They closed on opening night due to COVID; here's how 'Six' bounced back to rule Broadway

NEW YORK – Who says queens can't wear sweatpants?

Perched above Times Square in a rehearsal space lined with backpacks and bags of takeout orders, the regal stars of "Six," Broadway's vivacious pop musical, have traded in their sparkly skirts and platform shoes for bike shorts and sneakers. It's only the second week they've all been together in the same room since the pandemic shuttered Broadway in March 2020, hours before their opening night.

It's a late summer afternoon and the mood is ebullient among the tight-knit crew, who playfully rib and cheer one another on, much like the characters they portray on stage. Presented as a Spice Girls-style concert, the show centers on the ex-wives of King Henry VIII – Catherine of Aragon (Adrianna Hicks), Anne Boleyn (Andrea Macasaet), Jane Seymour (Abby Mueller), Anna of Cleves (Brittney Mack), Katherine Howard (Samantha Pauly) and Catherine Parr (Anna Uzele) – who bond over personal tragedies and find strength in sisterhood.

'A new normal': Broadway casts, crews prepare for return to the stage after COVID shutdown

That resolve is reflected behind the scenes, too.

"We've all grown this year. You realize what really matters in the scope of things," Macasaet says. "Every day of rehearsal, we started with a gratitude circle where we shared how we were feeling that day: the good, the bad, the ugly, the pretty. And you would share one thing that you were grateful for, whether it was the sun shining or a conversation with a loved one. That made the stakes of being on Broadway not even that high anymore, because at the end of the day, we're all just human beings."

As masked members of the show's creative team look on, the dynamic cast get in formation and perform a swaggering dance break: first, to the tune of Busta Rhymes' "Pass the Courvoisier Part II," before transposing that same choreography to the show's "Get Down."

"That's the vibe! I love the vibe of of our cast," Hicks says with a laugh. "We're doing stuff I used to do as a kid in my room by myself. When you were younger, you didn't need a major costume – all you needed was your My Size Barbie dress and little (aluminum) foil microphone. But this time, you have a costume that's custom-made that looks like something Beyoncé would wear, with beautiful wigs and a luscious crown of gold. What a beautiful dream to come true."

In their own words, some of the queens and creators of "Six" reflect on their long road to reopening on Broadway, from shutdown to opening night – 18 months later.

More: Broadway extends vaccine, mask mandate through end of 2021

'Things like that don't happen here'

Following a 2019 North American tour, “Six” began preview performances on Broadway Feb. 13, 2020, at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. Meanwhile, the first confirmed COVID-19 death in the U.S. occurred earlier that month in Santa Clara County, California. Weeks later, the CDC said the virus was headed toward pandemic status.

Lucy Moss (co-creator/co-director): It really crept up on me. I was so in the headspace of tech, I wasn't reading the news or seeing people who weren't involved with the show. There were a couple little things: We went to a New York Times interview and had a look around their offices, and stood in the back of one of their morning staff meetings. They were like, "Coronavirus is the top most-searched subject," and I was like: "That's weird. Everyone is so interested in this thing that's happening so far away." And then a few days leading up (to opening), it was like, "Oh, this is actually right on your doorstep."

Toby Marlow (co-creator): The New York Times was saying, "All anyone wants to hear about is coronavirus." And I'm like, "Really? We have a show opening." (Laughs.) I remember being like, "Oh, that isn't a thing that affects us, it's happening elsewhere. We'll be fine – things like that don't happen here."

Kevin McCollum (producer): There were starting to be rumblings, but it hadn't officially been declared that this is anything more than a surface virus. So we were operating on, "Keep everything clean. Don't touch someone's else pen when you're signing a program (at the stage door)." We even cleaned the entire outside of the theater. It was pretty clear leading up to the (opening) that we might have to take a pause, but it was also something that hadn't happened (before), so it was hard to imagine.

'Have you seen this?'

“Six” was slated to open March 12, 2020. Hours before curtain, then-governor Andrew Cuomo placed a ban on large gatherings to help curb the spread of the virus, shuttering all Broadway theaters.

Marlow: I'd just bought a top at Zara for the after party and I got a text from our agents being like, "Have you seen this?"

Moss: I was weirdly in a taxi going to get my hair done for the opening, so I heard the announcement on the radio as it was happening. I went on my phone to check if that was a thing, and then I just got out of my taxi and back in a different one. I don't know why I didn't just go, "Can we turn around this taxi?"

Adrianna Hicks (actress, Catherine of Aragon): It was two or three hours before curtain at that point, and I got a call from my agent saying, "It looks like the governor is going to shut down Broadway after all." About 10 minutes later, I got official word (from "Six"). Then it was a whirlwind of trying to get my family out of the city. Within the span of an hour, I had gone grocery shopping and sent my brother and my mom back on a plane.

