Most of us know the rhyme about the unfortunate fates of Henry VIII's six wives: "Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded, survived." After seeing the all-city teen production of the musical SIX, codirected by Morgan Kaplan and Andrew Maynerich, you can add "revived" to the end of that poem.
SIX reimagines Henry's wives as a glam-pop, ballad-belting girl group. It's a short and lively rock concert (with an 80-minute run time) combining royal history with vocal stylings reminiscent of Ariana Grande, Adele, Beyonce and more. Each wife channels a different modern pop act as she sings to make the case that her trauma under Henry's reign was the worst to endure. It is part history lesson, part singing competition and all fun.
Codirector Kaplan said she was "inspired to bring back the all-city high school musicals because I wanted a fun, new summer project." Previously, auditions were open to only District 186 students, but this production accepted auditions from any high school student in the surrounding community. "We weren't sure what the interest level would be, but we had girls come out from all over. There are five different high schools represented in our cast," said Kaplan.
The auditions brought out more than 40 teens from nearly every school in the area. Springfield High School student Claire Wright, who breathtakingly plays the role of Catherine Parr, reminisced about the audition process.
"I went into it thinking I'm not gonna get it," she said. "It was nerve-wracking because there were 18 of us called back for only six parts, and I had three audition cuts to sing a crazy riff.
Even with such hard decisions to make, the rest of the cast fell into place: Catherine of Aragon is portrayed by Livia Nieves of Rochester High School, Anne Bolyn by Kayla Simon from Glenwood High School, Anne of Cleaves by Kaydence Daley from Riverton High School, Grace Klenke as Katherine Howard and Libby Kulek as Jane Seymour, both from SHG.
Regardless of alma maters, the cast bonded immediately. "It's been an entirely new experience to hang with these really talented people. They've inspired me to push myself when I'm onstage," said Nieves.
Codirector Maynerich was also impressed with how hard this cast worked. "This group came in almost professional. We often could have left rehearsals early, but they'd ask to stay," she said.
Backstage, the SIX girls laugh, talk loudly and finish each other's sentences. Their dressing room is filled with spilled glitter and a large, communal candy bowl that's continually passed around while they affectionately mock one other. It's as if you've walked into a movie-set slumber party. "We're all besties now; we always hang out with each other. We created a very special bond, for sure," said Daley.
Their girl-power-bond and bold personalities offstage radiate onstage through their characters. Kulek discussed her role as Jane Seymour. "I've never given birth or died, so she's kind of hard to relate to, but her song is about remaining strong, so I sing it from that perspective," she said.
Some of the girls found their characters more easily recognizable, "I'm very energetic, and so is Anne Bolyn. I am her and she is me," said Simon. Katherine Howard was nearly the same age as Klenke. "She was beheaded at 19, and I'm 18, so I really just channel myself for this role. We're both sassy, fun and kind of flirty," Howard said.
From the moment the queens take the stage, you can't help but smile. The performances are nothing short of spectacular with powerhouse vocals and dynamic choreography (also provided by Maynerich and Kaplan). Each girl gets a moment in the spotlight, but the most thrilling points are when they move in harmony to showcase each other's stories.
With a set made of stairs, the rock band and colorful chaser lights, SIX is simple staging done right. The costumes and jewelry, created by SHG teacher Grace Fahey, are an impeccable combination of pop princess and 16th century Tudor court. Never has a teen show looked so regal.
This production is a triumphant testament to the power of sisterhood and the talent of Springfield's young people. SIX entertains as well as inspires; proving that age is no barrier to delivering a high-quality, impressive performance. Brava to the staff and to each of these six teenagers – the future of theater is indeed bright in their hands.
SIX – Teen Edition,
sponsored by Henson Robinson Co. and produced by Damien Kaplan, continues its
run at SHG Dominican Hall Theater, July 26-28. Performances start at 7:30 p.m. Friday and
Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are available by calling 217-494-4390 or
visiting https://shg.ticketleap.com/six-the-musical.
