ST PAUL, Minn. — Six wives, with six different stories of marginalization in a sexist Tudor England.
That's the theme of the musical "SIX," showing now at the Ordway Theater in St. Paul. It tackles the heaviest of issues with the glitz and glam of a pop show. There are a couple of uncomfortable moments, screaming about miscarriages and domestic violence in sequins, but the jarring juxtaposition makes its point pretty well.
The musical, written by Cambridge University students, interprets each queen through the lens of a modern pop star. Catherine of Aragon is inspired by Beyonce; Anne Boleyn by Avril Lavigne; Catherine Parr by Alicia Keys, and so on.
The songs are funny and catchy, but they explore the oppression endured by women in a male-dominated era, subject to the whims of an angry and all-powerful king. They take several opportunities to remind the audience that these power structures are anything but dead today, and they make sure to bring the storyline through to a message of empowerment.
Maybe the most poignant moment of the musical is Queen Katherine Howard's song "All You Wanna Do," which begins with the story of her sexual abuse at the hands of a music teacher. "Ever since I was a child, I'd make the boys go wild." As the song runs through subsequent affairs, all with unequal power dynamics, the chorus of "All you wanna do, babe, is touch me, love me, can't get enough" gradually goes from sexy and fun to anguished and suffocated. The song ends with Katherine sobbing under the spotlight as the lights go dark. We know the men who've exploited and abused her will finally take her life.
The highlight of the show is the all-female cast and live band: A diverse group of powerful singers and skilled musicians (The Ladies in Waiting). The commitment to representing women of color is clear. And judging by the excited chatter of the teen girls in the audience after the show, arguing about which queen they'll someday play, it is having the intended effect. They can see themselves on the stage.
Editor's Note: KARE 11 was invited to this performance by the Ordway.
SIX
The Ordway
80 minutes, no intermission
Nov. 29-Dec. 22
Tickets and more information
