{"id":52010,"date":"2023-03-17T09:53:44","date_gmt":"2023-03-17T13:53:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=52010"},"modified":"2023-03-17T09:53:46","modified_gmt":"2023-03-17T13:53:46","slug":"on-stage-extra-six-comes-to-kimmel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=52010","title":{"rendered":"On Stage Extra: ‘Six’ Comes to Kimmel"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"

Six<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cSIX\u201d is a musical that has reached legendary status in just a few years.<\/p>\n

From March 21 through April 9, the Kimmel Cultural Campus is presenting \u201cSIX\u201d at the Academy of Music as part of its 2022-2023 Broadway series, (Broad and Locust streets, Philadelphia,www.kimmelculturalcampus.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cSIX\u201d is a British\u00a0musical<\/a>\u00a0comedy\u00a0with music, book, and lyrics by\u00a0Toby Marlow\u00a0and\u00a0Lucy Moss.\u00a0It is a modern retelling of the lives of the six\u00a0wives of Henry VIII, presented in the form of a pop concert. In the show, each of the wives (Catherine of Aragon,\u00a0Anne Boleyn,\u00a0Jane Seymour,\u00a0Anna of Cleves,\u00a0Katherine Howard, and\u00a0Catherine Parr) takes a turn telling her story to see who suffered the most because of Henry VIII. <\/p>\n

The musical premiered at the\u00a0Edinburgh Festival Fringe\u00a0in 2017, where it was performed by students from\u00a0Cambridge University. \u201cSIX\u201d\u00a0premiered on the\u00a0West End\u00a0in January 2019, and has since embarked on a UK tour, been produced in Australia at the\u00a0Sydney Opera House\u00a0in January 2020, and premiered on\u00a0Broadway\u00a0in March 2020.<\/p>\n

After the break for the COVID pandemic, it officially opened at the\u00a0Lena Horne Theatre\u00a0in October 2021. Now, \u201cSIX\u201d is out on two North American national tours — the \u201cAragon\u201d and \u201cBoleyn\u201d tours, both of which began in 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cSIX\u201d tells the story of the six wives of Henry VIII in a very different way. At the beginning of the show, the six women argue with one another as they try to claim that they had it worse. But as they listen to their stories, they open their hearts to each other and realize it\u2019s better to stick together.<\/p>\n

Marlow and Lucy Moss came up with the idea to create a musical based on Henry VIII\u2019s wives while studying at the University of Cambridge \u2013 and then bring the characters to life based on the personas of current pop divas.<\/p>\n

Catherine of Aragon, who was Henry VIII\u2019s first wife, was married to Henry VIII from 1509-1523. Their divorce led to the creation of the Church of England. Beyonc\u00e9 and Jennifer Lopez inspired the Catherine of Aragon character.<\/p>\n

Anne Boleyn, who was the King\u2019s second wife, was married to him from 1533-1536 when Boleyn was beheaded on accusation of incest and adultery. Avril Lavigne inspired the Anne Boleyn\u00a0character.<\/p>\n

Jane Seymour, the third wife, was only married for one year, but she did provide Henry VIII with his first son, Edward. Jane Seymour died in childbirth. Adele inspired the Jane Seymour character.<\/p>\n

Anna of Cleves was Henry VIII\u2019s fourth wife, and they were only married for seven months in the early part of 1540. Rihanna and Nicki Minaj inspired the Anna of Cleves\u00a0Six\u00a0character.<\/p>\n

Katherine Howard, Henry VIII\u2019s fifth wife, married days after and were wed from July 1540 to February 1542. She was beheaded because of her extramarital affairs. Ariana Grande and Britney Spears inspired the Katherine Howard character.<\/p>\n

Catherine Parr, the King\u2019s sixth and final wife, got married in 1543 and stayed together until 1547 when Henry VIII passed away. Alicia Keys inspired the Catherine Parr\u00a0character.<\/p>\n

