Broadway in Peoria:  SIX Brings Six Queens, Pop Music and Tudor History to Peoria This November

Forget everything you think you know about the six wives of Henry VIII.

When SIX: The Musical comes to the Peoria Civic Center Theatre Nov. 17-19 as part of the Broadway in Peoria series, audiences won’t be getting a traditional historical musical filled with elaborate period costumes and a long, solemn retelling of Tudor England. Instead, they’ll get six queens transformed into modern-day pop stars, an all-female band, plenty of humor and a high-energy concert that turns one of history’s most infamous royal marriages into a celebration of the women involved.

The Tony Award-winning musical is the latest touring production to visit Peoria as part of the 2026-27 Broadway in Peoria season.  The production runs approximately 80 minutes with no intermission.

For anyone who has ever heard the familiar description of Henry VIII’s wives — “divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived” — SIX takes that history and turns it completely upside down.

A Different Kind of History Lesson

At the center of SIX are Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr.

The musical begins with the six women competing to determine which of them had the worst experience as Henry VIII’s wife. Each queen takes the microphone to tell her story, explain what she endured and make the case for why she should be considered the group’s ultimate “leading lady.”

But the competition eventually becomes something much more meaningful.

Rather than defining themselves by their relationship with Henry, the queens begin reclaiming their own identities. The women who have traditionally been remembered primarily as “the six wives of Henry VIII” become individuals with distinct personalities, experiences and voices.

That concept is the foundation of SIX: What if these women could tell their own stories instead of having their lives summarized by what happened to them after they married a king?

The answer is a musical that combines historical characters with the sound, attitude and visual language of a modern pop concert. The Broadway League describes the show as the six wives taking the microphone to reclaim their identities from the shadow of their famous husband.

The Music Is a Major Part of the Experience

Perhaps the biggest surprise for first-time audiences is just how contemporary SIX sounds.

Written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, the score doesn’t attempt to recreate Tudor-era music. Instead, each queen is presented almost like a modern pop superstar with her own musical style and personality.

The result is a mix of pop, rock, dance and contemporary concert sounds.

The musical’s structure also makes the songs particularly important. Each queen gets her opportunity to step into the spotlight and tell her story through music, creating six distinct performances that gradually come together as the show progresses.

And these aren’t simply singers standing on an empty stage.

The queens are backed by an all-female band known as the Ladies in Waiting, reinforcing the show’s concert atmosphere.

The score’s success has extended well beyond the stage. SIX won the Tony Award for Best Original Score, and the Broadway cast recording became a major success, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard cast album chart and the Broadway album has surpassed one billion streams worldwide.

The Queens Have Their Own Musical Identities

One of the cleverest elements of SIX is the way each queen is given a different contemporary musical persona.

Catherine of Aragon opens the story with the perspective of Henry’s first wife and establishes the idea that each queen has a story that deserves to be heard.

Anne Boleyn brings irreverence, sarcasm and a particularly playful attitude to the stage, turning her notorious reputation into one of the show’s comic highlights.

Jane Seymour offers a more emotional perspective, exploring love, sacrifice and the complicated realities behind her relationship with Henry.

Anna of Cleves provides plenty of comedy while telling the story of a woman whose circumstances ultimately gave her an unusual degree of independence.

Katherine Howard brings a more serious and vulnerable dimension to the show as her story examines the difficult experiences behind her brief life and marriage to Henry.

Catherine Parr helps bring the queens’ individual stories together and plays an important role in the show’s ultimate message about identity and empowerment.

Together, the six characters create a musical that can shift from hilarious to emotional within minutes.

What Makes SIX Different?

There are plenty of musicals about historical figures, but SIX doesn’t really behave like one.

It feels more like attending a pop concert where the performers happen to be six women from Tudor history.

The production uses modern costumes, lighting, choreography and staging rather than attempting to recreate Henry VIII’s court. The queens speak directly to the audience, perform as contemporary entertainers and frequently use humor to poke fun at the historical circumstances surrounding them.

That means audiences shouldn’t expect a conventional chronological retelling of Henry VIII’s reign.

Instead, SIX uses history as its jumping-off point and then asks the queens to take ownership of their stories.

The result is energetic, funny and deliberately modern.

5 Things to Know Before Seeing Broadway in Peoria’s SIX

1. It’s short — but very energetic.
The complete production lasts about 80 minutes and does not have an intermission. That makes SIX considerably shorter than many touring Broadway productions, but the pace rarely lets up.

2. It’s a concert as much as a musical.
The queens perform with a live all-female band, and the staging, lighting and choreography are designed to create the feeling of a contemporary pop concert.

3. You don’t need to know much about Tudor history.
The musical provides enough information about each queen for newcomers to follow along. Knowing the basic Henry VIII story may add another layer of enjoyment, but it’s certainly not required.

4. It’s funny — and sometimes surprisingly emotional.
The show uses plenty of comedy and modern humor, but some of the queens’ stories are considerably more serious. The contrast gives the production more depth than its flashy concert presentation might initially suggest.

5. It isn’t necessarily a show for very young children.
The Peoria Civic Center’s official audience advisory recommends SIX for ages 10 and older. The production contains flashing lights, strobe effects, theatrical haze and loud music throughout. Children under 5 are not permitted in the theater.

What to Expect When You Walk Into the Theater

The biggest adjustment for audiences accustomed to traditional Broadway musicals may be the show’s concert atmosphere.

Don’t expect the performers to spend most of the evening moving through elaborate sets and lengthy dialogue scenes. Instead, expect the queens to take the stage, grab the microphone and command the room.

There will be singing, dancing, jokes, audience interaction and plenty of visual energy.

The production’s lighting and sound are an important part of the experience, and the show’s official Peoria advisory specifically warns audiences to expect loud music, flashing lights, strobe effects and theatrical haze.

Because there is no intermission, it’s also worth planning accordingly. Once the performance begins, the show essentially moves straight through to its conclusion.

For audiences who enjoy contemporary pop music, musical theater, comedy or performances that break the traditional rules of Broadway, that nonstop format is likely to be one of the show’s biggest attractions.

Broadway in Peoria – SIX 

Where: Peoria Civic Center Theatre 
Dates: Tuesday, Nov. 17, through Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026
Time: 7:30 p.m. each evening
Running time: Approximately 80 minutes, no intermission
Age recommendation: 10 and older
Content/technical advisory: Loud music, flashing lights, strobe effects and theatrical haze

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