You might call it a history lesson set to music. Critics have described it as “electrifying,” “energizing,” and it was honored with 23 awards in the 2021/2022 Broadway season, including the Tony Award for Best Original Score (Music and Lyrics) and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical.
Now, from September 30 through October 5, Ensemble Arts Philly and The Shubert Organization will present **“SIX”** at the Academy of Music, bringing that electrifying energy to Philadelphia.
From Tudor Queens to pop icons, the six wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix 500 years of historical heartbreak into a euphoric celebration of 21st-century girl power.
Tony Award winners Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss conceived the original concept and began writing *SIX* while students at Cambridge University in early 2017. From its first presentation featuring student actors to winning five 2019 Laurence Olivier Award nominations, the show has gone on to become an international phenomenon.
“*SIX* is just one of many shows on our 2025-26 Broadway season that amplifies the voices and experiences of women — both through theatrical retellings of historic events and through fictionalized storytelling,” says Frances Egler, Vice President of Theatrical Programming and Presentations. “Set to an irresistible pop score, *SIX* is an electrifying, contemporary take on six historic women who are reclaiming their crowns and their place in history.”
### Meet the Six Wives of Henry VIII
Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Katherine Parr were the six wives of King Henry VIII of England—each with a dramatic story, often ending in heartbreak, including beheading! One wife, his fourth, Anne of Cleves, got off relatively easy—alive and eventually quite prosperous.
Afro-Canadian triple-threat artist Hailey Alexis Lewis takes on the role of Anne of Cleves in the current production. She has appeared in various Canadian productions of *SIX* since 2023.
“The plot is pretty much the same, but the show always takes on some small changes when different people take on different roles,” Lewis says. “I, myself, have played several roles, but I don’t really have a favorite. I loved all my queens and what they brought to the play.”
Speaking of luck—or the lack of it—Lewis believes Anne of Cleves probably had it the best, as she left her unhappy marriage with a fortune.
“She ended up with a ton of money and a much better life without Henry,” Lewis notes.
### Bringing History to Life on Stage
Playing someone who lived centuries ago can be quite daunting, so the writers helped the cast prepare by sending documentaries about the wives to watch.
“That really helped a lot,” Lewis shares. “And then there’s the element of bringing yourself to the character. You can rehearse and rehearse, but once you put on that costume and step out on stage, your character comes to life.”
### A Star in the Making
Lewis’ own zest for life and early career goals showed when she was just a toddler.
“When I was just 3 years old, I used to walk around my house saying, ‘I want to be a superstar!’” she recalls. And she never changed her mind.
She began studying dance as a young girl, and one day her teacher saw something special in her and advised Lewis to add singing and acting to her growing list of talents.
All grown up, Lewis attended Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, to earn her degree in musical theater as her career goals became clearer.
“It was there that I began to think maybe I really could become all the things I’d wanted to be since I was a child,” she shares. “I started to believe in myself.”
Today, Lewis has made significant progress toward her ultimate goal of superstardom. In addition to *SIX*, she has performed in productions including *Harry Potter and the Cursed Child*, *Hairspray*, and more across Canadian theaters, while also amassing TV and film credits.
“And my ultimate goal is to one day originate a role on Broadway—one that would be just perfect for me!” she says.
For more information on Hailey Alexis Lewis and the *SIX* production, visit [www.ensembleartsphilly.org](http://www.ensembleartsphilly.org).
https://www.phillytrib.com/entertainment/the_arts/hailey-alexis-lewis-is-closer-to-her-goal-of-superstardom-one-queen-at-a-time/article_fe93e838-6297-48e2-afdd-6d2c0b3e3045.html