The show in Philadelphia is the \u201cBoleyn Tour,\u201d which features Gerianne P\u00e9rez\u00a0as Catherine of Aragon; Zan Berube as Anne Boleyn; Amina Faye as Jane Seymour; Terica Marie as Anna of Cleves; Aline Mayagoitia as Katherine Howard; and Sydney Parra as Catherine Parr.<\/p>\n

Both P\u00e9rez\u00a0and Mayagoitia have Latin roots.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was born in Mexico City,\u201d said Mayagoitia, during a phone interview Wednesday morning from a tour stop in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe moved to Austin, Texas when I was 10. Then, I studied musical theater at the University of Michigan. I was also interested in comedy.<\/p>\n

\u201cMexico City still feels like home. My mom is a theater director in Mexico City and I\u2019m still very connected. I\u2019m still a fan of \u00a0UNAM (one f Mexico\u2019s top soccer clubs) along with the rest of my family.\u201d<\/p>\n

P\u00e9rez said, \u201cI was born in Tampa. I was an Army brat and we lived in Massachusetts, Washington State, Georgia and Kentucky. New York and Florida are the main places I call home.\u201d<\/p>\n

For P\u00e9rez, it’s also an opportunity to integrate her Puerto Rican heritage into the role \u2013 especially with the Jennifer Lopez aspects of the role adding to the Boricua vibe.<\/p>\n

\u201cI first heard the \u2018SIX\u2019 album in 2019,\u201d said P\u00e9rez. \u201cIt\u2019s an incredible concept album. The second I heard it, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. It\u2019s a musical like no other. I get to play the role in a very concert style.\u201d<\/p>\n

One by one, the queens take the stage in a solo song, each wife channeling a different modern pop act as she makes the case that her trauma was the worst trauma. Even when\u00a0Six\u2019s song pairings don\u2019t make much historical sense, they can still be fun.<\/p>\n

\u201cCatherine of Aragon was his first wife,\u201d said P\u00e9rez. \u201cThe pressure of her not giving the King a male child fractured their marriage. She was a spectacular woman \u2013 very fiery. She was a badass woman. Henry couldn\u2019t outsmart her.\u201d<\/p>\n

In this play, all the queens are color-coded.<\/p>\n

\u201cI play the King\u2019s second wife, Katherine Howard,\u201d said Mayagoitia. \u201cI\u2019m color-coded and I wear pink. The color is based on the vocals but mainly the vibe.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe show was written by history students at Cambridge. What my queen is known for is being promiscuous — but she was groomed for it when she was 14.\u201d<\/p>\n

The play deals with abuse, feminism, women\u2019s rights and the trials women faced back in the Tudor age. In that respect, it has a lot of similarities to the present time.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes, it\u2019s sad that a lot of things women dealt with then are still happening now \u2013 assault, harassment, problems in the workplace,\u201d said Mayagoitia.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s 2023 \u2013 why are we still putting pregnant women at risk? Looking at these problems is sad but it\u2019s also healing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSIX\u201d is a combination of a high voltage pop music show and an intriguing history lesson.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s incapable to do this show at less than 90 percent,\u201d said P\u00e9rez. \u201cWith some Broadway shows you can do 70 per cent and it still works — not this show. Everything is high energy. We break the fourth wall.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cSIX\u201d \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/Tucw-hVaU3o<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cSIX\u201d will run from March 21 through April 9 at the Academy of Music. Ticket prices start at $35.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a wine aficionado, you probably think of Dragonette as a top-flight winery from Buellton in California\u2019s Central Coast.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a fan of electro-pop music, you know Dragonette as a top-flight electronic rock band from Toronto.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Dragonette<\/p><\/div>\n

Dragonette\u00a0is the stage name of Canadian singer-songwriter\u00a0Martina Sorbara. Originally an\u00a0electronic music\u00a0band that formed in Toronto in 2005,\u00a0the band featured Sorbara with drummer Joel Stouffer and Sorbara\u2019s husband Dan Kurtz as bassist and producer.<\/p>\n

