Rainah said: "File me under "I don't get the appeal".
Watched the performances on youtube (the main song and the anne number about don't lose your head). It's catchy as hell but doesn't offer much beyond that. The lyrics aren't the worst I've heard but nothing to write home about. And the characterization of the wives, far from being an untold story, seems like the same tired stereotypes. I've done some reading on Anne Boleyn, gf has done a lot more and couldn't even finish the song. Even she admitted the tune was great, but we're both really wanting more complexity from the show.
But, clearly, we're in the minority. Glad everyone else is having a blast, even if I don't see it. Just shouting out for any other folks scratching their heads at this one."
Well if you saw the show you would know that at the end Catherine Parr calls all the ladies out on perpetuating the stereotypes people have in their minds about the wives, and makes the point that they’re all defined by Henry, even though many of them had some very grand accompaniments of their own. In the end it’s about the wives taking the power back from Henry and proving their more than Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived.
Also, in response to Katherine Howard having the weakest song, in context it’s truly heartbreaking. At the end of it the audience didn’t clap, the entire room was stunned into silence. The repetition of the song’s structure serves a purpose and the staging of it is brilliant.
While the studio album is great and preserves the music, this show is SO MUCH more. If this show has anything going for it (more than being amazing), it’s the element of surprise. Seeing everything IN CONTEXT is pretty mind blowing.