SIX The Musical is the winner of 38 international awards, including two Tony Awards® and a Platinum certified soundtrack that’s been listened to over 5.5 billion times. Serving for a third time in a senior creative capacity on the Australian production is choreographer and performer Christina D’Agostino.
D’Agostino grew up in regional Victoria and trained at Federation University, Ballarat, graduating with a BA in Music Theatre. As a performer, D’Agostino is the recipient of a Green Room Award for her performance The Havana Girl in the Australian tour of Guys and Dolls. Other performer credits include Cha Cha in Grease, and Mary Delgado in Jersey Boys. Just recently she was a guest instructor at Victorian Dance Festival (VDF).
“Growing up in the country, we didn’t really have the same opportunities that we would have had in the city,” D’Agostino shares with Dance Informa. “Ive been dancing since I was three, and my dance teacher always made sure we had amazing people from the city visiting and teaching. My family would take me interstate constantly to attend workshops. I remember catching a 5am train to Melbourne to attend my first audition. Being from the country has built a resilience; my beginnings were never super easy. I am never sitting complacently; I know what has had to go into making it happen. I have never sought out success but self-mastery, and I owe that to my beginnings.”
D’Agostino is also a master’s-qualified, registered counsellor, continuing to contribute to the industry as both a creative leader and mentor. “I have always been curious about us as human beings,” she says. My knowledge has complimented my job of managing people. It is the ability to see the person from what they are saying, but also from what they are not saying. Having psychology as a foundation compliments my communication with staff.”
D’Agostino adds, “I have a few roles on this production.” She is Australian Associate Choreographer, Assistant to the Director, as well as Alternate Swing. “If I’m on in a role, it’s that most other swings are also on. Being a swing means that when I am teaching the choreography, it comes from a place of knowing the work really well.”
SIX tells the story of the six wives of King Henry VIII who step out of the shadow of their infamous husband and reclaim their own narratives. D’Agostino describes the original choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille as intricate and notes how much of a role it plays in storytelling. “We are delving into old school hip hop, bass grounded, house grooves. From an outside perspective, it almost seems like the choreography is quite simple, where in fact it is intricate. I take the girls through a workshop process, exploring what the hip hop and house grooves are like. Typical music theatre performers are not so familiar with these styles.”
D’Agostino adds, “SIX is a gift of a show. It sits outside a typical musical theatre show. The thing that drew me to SIX initially is that as a performer, you have your moment, but you also shift the spotlight to your peers and be an ensemble member supporting them. Leading and championing as well.”
The Melbourne season of SIX opened at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre on July 24, with upcoming seasons at Theatre Royal Sydney from October, and QPAC’s Playhouse Theatre in Brisbane from January 2027.
For more information and tickets visit sixthemusical.com.
By Tamara Searle of Dance Informa.
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