Six wives trump one tyrannical king in award-winning musical at the First Interstate

If you believe that comedy is tragedy plus time, then “Six” is your musical. The Tony award-winning play is a modern retelling of the lives and executions of the six wives of King Henry VIII. The star-crossed wives, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr, each tell their story to determine who suffered the most from their common husband.

Playwrights Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss wrote “Six,” which will appear Tuesday through Jan. 28 at the First Interstate Center for the Arts, in 2016 and modeled the wives after contemporary pop stars.

The voice of Catherine of Aragon (played by Gerianne Pérez) is inspired by Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Hudson. Boleyn (Zan Berube) is comprised of elements of Miley Cyrus, Avril Lavigne and Lily Allen. Seymour (Amina Faye) has qualities of Adele, Sia and Celine Dio. Anna of Cleves (Terica Marie) is a mix of Nicki Minaj and Rihanna. Howard (Aline Mayagoitia) is inspired by Alicia Keys and Emeli Sande. Parr (Adriana Scalice) is a blend of Britney Spears and Ariana Grande. The cast also includes alternatives Aryn Bohannon, Wesley Carpenter, Jana Larell Glover, Taylor Pearlstein, Cassie Silva and Kelly Denice Taylor.

“Six” is based on historic events and figures but artistic liberties are taken.

“It never gets old,” Pearlstein said. “The script and score are a riot, and so smart. I’m a bit of a nerd about European aristocracy and history, so embodying these massively significant women and working to understand their lives so deeply has been fascinating. Examining this history through a modern lens highlights just how much we have in common with these women, and how much work we have done and still have to do.”

Even though it’s been 500 years since Henry VIII’s wives walked the Earth, Pearlstein feels the connection with the king’s better halves. “It was wild to realize how easily I empathize with these queens’ experiences,” Pearlestein said. “Sure, the threat of beheading is significantly less in 2024 than 1536, but the social oppression that these queens lived under still has threads through how we live today, how we treat women, how we talk about them. This is part of why telling stories like this is so important. Remembering history is a vital part of progress.”

Part of Pearlstein’s history is summering in Spokane and Sandpoint.

“I grew up in the Seattle area, and I’d spend my summers as a child between the Spokane and Sandpoint,” Pearlstein said. “Pretty much all my extended family is coming to see the show while we’re in town.”

A limited number of $30 lottery tickets to “Six” (plus $6 fee) will be sold to winners of a random drawing. To enter, visit luckyseat.com. Drawings begin at 10 a.m. Friday, and winners will be notified by email.

The Washington Post hails “Six” as “Exactly the kind of energizing, inspirational illumination this town aches for!”