How many times have you seen a show and had a brainwave about who you would cast, if you ever got the chance? I know that I have a lot. I was fortunate to see Six twice, once with the original London cast, and once with the original tour cast: both sets of performers were incredible! Still, one of the best things about Six is that there are no real constraints for who can play the different Queens, which only makes dreaming about being their casting director even more exciting.
Catherine of Aragon – Nicole Raquel Dennis
Whilst watching Musicals: The Greatest Show, I saw Nicole’s incredible performance of ‘And I’m Telling You’. Even my parents agreed that “she can’t half sing”, which (translated from Northern) is a huge compliment. Most recently seen as Alana Beck in Dear Evan Hansen before she was about to go on tour as Effie White in Dreamgirls, Dennis is an absolute powerhouse, and I can just imagine her belting out ‘No Way’.
Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss have said that Catherine of Aragon is the Beyoncé of the group, and I think we can all agree that Nicole Raquel Dennis brings those vibes in every performance!
Anne Boleyn – Eva Noblezada
From Kim in Miss Saigon to Eponine in Les Misérables, and now Eurydice in Hadestown, there is nothing Eva Noblezada can’t do. However, it’s fair to say that Eva’s never really played a role that got a happy ending. Now I know Anne Boylen gets her head cut off, which definitely isn’t happy, but the character is sassy, fun, and quite frankly hilarious. I would love to see her take on a more comedic role in an upbeat show. Anyone that follows her social media will know that Eva is the queen of empowering women, which fits perfectly with the overall message of Six. I think she would be amazing!
Jane Seymour – Rachelle Ann Go
I had the pleasure of seeing Rachelle Ann Go as Eliza in Hamilton, and she was incredible: possibly my favourite Eliza ever, but that’s a conversation for another time. When you listen to her singing ‘Burn’, it’s impossible not to think what her rendition of ‘Heart of Stone’ would be like. So, I’m starting a campaign right now! I think she would bring something magical to the role; her voice is outstanding, but she also has such an incredible stage presence and a magical way of fully engaging the audience.
Anne of Cleves – Miriam Teak Lee
Anne of Cleves was the hardest Queen to cast until I had, what I believe to be, the best thought yet- Miriam Teak Lee. Most recently, she won an Olivier award for her performance as Juliet in &Juliet, a jukebox musical packed full of pop songs and pop culture references, so I think that she would be incredibly comfortable in a show like Six, and perfect as Anne of Cleves. Also, because &Juliet has a lot of dance routines, we know that she can bring the moves and party atmosphere that Anne of Cleves needs. Although it took me a while to get here, now I’ve settled on Miriam, I desperately want to see her in the role!
Katherine Howard – Brittney Johnson
This is one my wildcard! Brittney made Broadway history by being the first black woman to play Glinda in Wicked, and it’s not secret that her voice is outstanding. The way she is able to convey the rawest of emotions so naturally through song makes me think that her version of ‘All You Wanna Do’ would be incredible! For me ‘All You Wanna Do’ is one of the best songs in the show; it details Katherine Howard’s life and what went wrong for her, whilst being full of cheeky innuendos. It is nuanced, but still fun, with elements of pop music, and I think Brittney could really do the song justice. She is already a queen in her own right, so it’s time that she plays one.
Catherine Parr – Renée Elise Goldsberry
To me, this is a no-brainer. We all know that Renée smashed it as Angelica in Hamilton, but I think she would be the perfect Catherine Parr. Quieter than the other Queens, Catherine has great strength, understanding, and a passion for educating women, and that is just Renée. I can imagine her version of ‘I Don’t Need Your Love’ to be a mix of ‘Satisfied’ and ‘It’s Quiet Uptown’, in the best way possible. She is a powerhouse, so I have no qualms about putting it out there, into the universe, that we need to see her in Six as Catherine Parr soon!
Words by Orla McAndrew.
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