Dragonette released a\u00a0self-titled EP\u00a0in 2005 before being signed to\u00a0Mercury Records\u00a0and relocating to\u00a0London, where they recorded and released their debut studio album,\u00a0\u201cGalore,\u201d in August 2007. The band followed with \u201cFixin to Thrill\u201d in 2009 and \u201cBodyparts\u201d in 2012. Dragonette\u2019s fourth album, \u201cRoyal Blues,\u201d was released in late 2016.<\/p>\n

They performed as a group until 2016, when both Kurtz and Stouffer left the band, with Sorbara continuing under the Dragonette moniker as a solo act. Dragonette\u2019s fifth album,\u00a0\u201cTwennies,\u201d\u00a0(and the first as a solo act) was released in October 2022.<\/p>\n

On\u00a0\u201cTwennies,\u201d Sorbara chose to work with one creative partner for the entire project — Los Angeles-based producer\u00a0Dan Farber\u00a0(Dizzee Rascal, Lizzo). The two artists spent several weeks together holed up in Sorbara\u2019s Toronto studio, where they wrote the majority of the record.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was the first time I worked with Dan,\u201d said Sorbara, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from her home in Toronto.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe met a couple years ago at a festival. This was our first session together and I went to his house. We wrote the song \u2018Good Intentions.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter that, I flew Dan up to Toronto because I had a kid, and it was easier that way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know I was writing a Dragonette record. We just wrote a bunch more songs. It fleshed out the vibe of the first song we had written. It pivoted from previous Dragonette music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sorbara\u2019s debut solo album was \u201cUnplaceables,\u201d which was released independently in 1998. Her second album, \u201cThe Cure for Bad Deeds,\u201d was released independently in 2000.\u00a0She supported the second album with a national tour, performing on the folk festival circuit and as an opening act for\u00a0Danny Michel\u00a0and\u00a0Sarah Harmer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in a folk music alternative mode,\u201d said Sorbara. \u201cFrom ages 16-24, I performed by myself on stage with a guitar. I was a singer\/songwriter inspired by the music I grew up on.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, I discovered pop music. Then, I got excited to not be a folk singer. I write pop music from not quite a poppy place. It allowed for a more full record.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe songs on \u2018Twennies\u2019 were written during the pandemic. When I\u2019m writing, it\u2019s mostly a melody with word-like shapes. The word shapes tell me the flavor of the emotion. The words tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTwennies\u201d displays Sorbara\u2019s success at finding her niche.<\/p>\n

According to Sorbara, \u201cIt\u2019s a true hybrid of my original influences as a child and what I\u2019ve learned along the way. It feels so representative of my musical journey. It\u2019s my favorite thing I\u2019ve ever done. I\u2019m so proud of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was different with \u201cRoyal Blues\u201d which was the last album Sorbara made before the marriage broke up and Kurtz left the band.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe \u2018Royal Blues\u2019 album was written when we were already broken up,\u201d said Sorbara. \u201cI flew around writing with different people.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter that record cycle, I had a kid. My son Bralow was born in 2018.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the other two left the band, I thought about a new name \u2013 or maybe just using my real name. But the name Dragonette just felt powerful. I decided to take that step by myself and not walk away from the thing I had worked so hard for.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a career spanning more than 15 years, Dragonette has scored numerous global hits including “Pick Up the Phone,” “Let it Go,” “Tokyo Nights” with Digital Farm Animals and Shaun Frank, \u201cOutlines” with Mike Mago, \u201cSlow Song\u201d with The Knocks, and the chart-topping \u201cHello” with Martin Solveig, which garnered a JUNO Award win for ‘Dance Recording of the Year\u2019 and returned to the Billboard Dance Charts just last year. Collaborating with the world\u2019s biggest DJs including Martin Garrix, Basement Jaxx, Kaskade, Galantis, and more, Dragonette\u2019s musical diversity knows no bounds, and as a songwriter her credits include Keith Urban, Cyndi Lauper, Pretty Sister, and Carly Rae Jepsen, among others.<\/p>\n

