'SIX' at Playhouse Square review: Packing a (quick) punch in Cleveland

Aug. 11—Perhaps it's best to start with what "SIX the Musical" ISN'T.

"SIX "ISN'T a narrative-driven, two-and-a-half-hour two-act show with plot points, a hero's journey and the like.

Instead, "SIX" IS 80 minutes of joyous irreverence that's closer to a concert than a play.

The creation of Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss brings together the six wives of 1500s English king Henry VIII for a bright-and-colorful slice of history — or, as the queens put it, "HERstory."

Two North American productions of the 2022 Tony Award winner for Best Original Score are on the road, with the "Boleyn" company just into a lengthy run at Playhouse Square in Cleveland.

Stage manager of Playhouse Square-bound 'SIX': 'It's like going to a concert'

Backed by a few on-stage musicians, "SIX" depends largely on a half-dozen talented women to provide all the evening's entertainment. In the Boleyn Company, they are Gerianne Pérez, as Catherine of Aragon; Zan Berube, as Anne Boleyn; Amina Faye, as Jane Seymour; Terica Marie; as Anna of Cleves; Aline Mayagoitia, as Katherine Howard; and Sydney Parra, as Catherine Parr.

The queens seem as though they're on the same team during the tone-setting opening number, "Ex-Wives," in which they sing about their respective fates: "Divorced." "Beheaded." "Died." "Divorced." "Beheaded." "Survived." However, this get-together soon devolves into a contest to determine who exactly had it the worst with hubby Henry.

Second wife Anne Boleyn — who, at least in the hands of Berube, gives off strong Baby Spice vibes even before offering a snippet of Spice Girls hit "Wannabe" — is a strong early candidate. She is, like, just NOT being over having her head lopped off.

"Didn't you die?" another queen asks her at one point.

"Yeah," she says. "It was so extra."

"SIX" is chock full of such casual contemporary references, from "LOL"s to talk of profile pics.

Mostly, the show's nine listed numbers — two-thirds of which are led by a queen telling her story — match this tone and provide their share of laughs. The exception is Jane Seymour's emotionally stirring "Heart of Stone," a power ballad that sees Faye deliver the vocal performance of the show.

That's not to take away from the other five, each of whom has talent and given time to show it. Marie is particularly fun during Anna of Cleves' "Get Down," scoring points with each offering of crowd-favorite refrain "I'm the queen the castle; get down, you dirty rascal."

Thanks largely to consistently excellent sound, the lyrics are easy to make out and thus the ladies' stories easy to absorb. Still, that the show's program includes bite-sized bits of historical, er, HERstorical info on each queen is a nice touch. (It also offers each's "queenspiration" — two musical artists who informed the characters. Surprisingly Anne Boleyn's are Lily Allen and Avril Lavigne — not Emma Bunton, the aforementioned Baby Spice.

"SIX" is bathed in beautiful lighting, which does justice to the six glitzy costumes. But, really, this show is all about these women singing these songs.

After the show, a woman leaving the theater could be heard remarking on just how short the show is. And, yeah, we're talking about what — a little more than a third of a performance by Taylor Swift on her "Eras" tour?

If you're hitting the show after a long day of work, that runtime time may hit like sweet, sweet music, allowing you to get home at a decent time. On the other hand, if you want the most bang for your theater buck, this probably isn't the show for you.

Regardless, "SIX" IS one fight night at the theater — at least if you're not Henry VIII.

'SIX the Musical'

Continues through Sept. 10 at Playhouse Square's Connor Palace, 1615 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. For tickets, $35 to $120, PlayhouseSquare.org or 216-241-6000.