The original stars from the Broadway musical “Six” are performing a concert to raise money for Naperville’s Illinois Conservatory for the Arts.
Tickets are on sale now for “Royal Reunion: Celebrating Six Years of ‘Six,’” which will be presented at 7:30 p.m. June 22 at The Fairlie in Chicago.
“Six” is a musical reimaging the six wives of Henry VIII as a girl group competing in a singing competition to determine which queen had the worst go of it. It enjoyed a pre-Broadway run at Chicago Shakespeare Theater in 2019 and became the first new musical to open on Broadway after the pandemic in October 2021.
The benefit concert will feature the same six Broadway stars who performed in the original production: Adrianna Hicks (Catherine of Aragon), Andrea Macasaet (Anne Boleyn), Keirsten Hodgens (Jane Seymour), Brittney Mack (Anna of Cleves), Samantha Pauly (Katherine Howard) and Anna Uzele (Catherine Parr).
“Six” has a history with the Illinois Conservatory for the Arts, which works with students ages 12 to 18 in musical theater and dance, according to Dylan Ladd, the school’s executive director and co-founder. Several Broadway stars have worked with the musical theater students in Naperville, including three of the original cast members of “Six” — Mack, Pauly and Abby Mueller. Not only did they work as teachers in the program, they also performed at the annual gala, he said.
“They have truly become part of our family,” Ladd said.
The original cast hasn’t performed together in several years, he said.
“One of them mentioned … it would be really cool to do some kind of reunion to honor six years of ‘Six,’” he said. “We weren’t sure if we could get everybody on board … but they were all completely for it and really excited about the opportunity to come back to Chicago where the show started and perform with some of their best friends and create great music for a great cause.”
The academy has hosted successful fundraising concerts at the Fairlie in Chicago before, including concerts featuring stars from “Hamilton” and “The Lion King.” Musical theater fans geek out because the space is so intimate and provides such close proximity to the performers, Ladd said.
Tickets typically include valet parking, an open bar and access to an after-party with the performers, he said.
Royal Reunion will feature a four-piece band comprised of working Chicago musicians. Music director Julia Schade, a Rockford native, will direct the concert and original guitarist Kimi Hayes will be part of the band, he said.
The six singers will create a setlist of material that is personal to them, Ladd said.
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“What we like to do is have the artists think of things that are meaningful for them as an artist and on their journey as an artist,” he said. “Songs that impacted them or their career or they really connect with as a performer. And they all have to do with inspiring the next generation.”
Although the guests come from all walks of life, he said, they share a love of the arts and the ICA’s mission for supporting youth in arts.
The event will also be livestreamed, Ladd said.
“‘Six’ has built such a huge fan base and these original artists all coming together for the first time since they were in the show together has become a big deal,” he said. “We received so many people messaging across our social media platforms — just from the initial announcement on Instagram — (asking for) a livestream option. All these people from around the world reaching out saying they want to see the concert.”
He anticipates it will be an exciting, nostalgic night of Broadway entertainment.
“It’s an opportunity to have an incredible night of music, but beyond that they are going to make a difference for our students,” Ladd said.
“More than half of the students that come to ICA are on scholarship. No student that has applied for a scholarship has been denied. We are very proud we’ve been able to give some sort of financial support to every student who has requested it since we started in 2020. Our goal is to keep growing that mission and people who come to support this incredible concert are also moving that mission forward.”
Tickets are $200 and can be purchased at e.givesmart.com/events/NrH. The fundraising event also includes an online auction.
Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.