“I’m a woman, not a whore.”
“SIX: The Musical” has made its way to San Antonio’s very own Majestic Theatre and fans were ecstatic after the show’s opening night. Between the sparkly costumes and fierce facial expressions, it was hard not to fall in love with the entire production.
Featuring an all-female cast, the musical is rooted in feminism, showcasing situations of oppression against women. Six ex-wives of King Henry VIII took the stage and broke the fourth wall to speak to the audience throughout the night, making the audience feel part of the performance rather than just mere spectators. Upon opening the show, the ex-wives break out into flashy numbers, breathing life into the usually quiet theatre by prompting positive cheering from the audience.
The show is broken up into sections, with each ex-wife getting a solo to tell their tale about their unfortunate relationships with the king. Starting strong, Catherine of Aragon, played by the breathtaking Gerianne Pérez, sang about her relationship that ended in a cheating scandal that helped transition into the next song. Anne Boleyn, played by Zan Berube, was the King’s mistress during that time. Though, she was only his golden girl for so long before the King severed her head and swiftly moved to find a replacement.
After continuing this fast-paced motion for some time, the musical slowed down when Jane Seymour, played by Amina Faye, told her heartbreaking love story through strong vocals and empowering emotions. Arguably, this was the most moving piece of the entire show. Faye left jaws on the floor with her performance as it exuded nothing but raw emotion that most women were able to relate to. Unfortunately, this song led to the worst one.
“Haus of Holbein” replaced that raw emotion with straight chaos in the span of seconds, leaving no time for the audience to come down from the previous song. With neon green strobe lights scanning the theatre, it was hard to stay focused on the plot and the performers. On the bright side, it made for a good transition to the next song, which included more exotic dancing and sassy vocals.
Anna of Cleves, played by Terica Marie, got down and dirty with her solo, expressing that she loved being married to a rich man. Being the only ex-wife to have a costume change, it was no surprise that she brought the heat. Marie wowed the audience enough to receive audible cheers throughout her entire solo, setting high expectations for the rest of the show.
After a few more solos, we get to the final ex-wife, the one who has been marketed as “the one that survived.” Katherine Howard, played by Aline Mayagoitia, had a song that was bland compared to the high-energy
ones that came before, but it was the perfect transition into the final moments of the show. Wrapping up the show, the six ex-wives banded together and expressed their distaste for comparison and competition, leaving the audience with an important message to take into the world.
Drenched in social commentary, “SIX: The Musical” brought passion, knowledge and understanding to San Antonio. As the show proceeds to fill the Majestic Theatre with feminism and power for the next two weeks, spectators will continue to be blessed with eye-opening themes of comparison and girlhood. “SIX: The Musical” will be in San Antonio until Oct. 22, so do not miss out on this wonderful opportunity to be educated on feminism through song and dance.
