Review: SIX Rocks the St. Louis Fox

Chances are you know about England’s Henry VIII and the fact that he had six wives. Henry’s matrimonial escapades were scandalous and, like the king himself, a bit larger than life. They also laid the foundation for the Church of England and a rather macabre rhyme. SIX: the musical adds a new perspective to history by giving voice to each of Henry’s queens.

In the high-powered rock musical, Henry’s six exes have formed a super group reminiscent of the Spice Girls, backed by a four-piece, all-female band. The stage design, light show and costumes effectively reimagine the Tudor period, bringing the look into the 21st century. The musical kicks off with a group number, then each queen takes the spotlight to tell her story while vocally referencing contemporary pop queens. The premise is that the audience will judge which queen has the most compelling, heart-wrenching tale, and she will become the lead singer of the group.

With that, the vocal battle royal begins. Catherine of Aragon, the OQ (original queen) and Henry’s longest marriage, kicks off the competition and Beyoncé is clearly her diva. There are hints of soul in the insistent impatience Cecilia Snow (replacing Gerianne Pérez) brings to “No Way,” Catherine’s signature song. Anne Boleyn is fiery, determined and not about to soften up. Zan Berube channels Avril Lavigne and Pink in Boleyn’s crowd-pleasing “Don’t Lose Ur Head,” and its infectious “sorry, not sorry” refrain. Jane Seymour (mother of King Edward) is devoted to her child’s future, asserting her love persists after her untimely death. Amina Faye brings the soaring, heartbreak of an Adele song to Seymour’s “Heart of Stone,” ensuring at least a few tears among the audience.

While audiences may be more broadly aware of Henry’s first three wives, the other three have juicy stories to share, helping the six queens to rewrite his-story to her-story. Born into German-royalty, Anna of Cleves’ divorce from Henry is something modern audiences can relate to — he chose her from a picture then didn’t like the real life version. Terica Marie gives Cleves’ hard rocking, dance party anthem “Get Down” a heavy dose of Rihanna and Nicki Minaj, with impressive club-influenced choreography. Henry’s fifth wife, Katherine Howard was exceptionally attractive and young when she came to be his bride. Aline Mayagoitia finds the dark corners in “All You Wanna Do” a catchy pop song that reflects the sexual duplicity of Ariana Grande and Britney Spears. Finally, there’s Catherine Parr, the queen at Henry’s side when he died. Married by obligation, Sydney Parra infuses her song, “I Don’t Need Your Love,” with R&B soulfulness and a touch of Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige.

Together, the queens make a compelling case for femme-powered unity by positing the fact that, if it weren’t for the six of them, history would likely forget the eighth King Henry. SIX: the musical re-mixes history with a satisfying story arc, songs that rock the house and a steady beat that brings the audience to their feet.

Catch SIX at the Fabulous Fox Theatre (527 North Grand Boulevard) through Sunday, February 5. Showtimes vary by day. Tickets are $35 to $150.

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