With SIX, Washington Pavilion lands recent Broadway favorite ahead of bigger markets

This piece is sponsored by Washington Pavilion Management Inc.

Of all the shows in this season’s Washington Pavilion Performance Series, Bob Wendland is most eager for Sioux Falls to see the one arriving later this month.

It’s SIX: a recent, wildly popular show on Broadway that has made its way to Sioux Falls sooner than many similar national tours. It will perform at the Washington Pavilion with seven shows May 28-June 1.

“Because we have a full week of the show, there are still really great seats available,” said Wendland, assistant director of performances.

“This is a fairly new show, and the newer shows often tour for at least a week at a time. For us to have that caliber show here this soon is really exciting. There are a lot of markets our size or bigger that don’t have access to these shows in these first few tours.”

SIX likely is unlike any Broadway show you’ve seen. It’s a 90-minute pop musical, with no intermission and plenty of energy.

It’s also just six performers on stage — the entire show — with a live band.

“They’re on stage the entire time singing really upbeat music — the type of music you’d hear on a top-hits list today,” Wendland said. “It’s theatrical, the production value is through the roof, and it feels like a Broadway musical meets a Taylor Swift or Beyonce concert.”

The plot revolves around the six wives of Henry VIII. Like the hit show Hamilton, it will introduce the audience to historical figures in a new light.

“Every actress is portraying a woman who truly existed, and through song, they tell us more about themselves and their relationship with King Henry,” Wendland said.

“That’s the overarching theme, but there’s also a very strong undercurrent of female empowerment and what it’s like to be a woman. These six women have important things to say, and their voices are extremely impressive. They are truly performing to the people in the house and engaging with the audience.”

SIX won 23 awards in the 2021-22 Broadway season, including the Tony Award for Best Original Score (Music and Lyrics) and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical.

“I saw it on Broadway in 2023, and it is just electric,” Wendland said. “The energy they send from the stage is something you have to experience.”

The Washington Pavilion will host talk-back opportunities with the cast after the performances May 29 and 30.

Come two hours early and enjoy a pre-show lounge experience featuring “The Royal Feast” meal. For $16, it features herb roasted chicken, roasted root vegetable, roasted fingerlings and a dinner roll. Themed cocktail and mocktails will be offered before and during the show.

There also will be an opportunity for high school performers to participate in a workshop with the artists on tour.

“That’s such a rare treat for our young local artists to connect with these touring professionals who are truly making a living doing what they love,” Wendland said.

For Sioux Falls, “this is what we call a gateway show in a lot of ways,” Wendland explained. “It’s a big show. It did really well on Broadway and is still performing on Broadway and all over the country and is very popular.”

When producers and other decision-makers decide to bring other large shows to Sioux Falls, they look at how a show such as SIX performed, he said.

“So it’s exciting to see tickets selling well and that so many people in our community are going to get to see this show,” Wendland said. “I bet we have some folks travel from near and far because it’s such a big title and an exciting one, especially with younger audiences. I’m sure there will be people who have seen it on Broadway or a market like Minneapolis and are going to travel to see it again.”

For information and to buy tickets, visit here.