HÀ NỘI  — Hungary-based singer Nguyễn Thanh Hiền has taken on the role of Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of King Henry VIII, in the Hungarian version of the musical SIX.

SIX was composed by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss in 2017. The musical allows the audience to sing along with the performers, bringing a lively atmosphere and a fresh breeze to the performance.

SIX is a historical-themed musical that revolves around Henry VIII, the King of England for nearly 40 years (1509-1547). He is regarded as a special and charismatic king, highly educated, talented, and achieved many successes. In his personal life, Henry VIII went through six marriages with many intriguing events, and the musical explores this aspect through the storytelling of his six wives.

The musical features energetic and captivating songs that intertwine with various musical styles. The accompaniment is provided by an all-female band, and the performances of the six pop divas in the roles of the six wives have turned SIX into a vocal competition among the cast members.

The production has been adapted into Hungarian and directed by Hungarian director Tamás Szirtes. In different performances of the adaption, the roles will be portrayed by six renowned female singers and six musical theatre actresses with strong vocal abilities.

Nguyễn Thanh Hiền, known by her stage name Hien, is one of the six pop divas portraying Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry VIII.

Hien has been popular in the Hungarian entertainment industry for 15 years. At the age of 14, she participated in the talent-recruiting competition Megasztár (Season 4) in 2008 and finished in sixth place. Since then, she has become a beloved singer, achieved some accomplishments, and released two pop albums.

In particular, she took on the lead role in the Hungarian version of the musical Miss Saigon at the Budapest Operetta Theatre (Budapesti Operettszínház) in early 2015.

In 2014, Hien studied at one of the largest contemporary music institutions in the US and the world, Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. She graduated in 2019 and then worked as a producer, sound designer, songwriter, and singer in the US.

Hien returned to Hungary this summer "to be with my family, immerse myself in nature, and work on my new album while also performing in a few places", as she wrote on social media.

"You might be surprised to see that I'm not just a girl who enjoys electronic music," the 29-year-old singer told the media about her role in SIX.

The musical, which is performed nine times in Madách Theatre this October, marks Hien's comeback after being away from home for many years.

After its premiere, Hien revealed that this is one of the most challenging projects she has ever undertaken, as it involves a lot of dancing and singing.

"We have put in a lot of effort, and I am thrilled that we have made this far. We have poured our hearts and efforts into the performance," she said.

"We have been preparing for this performance for almost half a year, organising numerous rehearsals, and, of course, practicing extensively at home."

The Hungary-based Vietnamese singer was voted as one of the 30 successful faces in the country under the age of 30, according to Forbes magazine's Hungarian edition.

She revealed that one of her biggest aspiration is having the opportunity to return to Việt Nam to perform. VNS