'The end of civilization as we know it?'

The Broadway League announced that performances were suspended until April 12, 2020. But as cases spiked and the pandemic raged across the city, the reopening date continued to move, as did many who worked in theater.

Hicks: I ended up leaving (the city) a week after we closed. There were rumors they were going to shut down domestic flights, and I knew eventually I wanted to go be with my brother in Atlanta. His backyard is like "Jurassic Park" to me and I like being outside. Having that time with him – what went from three weeks to six months – was really lovely.

Moss: I flew back two days later – (Marlow) and I were on the same flight home. The evening of the shutdown, we gathered ill-advisedly with some of the company and producers, who were like, "We'll be the first to reopen in four weeks time!" I remember (thinking), "That is not gonna happen. Are they gonna fix this virus (by then)?" I was really cynical, like, "I don't think we're gonna reopen 'til September 2020." We definitely had a sense it would be longer than a few weeks, but I thought I was being overly pessimistic when I suggested September 2020.

Andrea Macasaet (actress, Anne Boleyn): That first announcement was like, "Broadway is shutting down until the end of April." Then when it was extended until the summertime, that was when I decided, "OK, I'm going back home to Canada." Did I have a fear about "Six" never coming back? No, our production team was really good at communicating with us and reassuring that we were gonna make a comeback. The fear was more, "How am I gonna survive financially and emotionally during this time?"

Marlow: During lockdown, I don't think I thought, "Oh God, is this the end of 'Six?' Is the show ruined?" But I remember grappling a lot with the existential thought of, "Is this the end of civilization as we know it? Is this the apocalypse?"

'Not as restrictive as you might think'

In early May 2021, Cuomo eased restrictions on public gatherings, allowing theaters to reopen. Many Broadway productions announced reopening dates beginning in September, giving ample time for cast and crew to reassemble, and to put COVID safety measures in place.

Marlow: We have several COVID safety managers working on the show now. There's regular testing (three times a week), and mandatory mask-wearing at all times in the rehearsal space and theater, unless you're a queen performing "Six."

Moss: It's not been as restrictive as you might think. When we rehearsed the West End (production of "Six") back in November, December last year when vaccinations weren't a thing, there were much higher stakes. But (on Broadway), it's just about the backstage protocols, to be honest. We don't have to change a lot: They can't swap or borrow each others' mics, and now there are (multiple) water bottles (on stage) for them to take a sip from.

Hicks: There's just a heightened awareness, especially with taking the subway and traveling and making sure you're masked up. When you're rehearsing, you can take your mask off. But as soon as you're done, you put the mask back on and they have to air out the room. It's an extra layer of everything.

'A bucket full of tears'

“Six” went into rehearsals in August, ahead of its first performance Sept. 17, 2021. The show had the feeling of a Beyoncé concert, with screaming fans and standing ovations after nearly every song. Midway through, the performance was halted for roughly 10 minutes due to tech issues.

Macasaet: You're never gonna get a perfect show, and that's the magic of live theater.

Hicks: That was so funny. Bonnie (Panson, the production stage manager) so beautifully came on the mic, like, "Um, queens, can you please exit the stage?" It was great to feel the support of the audience as well. There were definitely a lot of emotions (throughout the show) and an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Just a bucket full of tears.

'The journey actually begins'

“Six” opened on Oct. 3, 2020, earning raves from critics. Like every other Broadway production, the show continues to require all audience members to be vaccinated and to wear masks throughout the performance.

McCollum: With theatergoers, there's no vaccine hesitancy. If you're a collaborative thinker and believe the world is more than just you, you're going to come to the theater. So the only obstacle now is that it might take a little longer to get into the theater, because we have to check vaccines. But I think everybody can handle this – hopefully short term – inconvenience to build Broadway back to where it was.

Hicks: There are things that are still gonna happen after opening night. It's not just like, "We made it and we're done!" That's when the journey actually begins. I'm getting emotional just reminiscing over what has happened the past year and a half. It seemed like I blinked and now we're back. But I'm here in a new chapter of life and I'm just ready to give my all.

Marlow: I'm so excited for more people to get to see this show. It's a nice feeling when you get to share something that you're proud of.

Macasaet: It's so joyful and there aren't many things like this on Broadway right now. "Six" reflects the world we live in: You see a group of women who are different sizes, colors, shapes, backgrounds. I'm a Filipino woman playing Anne Boleyn. You have Brittney Mack, a Black woman playing a German queen. It creates possibility for others to see themselves within us, and it also creates tangibility. If young Filipino girls see that I can do this, that makes that possibility all the more tangible for them.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Six' Broadway: An oral history of the show's COVID shutdown, comeback