Adele, Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj, Alicia Keyes and Iggy Azalea for the musical, which had its world premiere at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017 before moving on to the West End and a U.K. tour.
The first North American tour brought “Six” to the American Repertory Theater’s Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge for a sold-out run in the summer of 2019, prior to Broadway.
Its originally scheduled opening night in New York, March 12, 2020, coincided with Broadway’s closing because of the pandemic. The opening took place Oct. 3, 2021, at the Lena Horne Theatre, then known as the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.
At the 2022 Tony Awards ceremony, Marlow and Moss won for best original score, while Slade won for best costume design in a musical.
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Among the current North American tour’s queens is Olivia Donalson, who plays Anna of Cleves, also known as Anne of Cleves, fourth wife of Henry VIII. Their marriage, believed to have been unconsummated, ended after six months. Anna would go on to outlive the rest of Henry’s wives.
Donalson made her Broadway debut in the ensemble of the musical “Aladdin,” and was in that show’s national tour when it played Boston’s Citizens Bank Opera House in the summer of 2018. By telephone recently from a Tampa, Florida, tour stop, the Jacksonville-born Donalson talked about “Six,” what it’s like to be on the road and more.
Q: How is it being on tour in a principal role?
A: I am loving it. Playing a lead role definitely has its challenges, though, as I learned in the rehearsal process for this show. They put us through the ringer. It felt like boot camp, but we got ready for the tour and that’s made all the difference now that we’re out on the road.
Q: Were your familiar with Anna of Cleves before landing the role?
A: Just a little bit. I saw “Six” on Broadway right before the pandemic shutdown. I was floored – it was electric and so exciting. When I finally had my audition in August 2021, they had me in mind for either Catherine of Aragon or Anna of Cleves. I went in, though, with my sights set on playing Anna of Cleves.
Q: What appeals to you about the character?
A: I love that she brings the party to the stage. She turns Henry VIII’s rejection on its head and celebrates it as a win. She was the only one of his wives who got to live separately from him. And she lived longer than any of the others too.
Q: How would you describe your big number in the show?
A: We do “Get Down” hip-hop style, like a dance crew where everybody’s in sync. The song is a celebration of independence and not letting anyone else tell you who you are. Anna was rejected and could have been sad, but that was not her truth. She went to court and was briefly his queen, and then she went back to her own life.
Q: Your character is said to blend elements of Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Lorde and Iggy Azalea. How do you play her?
A: My personal performance has a definite Lizzo vibe. I love Lizzo because she’s very talented and gifted musically. And she doesn’t let haters bring her down. That’s the way I play Anna of Cleves – as someone who’s not going to let anyone bring her down.
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Q: In the competition for lead singer, do you root only for Anna or do you also find yourself perhaps quietly cheering on the other wives?
A: I love Anna, of course, and she has a place in my heart. I get my chance to shine and my time in the spotlight. The talent onstage with me, however, is incredible. There’s not a single second when I’m not proud to be a part of this company.
Q: Theatergoers of all ages have really taken to this show. Do you feed off that energy?
A: We definitely feed off the audience, 100%. We have fans of all ages and they’re with us all the way, singing along to every song. Not long ago, a 6-year-old girl came in full Aragon costume, complete with a gold dress and serious shoulder pads. She really brought it.
Q: Would you ever put up with a spouse or partner like Henry VIII if it meant you could be queen?
A: In the 16th century theirs was a match made politically, so Anna’s decision made some sense. Today, though, I would say, “Absolutely not, never!”
See 'Six'
When: Nov. 9 to Dec. 31
Where: Emerson Colonial Theatre, 106 Boylston St., Boston
Tickets: $54.75 and up
Info: 888-616-0272 or BroadwayInBoston.com
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: 'Six' gives new life to stories of Henry VIII's ill-fated wives
