Like most kids who began doing musical theater from a young age, Emma Elizabeth Smith loved the titular sassy orphan from the musical “Annie.”
The Alpharetta native played Annie at the age of 10 and even got the chance to audition for the 2012 Broadway revival – a role that would eventually go to Lilla Crawford, but opened Smith’s eyes up to the possibility of becoming a part of the professional world of musical theater.
“Annie was definitely my childhood obsession and was the musical that made me really drop into my 10-year-old diva,” Smith said.
Smith, who participated in Christian Youth Theater Atlanta when she was younger and performed all throughout her high school years at King’s Ridge Christian School before heading to Texas State University, is currently letting out her inner diva as Catherine of Aragon in the national touring production of “Six.” The musical is a modern retelling of the lives of the six wives of King Henry VIII, told via singing competition as the women – stylized as pop stars – compete to see who had the worst marriage.
“Six” will swing through Atlanta at the Fox Theatre from April 28 to May 2.
This is Smith’s first big job post college. She graduated from Texas State in 2024, but began auditioning for “Six” long before graduation.
“Back during my junior year, I did the open call in Boston,” she said. “I flew without asking out of my program, because I just wanted to go audition.”
It quickly became clear this wouldn’t be your typical audition process. Even when she knew she would be in the show, the question then became which queen she would play. She went in for three other queens – Katherine Howard, then Jane Seymour, then Catherine Parr – before the creative team finally settled on Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife. Henry had his marriage with Catherine annulled so he could instead marry Anne Boleyn.
“I think it was so crucial with a show like this to make sure that it was a perfect match with which queen you were getting,” Smith said. “I think that’s kind of the coolest part about ‘Six,’ is that they really choose the people – they’re not looking at the roles and then looking at the people, they’re looking at the people and then seeing where they fit best.”
The three queens Smith tried before Catherine of Aragon were all very different. Katherine Howard leans towards pop stars like Ariana Grande, while Jane Seymour runs a little more ballad-heavy, like Adele. Catherine Parr is also a bit softer, but with a touch of R&B vocally, like Alicia Keys – something Smith said she tends to gravitate towards.
But something about Catherine of Aragon – who has been described as taking inspiration from Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson – just felt right.
“I think just the power that she holds – that’s kind of my favorite way to perform and sing, and her song specifically just really was a good match for not only who I am as a person and my energy, but also vocally,” Smith said.
Being Smith’s first tour, she came into the experience with a lot of questions. She credited her cast and creative team for helping her get through such a whirlwind experience.
“I mean, four of the women I share the stage with every night have done this show specifically for at least a year if not more,” she said. “So not only do they have experience within the industry, but with this show, and this show is such a unique piece. It’s literally a machine, when it comes to the choreography and hitting your mark. It is truly a girl group, in that way.”
