SIX the Musical at DHS

This past week, Danvers High’s theater program electrified the stage with their spring production, SIX: The Musical: Teen Edition! Performing from April 30th through May 1st, SIX: The Musical reimagines the infamous story of King Henry VIII’s six wives as a pop-concert styled musical.
Originally premiering in 2017, SIX: The Musical’s format is unique to a traditional play, as the show feels more like an immersive concert, with the actresses talking directly to the audience. The premise goes that the six wives of Henry VIII are in competition for the audience to choose which of them is the most historically important wife with the most tragic story. Throughout the 70-minute spectacle, each queen tells their story through their own song, in chronological order of how their marriages ended (divorced, beheaded or died, and – for one – survived). This leads the queens to come to realize at the end of the show that fighting is pointless, as their stories are of equal importance.
SIX: the Musical offers some familiar performers to the DHS stage. The cast of queens consists of Catherine of Argon (played by Brooke Wilichoski), Anne Boleyn (played by Hope Panagoulias) Jane Seymour (played by Ella Guitard), Anna of Cleves (played by Piper Brett), Katherine Howard (played by Emma Anderson), and Catherine Parr (played by Dailin Martinez).
From the opening song of “Ex-Wives”, SIX: the Musical is unlike any other DHS production. The show’s aesthetic combines historical references with flashy pop star couture. This is especially prevalent in the show’s costumes, which seamlessly modernizes Tudor era fashion in an over-the-top campy way, giving each queen their own signature color and look. For example, Anna of Cleves (played by Piper Brett), signature color was red, as seen in her sparkly mid-scene outfit change and matching vibrant hair.
The overall highlight of the performance, however, was the strength of the cast’s acting and vocal talents. Energetic performances, like “Don’t Lose Your Head” performed by Hope Panagolious, and “Get Down” by senior Piper Brett, offer a perfect balance of comedy and rich vocal production. Pop tracks such as “No Way” and “All You Wanna Do” offered powerhouse vocal performances, from Brooke Wilichowski and Emma Anderson, respectively, while seniors Ella Guitard and Dailin Martinez delivered moving the emotional ballads, “Heart of Stone” and “I Don’t Need Your Love”, respectively.
DHS is among one of an earlier wave of schools taking on SIX: the Musical, as rights to the show’s teen edition only recently opened up last year. Us here at The Flying Onion can’t wait to see what Danvers High’s theater program decides to take on next year!