Grab your crowns because SIX The Musical Live! brings the original West End Queens to the big screen for an empowering theater event.
SIX The Musical feels like a stadium-style pop concert wrapped in a feminist history lesson, and I absolutely love it. Having seen the stage production multiple times in LA, I already knew how infectious the music was. My 13-year-old daughter is completely obsessed, sings the soundtrack constantly, and was even inspired to start doing musical theater because of it. But watching SIX The Musical Live!, captured at London’s Vaudeville Theatre with the original West End cast, is a whole new level of magic.
The film brings back the iconic OG Queens who started this global phenomenon: Jarnéia Richard-Noel (Catherine of Aragon), Millie O’Connell (Anne Boleyn), Natalie Paris (Jane Seymour), Alexia McIntosh (Anna of Cleves), Aimie Atkinson (Katherine Howard), and Maiya Quansah-Breed (Catherine Parr).
Watching them reunite on screen is an unforgettable moment for theater lovers. Even though some of the cast hadn’t performed the show together in years before stepping back onto that stage, their chemistry is instant and effortless. The moment that curtain drops, the dry ice rolls out, and the music hits, you can tell they haven’t missed a single beat.
What makes SIX so extraordinary is the sheer power of its incredible ensemble. There is no massive chorus to hide behind here. It is strictly the six Queens and their phenomenal on-stage band, the Ladies in Waiting.
During my interview with the cast, they talked about how that dynamic forged an unbreakable sisterhood. Because they serve as each other’s backing dancers and harmony vocalists on every single track, there is a deep trust on stage. If one person is having an off day, the others pour into her and lift her up. That real-life love, unity, and connection radiate through every frame of the film.
So often, the media pits women against each other over a man, and while the Queens start out competing over who had it the worst with Henry VIII, they ultimately come together to reclaim their own stories on their own terms. It transforms Tudor history into a celebration of female friendship and solidarity. Something this world could use a lot more of.
Speaking of history, the educational side of this show continues to blow me away. My daughter recently had a project on this time period and sailed through it effortlessly because she knew every detail from the music. When I spoke with the Queens, they shared a story about a primary school teacher who saw the show early on and went back to completely rewrite her Tudor curriculum, shifting the focus away from Henry VIII’s massive narrative and giving these women the spotlight they deserved. How incredible is that?
One of the biggest perks of seeing SIX captured on film is the close-up detail. On stage, you get the grand spectacle, but the camera work here lets you truly appreciate Gabriella Slade’s breathtaking, iconic costume design.
Up close, you can spot all the intricate touches, like the specific choker necklaces worn by the queens who were beheaded. The cast joked with me about how wearing those rigid, armor-like costumes felt at first, but once they lock in, they completely transform into pop-star royalty.
SIX The Musical Live! captures all the raw energy, wit, and heart of the stage show while making it accessible to audiences everywhere who might not otherwise get to experience it live. It is funny, empowering, and wildly entertaining. Whether you are a die-hard fan or a newcomer to the fandom, it is well worth the trip to the movie theater.