(Columns often contain opinion)
It’s been four years since “SIX” popped up on my radar.
My son had been a performer on the Carnival Elation, and I started following one of his cast members, Holli’ Conway on Instagram. She went from cruise ships to Miss Louisiana to the Big Apple, where she announced in July 2022 that she was leaving the “Tina” musical to be a queen.
I was intrigued by the costumes which were as un-Tudor-like as possible – spikes, fishnets and boots? As a swing, she played three roles, hopping into Catherine of Aragon, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard when needed.
The first time she portrayed Catherine of Aragon, she used the song “No Way” and the infectious song stuck in my brain.
In February 2025, my daughters, Allie and Jessica, saw “SIX” in Columbia. Since then I’ve taken a couple of road trips with Allie and the soundtrack for “SIX” has been part of her playlist.
My favorite is still “No Way” and the opening number.
I was excited to be part of the audience for opening night of “SIX” at the Columbia County Performing Arts Center on June 9. My high school friend, Tracy Conlon, and I had a girls’ night out. I saw several friends at the show too.
If you haven’t seen the show, it’s a concert style event with the six wives of Henry VIII battling it out to see who has the worst story. Anne Boleyn insists hers is worse – I mean, she does have a point, she was beheaded, but so was Katherine Howard at the age of 19.
I’ve listened to her song several times, and the more I listen to the words, the harder it is to hear. She definitely “wins” the contest in my book – sorry not sorry Aragon and Boleyn.
Each of the six has her own number styled after a specific pop singer or singers.
“Each Queen as we imagined her has a few parallels in the modern-day pop world, and each song is influenced by a number of contemporary singers. Aragon is the Beyoncé of the group. And then there’s Anne Boleyn: traditionally she’s taken very seriously, so we wanted to flip that on its head and make her fun and carefree—like Lily Allen or Avril Lavigne. Jane Seymour is inspired by Adele and Sia. Anna of Cleves’ song is this Rihanna/Nicki Minaj parody. Katherine Howard is inspired by Ariana Grande and Britney Spears—kind of ‘bubblegum pop.’ And we’ll subvert that by…well, you’ll see. And then Catherine Parr is like Alicia Keys, the soulful one who brings everyone together at the end. Some audience members might respond to the Beyoncé references while others will relate to Catherine of Aragon or Anne Boleyn as historical figures. There’s a little something for everybody,” according to Toby Marlow, one of the show’s writers, in an interview at with Chicago Shakespeare Festival.
The show is fast-paced, and it’s over before you realize it. You know what they say about time flying when you’re having fun.
The performers for Tuesday’s show are incredible vocalists with a lot of energy and humor. I loved that the band was on stage with them. Seeing female musicians on stage was a treat – female drummers are still too rare.
I would give a caveat to parents. The show has sexual references threaded through it, and you might want to look up YouTube clips before buying tickets for your children.
There are two more opportunities to see “SIX” Go here for ticket information.
Also on Tuesday, they announced next season’s Broadway offerings. They are “Jersey Boys”, “A Beautiful Noise”, “The Wiz”, “Waitress”, “Legally Blonde” and “Beetlejuice”.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. She’s won multiple Georgia Press Association awards, is the recipient of the 2018 Greater Augusta Arts Council’s media award and was named Augusta Magazine’s best local writer in 2024 and 2025. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
