SIX The Musical Live!

by Mike McGranaghan

SIX The Musical Live! is like getting a history lesson from the Spice Girls. The British musical, which fully opened on Broadway in 2021, tells the tales of Henry VIII’s six wives, pitting them against each other in an American Idol-style competition. There’s an old cinematic cliché in which one character formulates a plan, and a second character says, “You know, that’s crazy enough that it just might work.” SIX is crazy enough to work, and this professionally shot recording of a live performance is a joy from start to finish.

The stage set is smaller than most musicals. There’s an LED-lit backdrop, a live band in front of that backdrop, and the six actresses in front of the band, wearing costumes that mix historically accurate detail with modern-day glitz. The wives are Katherine Howard (Aimie Atkinson), Anne Boleyn (Millie O’Connell), Catherine Parr (Maiya Quansah-Breed), Anna of Cleves (Alexia McIntosh), Jane Seymour (Natalie Paris), and Catherine of Aragon (Jarneia Richard-Noel). An introductory number explains that they’re going to tell their stories individually and whoever suffered the most under their mutual husband will be declared the winner.

Each actress gets a musical number of her own. Most of the songs are upbeat pop ditties that rival anything on the Billboard Top 100 chart these days. Two are ballads. Amazingly, all of them are showstoppers. Slick choreography and bits of humor accentuate the tunes, as do the funkiness of the band and the flashiness of the lighting. The approach instantly builds a sense of excitement that lasts for the duration. All six stars are amazing, belting out their songs with enthusiasm while simultaneously bringing their characters vividly to life.

On a surface level, SIX is a lot of fun. It’s a high-energy production, beautifully carried out by a mega-talented cast of women. Surprisingly, it also works as history. You learn a great deal about Henry VIII’s wives through the catchy songs. Even better, the show gives these women their due, rather than simply viewing them through the prism of the man who connected them. They are recognized as individuals with their own significant places in history outside Henry.

The movie, directed by Liz Clare, captures the excitement of the live show, getting the cameras up close for emotional moments but mostly keeping them back so we can fully appreciate the choreography. In a few brief spots, she unnecessarily utilizes stylized visual gimmicks, like changing the aspect ratio. Otherwise, watching SIX The Musical Live! feels very much like sitting in a theater, watching the show play out in front of you. If you’re in search of a good time, this is a film to see.

Note: Focus Features will release SIX The Musical Live! in movie theaters across US & Canada for one week only from August 14th.