Move Over Ariana Grande – Worcester Had Queens This Weekend!
October 18, 2025 – Worcester was a city of queens on Friday night; six unique pop-star queens representing Henry VIII’s famous wives stuck in HIS-tory by their tragic fates: “Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.”
Reimagined as more than just the wives of Henry Tudor, King of England 1509-1547, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’ Broadway hit “Six the Musical” spotlights each queen in a romp through Reformation England. From tiny dancers in gold and green tutus to adults out for date night, theatre-goers showed up with all the enthusiasm of Swifties ready to hear “Her-Story.”
The Pre-Show Energy Was Electric
The Hanover Theatre lobby was electric, many fans already singing “One of a kind, no category” as they collected their playbills and were ushered in by Hanover’s equally excited staff. Playbills included a scan code for a signed official Broadway digital playbill and helpful cheat sheet with facts about the real wives for anyone interested in a little more history.
Many devout Catherines sporting gold and scorned Katherines whipping pink ponytails posed for pictures in front of purple and gold billboards and the “Yes, Queen” energy was loud and proud! Families purchased refreshments before the 90-minute no-intermission electrifying performance.
A recent notable update to Hanover’s offerings is reusable cups that can be brought home after a show or recycled in clearly marked bins on site. Folks with mobility needs used the elevator between the first two floors, but What’s Up Worcester used the grand staircases to access the balcony. It is a steep climb, but well-lit and with no lack of stage visibility.
The Pop Star Battle Was ON!
And then the pop star battle was ON! The six equally-leading ladies fired up the stage and hyped up the crowd immediately. Adding to the concert vibe is the four player band right on stage. The audience was sucked into the competition by banter between the wives scorned and each performer’s unique song as they vied for position of the wife with the hardest life.
The cast flawlessly danced and sang through a wide range of iconic pop styles shifting seamlessly from ballad to techno party. Sassy Anne Boleyn’s flirty number led to many later obvious nods to her tragic beheading, and “the ugly one” Anna of Cleves’ defiant urban “Get Down” brought body positivity into the spotlight. The exceptional performers kept theatre-goers both in tune with historical tropes and engaged with modern social perspectives.
Choosing Your Favorite Queen
Choosing a favorite wife based on her unique costume, personality, song number and a surprising amount of clever jokes (because what is funny about Tudor England?!) became the audience’s primary goal. What’s Up Worcester attendees still don’t agree on a winner!
But Catherine of Cleves‘ performance solved the problem, at least in the context of the show if not the car ride home. Her number shifted the musical from an onstage cat fight to a rousing and resounding six part harmony reminding the audience that each wife is “one of a kind. no category.” By pulling their uniqueness from the empowered female voices that made the crowd a little more interested in history and Her-story.
Worcester Dance Teams Show Up Strong
What’s Up Worcester noticed several dance teams came en masse. Premier Dance Auburn went with a group of about 30 competition team dancers. https://www.premierdancema.com/ They feel that it is helpful for the dancers to be exposed to shows, conventions and classes at the Hanover to build their dance IQ and find their unique style. One of the studio’s class offerings is musical theatre and perhaps, they will perform a rendition of Six in the future??
Teaching History Through Theatre
Theatre is also a fun way for kids to become acquainted with social issues and history. One of the young students said, “My grandmother told me all about Henry VIII on the way here, and he wasn’t a very good husband but he did start a whole new church in England because his wives helped him. I just really liked Anne with the green costume, she was a good dancer and I can’t believe he chopped off her head.”
That’s a decent starting point for a 11 year old, so history teachers, “Don’t lose your heads”.
Henry VIII’s Six Wives: Intro & Outro; a brief real history
For those wanting to brush up on their Tudor history, here’s the real story behind each queen:
Wife 1: Catherine of Aragon (Married 1509)
- Fate: Marriage annulled in 1533 “divorced”
- Notable For: Mother of Mary I; marriage annulment led to England’s break from the Catholic Church; no sons
Wife 2: Anne Boleyn (Married 1533)
- Fate: Executed in 1536 “beheaded”
- Notable For: Mother of Elizabeth I; accused of adultery, treason, and incest, no sons; brought a French courtisan style to England
Wife 3: Jane Seymour (Married 1536)
- Fate: Died in 1537, shortly after childbirth “died”
- Notable For: Mother of Edward VI; Henry considered her his “true” wife; finally a son!
Wife 4: Anne of Cleves (Married 1540)
- Fate: Marriage annulled after six months “divorced”
- Notable For: Political alliance with Germany; Henry reportedly chose her from a beautiful Hans Holbein portrait and was unpleased with her appearance in person; marriage ended amicably
Wife 5: Catherine Howard (Married 1540)
- Fate: Executed in 1542 “beheaded”
- Notable For: Accused of adultery; the young one, she was 17, he 49 when married
Wife 6: Catherine Parr (Married 1543)
- Fate: Outlived Henry (he died in 1547) “survived”
- Notable For: Acted as a nurse to Henry; married again after his death, first woman in England to publish books under her own name in English
Writer: Betsey Taft Kennedy
Have news, tips, or a story Worcester needs to hear? Reach Editor-in-Chief Jerry Filmore at [email protected] or [email protected] (because community news starts with you.)
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Next up, What’s up Worcester at the BrickBox theatre for spooky season Edgar Allen Poe double header and opening of Art installation Delirium !