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Broadway

 Raul Esparza is returning to Broadway. I don't have trust in Esparza's ability to select good material, but I do think his co-star, Joy Woods, has often made wise choices ("Little Shop," "Six," "Gypsy"). Could this be the year that Joy Woods wins a Tony Award? I'm ready.


The Katherine Parr (Joy Woods) character in "Six" is the clearest link to the musical "Hamilton." With its goosebump-inducing conclusion, "Hamilton" reveals that Eliza has a massive Second Act, packed with political advocacy, editorial work, and business management. Something similar happens with Katherine Parr. After the death of Henry VIII, Parr writes books, fights for the education of women, and recruits a female painter for a high-profile job.

I see Katherine Parr as a comment on Sara Bareilles. When told to write a love song for financial reasons, Bareilles felt repelled--and turned her repulsion into a hit ("I'm Not Gonna Write You a Love Song"). Parr does something similar. First--believing that she is play-acting--she tells a certain lover that she can live without him. In fact, the words turn out to be true. Parr then says these words (with much more conviction) to her famous spouse, Henry VIII. Then, she grows tired of the framework. Complicated love is "not my story." She wonders, "Why can't I tell *my* story?"

It's this surprising question that disrupts the plot of the musical. We might think of "Follies." We have left the "reunion" set, and we have entered Loveland.

Great song.

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