Now, Sorbara is embarking on a run of select spring U.S. and Canadian tour dates in support of \u201cTwennies,\u201d which was released via\u00a0BMG. The tour kicks off on March 22\u00a0in\u00a0Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been rehearsing for the live shows and just did a CD release party in Toronto,\u201d said Sorbara. \u201cI\u2019m playing more guitar. It\u2019s a three-piece with a drummer and a bassist who also plays guitar and keys.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe play songs from all the albums. I\u2019ve played Philly before, but it\u2019s been a while. I\u2019m looking forward to playing there again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Dragonette \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/hBL4qqpH9ug<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show on March 22 at The Foundry will start at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $25.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Church of Cash<\/p><\/div>\n

If you\u2019re a working musician with an impressive baritone voice, a strong stage presence, a long career in the business and a love for Johnny Cash\u2019s music since you were young, forming a Johnny Cash tribute band is an easy path to follow.<\/p>\n

Jay Ernest, the founding force behind Minneapolis-based Church of Cash, found that path.<\/p>\n

Ernest formed Church of Cash in Honolulu in 2010.<\/p>\n

On March 19, he will perform live with Church of Cash in a matinee show the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, www.st94.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been a lifelong touring musician,\u201d said Ernest, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Texas last week. \u201cI was based out of Hawaii for four years starting in 2007.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was friends with band Go Jimmy Go. Their bass player quit the band, so they wanted me to join and go to Hawaii with them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came into the band as bass player. I also played clubs, did solo gigs. I toured Asia and the United States. I was playing a lot of different types of music \u2013 including a lot of Johnny Cash songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was born and raised a Johnny Cash fan. My dad played his songs and sang them to me since I was a little kid.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started Church of Cash in Hawaii in 2010. I played shows for soldiers who were arriving in Hawaii \u2013 coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq. Church of Cash was instantly popular with the soldiers.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a while, Ernest moved back to his native Minnesota.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew Church of Cash would be successful in Minnesota,\u201d said Ernest. \u201cAlso, it gave me the opportunity to do my own music. On March 9, I released \u2018Take the Country Back,\u2019 which is my first single under my own name. It was very Johnny Cash influenced.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been a lifelong musician. I started as a young kid. I was always a singer \u2013 in choirs and in musicals. When I was 13, I got an electric guitar.<\/p>\n

\u201cLater, I went to college at Morehead State as a classical singer \u2013 a baritone. I focused on German composers like (Franz) Schubert and (Robert) Schumann. But rock and roll was always a part of it. In my senior year, I started a band.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, Ernest\u2019s band is the Church of Cash.<\/p>\n

The Church of Cash is true to the music of Johnny Cash \u2013 a band dedicated to honoring the legacy of Johnny Cash.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I want to accomplish with Church of Cash is onstage. Not only am I playing Johnny Cash music, but I\u2019m also making it entertaining. I want people to have fun.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing up, Johnny Cash was in our heart with family members sharing the music. It\u2019s about bringing back that feeling of community \u2013 celebrating life and the music of Johnny Cash.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Church of Cash \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/NduMqpSY_sY<\/a><\/p>\n

The show at the Sellersville Theater on March 19 will start at 3 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $18.50-$39.50.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times \u201cSIX\u201d is a musical that has reached legendary status in just a few years. From March 21 through April 9, the Kimmel Cultural Campus is presenting \u201cSIX\u201d at the Academy of Music as part of its 2022-2023 Broadway series, (Broad and Locust streets, Philadelphia,www.kimmelculturalcampus.org). \u201cSIX\u201d is a British\u00a0musical\u00a0comedy\u00a0with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":52007,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[15031,15032,7426,15030],"class_list":["post-52010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-church-of-cash","tag-dragonette","tag-featured","tag-six"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52010","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=52010"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52010\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52011,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52010\/revisions\/52011"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/52007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=52010"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=52010"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=52010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}