Six the Musical - Arts / Lyric / Vaudeville

I must be turning into an old grouch - I was really disappointed.

After years of listening to the soundtrack I was so excited but found it all very corny. 90% of the jokes don't land and the singing was mixed. I really didn't like Baylie Carson's Anne Boleyn, way too goofball for me. 

It also didn't help I went to the matinee so there were so many really young teens screaming. I was surprised to see so many children there, really young - a lot of the lyrics and dancing are pretty adult.

I know it really hit some kind of zeitgeist and exploded but (very much IMHO obvs) this is one of the most overrated shows ever. And increasingly it's writers are turning into one hit wonders. That said many of my (mid 40s) gay mates obsessed with pop music, not really into musicals, love it. So what do I know lol. Truly wasn't for me though.

Audience both times I went exactly as you describe and I'd not go again.

Believe me, I am happy to cheer and whoop - but this was actual full screaming.

It was a shame because I don't begrudge teens having fun, but it was torture.

It really is like something you would see at the RVT on a Sunday evening which is what I loved about it in the old days.

Now it's been given a facelift and looks a lot more 'professional', but it has lost everything that used to be great about it which was that it was kind of very loose, a bit amateur and there was a lot more audience interaction in place of the 'race to the finish line' vibe it gives now.

I blame the Americans...it very much changed once they started bringing every production in 'line' with the US and Canadian productions even before it hit Broadway.

I saw it last year when it toured to my local theatre. Their midweek matinees are usually pretty quiet, but this was packed, helped by its run falling during school holidays. Lots of kids, including one next to me who sang along to most of the songs. About 8 or 9 years of age and singing about how Henry couldn’t get it up. Rather awkward.

There are some nice songs, but agree the show is was really corny, particularly the competition and its resolution that you can see coming a mile off.

Lots of kids of any generation have been into "edgy" music. I'm sure children of the same age listen to mainstream music/rap with similar lyrics. Also how many pop stars who have a younger following do we read about doing raunchy dance routines, crawling about provacatively on stage wearing very little.

I'm sure a lot of parents would rather take their children to show like Six than some of the concerts the children may request to see.

Saw it in the summer twice in 22 and twice in 21 still I would say the craziest audience I’d been apart of was in June 21 afew weeks after the theatre opened on a Sunday evening . I’m not joking the floor shook. If I hadn’t known any better would have thought it was a cast change.

Went last night. Older audience in the stalls but upstairs sounded a bit livelier.

Not a single incidence of 'bad behavior' (so that's 15 out of 15 for not ever witnessing the supposed nightmare that is Six crowds) unless you consider opening a bag of crisps during the only ballad in the show bad behavior.

I loved Boleyn, thought she was hilarious. The rest were all in fine voice, but yeah the magic of the original cast is still missing here and most of the joke sections are still not what they used to be. But there have been quite a few improvements since last time I saw it and as someone who had gone off the show a bit I thought it was MUCH better than the last few times I've been.

It was great fun and the relatives (aged 43 - 70) all loved it.

I eventually caught up with this yesterday at the Kings Theatre, Southsea, having booked to see it at Chichester early 2020 on what turned out to be the night of storm Brendan when local trains were cancelled.

I went to the 4 pm performance and, as other have commented, there were lots of primary school age children. Many of the little girls were wearing plastic crowns or coronets, which was cute, but as has been noted, made me uneasy with some of the lyrics. There were loads of teens and the merchandise was selling well.

It was a full house and no bad behaviour to report but with all the cheering and whooping there were times when I felt I was at the meeting of a cult, of which I am not a member.

I have mixed thoughts about the show. I love the title song and enjoyed "Heart of Stone" but I thought the other songs were a bit meh. The performers gave it their all but I think my main problem with the show's concept; to me it tried to be clever-clever and succeeded only in behing sixth-formish. Towards the end when one of the Queens asks: "Who knows the name of Henry VII's wife?", I felt like shouting out: "Elizabeth of York". The plot, such as it was, felt very contrived; the "competition" and then at the end the feminist point which ignores facts from history.

I'm sorry if this makes me a pedantic bore. I am pleased that others loved it but I'm afraid it wasn't for me.

Perhaps this belongs to the Theatre Amnesty thread in general chat but noting how well the merchandise was selling at the theatre, I wondered if, when a musical goes on tour, the theatre takes a percentage of mercahndise sales. Can anyone tell me, please?