Exactly one year ago, I was at the Canadian premiere of Six the Musical in Edmonton. I was lucky enough to see it on the West End when I was back in the UK in February 2019, but there is nothing like seeing a premiere. Before theatres were closed, Six had a West End cast, a UK tour cast, an Australian cast, a North American cast, and two cruise casts- the world has gone mad for Six. (And who knew if more casts/tours were in place before?) So, why is Six the Musical so popular?
What is Six the Musical?
Six is a pop concert musical where each of the six wives of Henry VIII compete to lead the band. Each queen has their own song to tell their side of the story, and make the case for why they had the worst go of it with Henry. Each queen is modelled on a few different modern pop artists, suitable to their story. It is a shorter musical, usually 75-80 minutes and only one act. And with only six queens and four ladies in waiting (aka the amazing band), it is a small and flexible set/production, meaning it can easily be staged in most theatres.
Why Is Six the Musical So Popular?
Although the queens lived nearly 500 years ago, they are relatable. Sadly, many of their struggles and difficulties are still common today for women now. (Hopefully not the beheading issue…) Creators Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss did an amazing job of bringing these Tudor queens into the twenty-first century, and making us identify with them. Though it is even more poignant with the Me, Too movement.
It is also an incredibly fun musical. Because it is a concert musical rather than a standard book musical, there is no fourth wall, meaning that the queens can and do interact with the audience. The cast recording gained traction on Spotify very quickly, and that hasn’t hurt, either. (With a lot of musicals, people will get tickets without listening to it first- it seems to work the other way with Six.)
The MegaSix
My theory on why Six grew in popularity is the MegaSix- a medley of all six songs at the end of the show that you can film. Yes, you are allowed to take your phone out and film it; in fact, the queens remind you to.* It is limited to only the MegaSix, but it is a fantastic number that shows the best of each queen. And given that most of the theatre films it each night, you can find countless MegaSixes from multiple casts on Youtube. (You can usually even search for a specific night.) I saw it shortly after it opened permanently on the West End, and I was able to watch several before I went. It is one of the most creative and free pieces of PR I’ve seen for a musical, and I’m shocked that no other musical has adopted it thus far. You can see my West End Mega-Six and my first Edmonton Mega-Six in this post.
*Occasionally filming the MegaSix is not allowed due to union regulations in certain theatres- they do clarify before the show, but nearly all have allowed it.
The Fandom
The Six fandom is an interesting beast, as is any West End or Broadway fandom. Six fans can be anywhere from 4 years old to 90, and from anywhere in the world. Because one of the major tenants of the musical is supporting other women, the Six fandom tends to be more welcoming than others. (However, this isn’t to say that people don’t get into VERY real fights about the historic queens- slightly problematic given that the musical doesn’t give the whole story. And that fighting over who was “better” really serves no purpose.) The creators and producers of Six have been fantastic about engaging and interacting with fans. The MegaSix, continually sharing different fan projections including costumes, artwork, covers, and more, and sharing upcoming news and fans has built a very loyal fandom. Not to mention the fact that the actors who play the queens tend to be incredibly friendly and willing to interact with fans. When you have got a strong fandom behind you, it only propels the show!
More on Six the Musical
One of the most popular questions with Six is “Is Six the Musical accurate”? I’ve got a whole post for you here on that question! And given that it is by far still one of my most popular blog posts, people are still definitely asking it.
If you are looking for my thoughts on the West End production of Six that I saw in February 2019, you can find my review here!
And if you are looking for my thoughts on the Canadian premiere of Six that I saw in Edmonton in November 2019 (now the Broadway cast), you can find my review here!
And my one of other incredibly popular posts, my recommendations on the best books to read about each of the six queens! One of my favourite parts of Six is that it often inspires people to learn more of the history behind these women, and I can definitely help you there.
So, now I ask your opinion- why is Six the Musical so popular? Have you seen it?
Cheers,
The Historian
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