‘Six: Teen Edition’ musical comedy to open at Sussex Central March 7

The Take Two Drama Club will present “Six: Teen Edition,” Friday and Saturday, March 8 and 9, at at the Premier Center for the Performing Arts at Sussex Central High School.

Show times are 7 p.m., Friday, and 2 and 7 p.m., Saturday. A musical comedy with music, book and lyrics by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, “Six: Teen Edition,” is presented with special permission of Concord Theatricals.

“This play is a retelling of the lives of the six wives of Henry VIII presented in the form of a pop concert,” said David Warick, Take Two Drama Club advisor and teacher. “In the show, each of the wives – Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr – tell their own story in order to have the audience decide who suffered the most from their royal husband.”

Tickets are $12 (plus a processing fee) and are available online at rb.gy/1qxwwt. Online payment is preferred, and Take Two offers a discount for online purchases. Tickets will also be available at the door for $15 each. However, no one will be turned away for inability to pay.

“The fun thing about this show is it’s like a great pop concert, so kids, teens and adults can all get into the music and humor,” said Warick.

In developing the characters, Marlow and Moss were inspired by several real-life pop stars. For example, Catherine of Aragon, played by SCHS sophomore Syreniti Bennefield, is modeled after a mixture of Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez. Anne Boleyn, played by senior Brooke Anders, has a Miley Cyrus/Avril Lavigne vibe. Jane Seymour, played by sophomore Kira Judlin, evokes superstar Adele. Anna of Cleves, played by junior Iris Harris, gets the audience popping with the energy, humor and danger of a Nicki Minaj or Rihanna. Katherine Howard, a young woman who lost her head to Henry VIII’s cruel whims, is played by sophomore Braelyn Hurd as a combination of Britney Spears and Ariana Grande with both vulnerability and defiance. Finally, Catherine Parr, Henry’s only wife to both survive the marriage and outlive him, is played by junior Nife Anawo with the authority and passion of an Alicia Keys.

“These students are some of the best performers in the school, and I am eagerly anticipating the community discovering them,” Warick said.

The Take Two Drama Club is an independent nonprofit club and drama boosters organization that supports production of plays and musicals for Sussex Central High School students and surrounding communities. All ticket proceeds support production of future shows and assist Sussex Central students studying and creating theater. To make a donation to Take Two, contact Warick at david.warick@irsd.k12.de.us.