You may have heard the rhyme to describe the fates of King Henry VIII’s wives: divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. Well, there is a little bit more to the story that the hit musical “Six” is telling at Omaha’s Orpheum Theatre from March 25-29.
In this show, these queens are not confined to their relationship. Instead, Jane Seymour, Anne Boleyn, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Parr, Catherine Howard and Catherine of Aragon (yes, he married three Catherines and two Annes) turn their lamenting into a celebration of their sisterhood.
Kelly Denice Taylor plays the role of Henry’s third wife, Seymour. Throughout her time on stage, she proves that she is more than just the wife who died, but rather a bereaved mother fighting to produce a male heir and hold onto Henry’s love.
Taylor said she changes the pace of the show a bit with her performance of the fourth number, “Heart of Stone.”
“The heartfelt ballad in the middle of the show will always pull on people’s heartstrings,” Taylor said.
Taylor said performing the song sends a mix of feelings rushing through her as she sings. According to Taylor, the song is extremely vocally demanding, with its bold sound and heartfelt lyrics.
Taylor said people will come up to her after the show, sharing their connections with the character and her struggles.
“I think people come into the show feeling ready to hear ‘Heart of Stone’ and that makes my job really easy,” Taylor said.
Taylor actually played the role of Seymour for a brief time on Broadway with the original company. She said the difference with touring is monumental, calling them totally different jobs.
“There is just a different energy with New York than performing in smaller cities on tour,” Taylor said.
However, Taylor said she doesn’t take for granted the opportunity to share the show’s message throughout the U.S. Taylor said she especially enjoyed passing through Omaha on previous tours.
“What I think is great about going to places like Omaha is that people not only from Omaha will see it, but the neighboring cities and all of the small towns that are around Nebraska,” Taylor said.
Taylor said that while her character gets the slower ballad of the show, that doesn’t mean she gets to conserve energy. In fact, she said she is on stage for nearly all of the show, only leaving for seconds at a time for water or a quick change.
It is also important to note that “Six” is a show with no intermission. Taylor said it is a sprint from start to end.
“I think people come in thinking that they’re going to sit still and be quiet the entire time,” Taylor said.
According to Taylor, that is simply not the case. She said this show is a whirlwind pop concert with unmatched humor and unexpected fourth-wall breaks. She said audience members should expect to be on their toes, ready to laugh and dance along with the queens.
These six queens turned pop icons are making a stop in Omaha, March 25-29, for eight shows only. Catch Taylor and her castmates by finding tickets to the show here.