SIX the musical has spent the last decade rocking every stage it’s been on —from England to NYC’s Broadway —and, most notably, won the 2022 Tony Award for Best Original Score. And now, SIX (teen edition) has finally landed here at San Dimas. From April 22-26, SDHS’s Theatre program performed a unique story about King Henry the Eighth’s famous 6 wives. Three High school girls, three middle school girls, and six alumni women were chosen to be double-cast as the famous Queens; and to accommodate the rest of the cast, the remaining middle school girls played the “Ladies” and the boys, both high and middle school, played “Lords”, as well as taking turns performing King Henry.
The story took a twist on the historic rhyme, “Divorced, Beheaded, Died. Divorced, Beheaded, Survived”, and turned it into the full concert experience, complete with a seemingly self-aware ensemble, and a competition between Queens as to who would become the “leader of the band”– a feature that truly immersed the audience.
SIX is a story about how overlooked women are when their entire identities rely on a man and who they were in relation to him. And by performing the lesson SIX is meant to teach, they gain a firsthand understanding of what the show means in both historical and modern contexts, especially as young women. “I loved being able to connect with the history and emotions behind my character Jane Seymour”, reminisced Justine Valencia (12). “Her story–along with the other five queens’ stories– is so important […] and not only did I get to connect with my character, but also with so many [other] talented performers.”
This musical allowed for personal and external growth, as many of the girls have stated, as evidenced by its portrayal of self-development. The cast was given the opportunity that arises in every show to improve their acting and voices, but what made SIX unique was the chance to become better people. The main cast grew exceptionally close, bonding through their work and time on stage.
“The friendships that come with theatre allow you to [develop] lifelong friends of all ages,” said eighth grader Liliana Hampton, who portrayed Katherine Howard. “Just the ability to perform on stage is eye-opening and a beautiful experience, this show specifically. Seeing the work everybody puts in, it really goes to show how much love this industry has.”
SIX, Teen Edition, was one of those rare shows that comes to SDHS every once in a while when the following three criteria are met: a talented group of kids, a story worth telling, and a bonded cast. The friendships these girls made offstage were what really allowed them to shine, no doubt bringing justice to the original six women whose lives were being told on that stage.
