British history meets pop diva anthems in “Six: The Musical,” which will be the second production by the Tri-City Drama Club.

The club was started last year by Top Hat Productions to provide theater opportunities for students from Campbell, Struthers and Lowellville high schools. Neither Campbell nor Struthers had school-sponsored theater programs.

This year’s show, which opens Friday for a two-weekend run at Fairview Arts & Outreach Center, was open to all area high school students and participants include teens from NEO Impact Academy, Mahoning County Career and Technical Center and Campbell, Struthers, Kennedy Christian, Springfield Local, Ursuline, Canfield and Champion high schools.

“We had a lot of kids from around the area reaching out and asking if it was possible for them to audition as well,” director Melanie Lucas said. “And some of the schools that were involved last year were able to pull together a small drama club at their own school, so we were able to expand and hopefully develop more of a base for Top Hat and just incorporate as many kids as we can.”

Lucas, who has worked with young casts at Champion High School, Kent State University at Trumbull’s Summer Stock and Trumbull New Theatre, said she enjoys working with students, but one of the main lures for her was “Six,” which already had been selected when she was approached with directing.

“When it came to Cleveland, I saw it twice and loved it,” Lucas said.

“It’s so much fun. It’s so upbeat and just kind of different than a lot of other musicals right now. And I knew that of all of the local theaters, that Top Hat could do ‘Six’ in a way that no other local theater could pull off. They have amazing technical abilities. (Founder) Brian Palumbo has his own costume shop. He creates his own costumes, and our costumes are amazing, very similar style to Broadway.”

“Six,” created by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, is the story of the six wives of King Henry VIII who, as the opening song states, were “Divorced … Beheaded … Died… Divorced … Beheaded … Survived.”

The six women square off — in song — to determine which one had it worst, and those original songs echo the sound of singers ranging from Beyonce to Avril Lavigne.

While many of the musicals that have opened on Broadway after the COVID-19 pandemic struggled to draw crowds, “Six” (which was nominated for eight Tony Awards and won for best score and costume design) is at 1,300+ performances and counting on Broadway and has been just as successful on tour.

The show isn’t available to regional and community theaters, but Tri-City is doing a version released for high schools. A few risque lyrics have been altered, Lucas said, but the show hews closely to the Broadway production.

“I’ve actually had a couple people reach out to me who love the show and asked the same question, but I don’t think they will be disappointed by the changes,” she said.

In addition to performing the vocally challenging material, “Six” also features demanding choreography, and Maddie Pinto, who is a college freshman, worked with the Tri-C cast to hone the dance steps.

“It was nice to be able to bring in someone young to choreograph it,” Lucas said. “She’s a dance teacher as well, and she came in and taught the dances, and we recorded them and sent the (recording) home with the girls so they could be constantly practicing at home. And then as the dances got better, we would re-record them and send them home, so they could keep practicing. And I was grateful that they had Martin Luther King Day and two snow days last week (for extra practice). It’s a lot.”

The cast features Maggie Mutchler (Catherine of Aragon), Abbianna Bates (Anne Boleyn), Finlay Andrei (Jane Seymour), Isabella Krekus (Anna of Cleves), Alexandra Pappalardo (Katherine Howard) and Emma Hawkins (Catherine Parr).

Lucas also added Cadence Treich and Raquel Allison as swings who can step in if any of the six teens are unable to perform.

“It’s been nice to have them,” Lucas said. “When an actor isn’t there (at rehearsal), they can step in, and we added them as kind of backup singers along with the band, so they didn’t do all of the hard work and maybe not get to perform.”

Music director Tyler Stouffer plays keyboards and leads the band, which also includes Tyler Guerrieri-, guitar; Jason Vuksanovich, bass, and Evan Stefancin, drums.

Lucas had her first tech rehearsal with technical director Jeff Chann over the weekend, and said the production lives up to her expectations.

“Oh my gosh, it’s beautiful,” she said. “He does such an amazing job. It’s so creative, and the show’s just gonna look amazing.”

If you go …

WHAT: Tri-City Drama Club — “Six: The Musical”

WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Feb. 9

WHERE: Fairview Arts & Outreach Center, 4220 Youngstown-Poland Road, Youngstown

HOW MUCH: Tickets are $18.75 and are available online at tophatproductions.thundertix.com.