A First Look at the Cast of Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Six

The new musical about the wives of Henry VIII will make its American premiere May 14.

The American premiere of Six, the new musical about the wives of Henry VIII, will kick off at Chicago Shakespeare Theater May 14. The musical, written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, arrives in the U.S. after a hit Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut and subsequent U.K. tour.

In Six, the queens of Henry VIII take the mic to reclaim their identities out of the shadow of their infamous spouse—remixing 500 years of historical heartbreak into a celebration of twenty-first-century girl power.

Directed by Moss and Jamie Armitage, the all-woman cast, backed by the all-woman band the “Ladies in Waiting,” features Adrianna Hicks (The Color Purple) as Catherine of Aragon, Abby Mueller (Beautiful) as Jane Seymour, Andrea Macasaet as Anne Boleyn, Brittney Mack as Anna of Cleves, Samantha Pauly as Katherine Howard, and Anna Uzele (Once On This Island) as Catherine Parr. Nicole Kyoung-Mi Lambert and Mallory Maedke have been cast as the Alternate Queens.

The “Ladies in Waiting” include Julia Schade Armstrong (keyboard/conductor/assistant music director), Kimi Hayes (guitars), Stacy McMichael (electric bass), and Sarah Allen (drums).

The production will also feature music direction by Roberta Duchak, assistant direction by Megan E. Farley, scenic design by Emma Bailey, costumes by Gabriella Slade, sound design by Paul Gatehouse, lighting by Tim Deiling, orchestrations by Tom Curran, vocal arrangements by Joe Beighton, and original choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, in addition to the work of associate choreographers Melody Sinclair and Dionna PridGeon.

The Chicago venue is presenting the musical previously seen in London by arrangement with Kenny Wax, Global Musicals, George Stiles, and Kevin McCollum.