In the musical Six, the six wives of Henry VIII are transported from Tudor times to the modern rock era and take the stage as empowered women in their own right — in a definite rewriting of history that won a Tony Award for Best Original Score in 2022.

"History's about to get overthrown," as a line in the song "Six" promises. Terica Marie performs as Anna of Cleves in the North American tour coming to Houston, courtesy of Broadway at the Hobby.

Anna (in the German spelling and how Henry himself referred to her) is one of the most interesting of the wives. Henry married her to cement his alliances with other Protestant countries, but was said to be put off by her appearance. The marriage lasted only six months and was never consummated which allowed it to be annulled.

This wasn't a bad deal for Anna (who has gone down in history as Henry's "ugly wife."). She wasn't divorced, abandoned or beheaded. She came to be referred to as the king's sister, and she outlived him by 10 years.

"Anna of Cleves has been very unapologetically herself," says Marie. "She had to lose in order to win. I think Anna figured out a way of taking her rejection from Henry and flipping it and been like. 'OK you know what? You want to say that you don't like me and I'm ugly but actually I'm going to have to win on this.'  She took all the money and all the palaces and she lived the best life and outlived all the rest of those wives."

Other cast members include  Gerianne Pérez as Catherine of Aragon, Zan Berube as Anne Boleyn, Amina Faye as Jane Seymour, Aline Mayagoitia as Katherine Howard and Sydney Parra as Catherine Parr.

After being seen in a college showcase her senior year, Marie caught the eye of the creative team from Six. What followed were countless auditions before she got the "yes" she wanted to go on the national tour.

"It felt like something I could relate to especially music wise. I am a singer songwriter first and musicla theater was new to me when I got to college so I never saw musical theater that felt like myself.And this music when I first heard it in 2017 I thought 'Oh, this is the kind of music I want to sing.'"

Getting comfortable with the costumes presented its own challenges, she says "We wear six to seven layers of clothing between the three layers of tights, the two leotards and armor on top of it. It definitely has been an adjustment to get comfortable with it because it's plastic and with all those layers on you just move a little differently that you did in the rehearsal room," she says laughing.

"Now I've broken it in and I'm able to move in it very well,: she says. "The things I'm still trying to fall in love with are those heels. They're beautiful. I love how they caress my thighs. But they take some adjustment."

She is quick to say that the costumes are perfect for this show. "The costumes make people feel like warriors. You literally are putting on your battle armor before you go onstage.

In addition, she says the music is well-tailored for the story this musical is telling. "I think the arrangements that have been created give an opportunity for all six women to express their voices. Just being able to be an empowering force to women all around the world and the non-binary community. I think this is just a pivotal thing this musical specifically is doing is allowing everyone to understand that you have the right to rewrite your story however you want."

Marie grew up singing and doing show choir in high school in Indianapolis. A teacher urged her to audition for musical theater for colleges. She decided to continue in musical theater and got her BFA from Boston University in 2020.

She comes from an artistic family, Her mother has always sung in the church choir and her father had his own band and an in-home studio when he was younger. After watching them she told her father one day that this was what she wanted to do. "He sat me down in his studio and he didn't let me leave until I finished writing my own first original song about 'Cookie, Cakes and Pies.'"

She instantly identified with Six when she first heard its music in 2017 after its premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. (It moved to the West End in 2019). "It felt like something I could relate to especially music wise. I am a singer songwriter first and musical theater was new to me when I got to college so I never saw musical theater that felt like myself. And this music when I first heard it I thought 'Oh, this is the kind of music I want to sing.'"

Asked why Six continues to appeal to audiences, Marie says "I think it's the ability to seesix beautiful  people on stage, taking a story that has already been created for centuries and redoing it in a very modernized way that relates to our society today.

"Taking it from his story and making it her story is one of the most powerful things. It's very empowering to see these women do it as a unit."

Performances are scheduled for November 8-20 at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and Sundays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at the Hobby Center, 800 Bagby. For more information, call 713-315-2525 or visit thehobbycenter.org or broadwayatthehobbycenter.com. $35-$100.