There is no room for bigotry in the queendom.
Following last week's announcement that SIX: The Musical had cast its first openly trans Queen on Broadway, TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney as Anne Boleyn; a coordinated flood of bigoted comments descended upon the long-running show's social media pages. In response, the production has taken steps to limit access to their pages, and outright condemned the reaction, which they characterize as "bullying."
"The producers of Six have chosen to temporarily limit access to the Broadway production’s X account following a number of comments made in response to recent Broadway casting news, which we felt crossed the line into bullying," reads a response statement from the production. "The protection, safety, and support of the Six cast has always been, and remains, our highest priority. While we welcome passionate engagement with the show, aggressive, threatening or abusive behavior is never acceptable. As a production, we unequivocally condemn bullying in all its forms and remain committed to fostering a respectful, supportive environment for everyone involved. We are incredibly excited to welcome our incoming Broadway cast, and we cannot wait to see them take to the stage."
Mulvaney also took to her own social media page, posting a reflection ahead of her first day of rehearsals.
"Being a trans person in 2026, when this world is working against us in what feels like every way... for me to be able to step out onto a Broadway stage as Anne Boleyn and perform an iconic historical character's role in a show that is so rooted in celebrating femininity, I think that's a miracle. So, miracles are possible, and I know I have a lot of privilege working for me, and I have this platform, which no doubt helped me get here, but sometimes we have to take a different route to get where we're supposed to go in life. So, if I had to go viral and find myself in a far right media firestorm and spend many years and many tears wondering why that was happening... I would do it all over again if it meant that I got to be on stage. If there are any queer or trans kids watching, I just want you to know that you can literally do anything. Maybe that's theatre. Maybe it's something different. But do not let anyone take away what brings you joy, and you might have to fight really hard for it, or go around the long way, but it is so worth it. And it might not feel like it, but there are so many people cheering you on, and I am one of them."
Mulvaney will join the company February 16, alongside Abigail Barlow as Katherine Howard. Original cast members Adrianna Hicks and Anna Uzele will return as Catherine of Aragon and Catherine Parr, respectively; and 2024 cast member Olivia Donalson will reprise her role as Anna of Cleves. Casting for the role of Jane Seymour is to be announced.
The new queens will succeed current stars Najah Hetsberger as Catherine of Aragon, Gianna Yanelli as Anne Boleyn, Krystal Hernandez as Anna of Cleves, Kay Sibal as Katherine Howard, and Taylor Marie Daniel as Catherine Parr, all taking their final bows February 15. Current alternates Aryn Bohannon, Sierra Fermin, Nicole Kyoung-Mi Lambert, and Aiyana Smash will continue in their respective roles.
Each making their Broadway debuts in the role, both Mulvaney and Barlow have gained acclaim on TikTok, with Barlow's unofficial Bridgerton musical adaption going viral on the app in 2020, and Mulvaney gaining traction through her video series "Days of Girlhood," which tracked her journey as a trans woman.
Though they may have initially found fame online, both have their roots in musical theatre, with Barlow having graduated from the Alabama School of Fine Arts and receiving training at the Birmingham Dance Theatre, and Mulvaney having received a BFA in musical theatre from the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music. Mulvaney recently made her Off-Broadway debut with her solo show, The Least Problematic Woman in the World, and previously performed in the national tour of The Book of Mormon. Barlow most recently reunited with her Unofficial Bridgerton Musical Album collaborator Emily Bear to compose the music for Moana 2, which released in 2024.
SIX—about the six wives of Henry VIII—celebrated its official Broadway opening October 3, 2021 at the Lena Horne Theatre. Marlow and Moss’ musical is co-directed by Moss and Jamie Armitage and features choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, scenic design by Emma Bailey, costume design by Gabriella Slade, lighting design by Tim Deiling, and sound design by Paul Gatehouse.
The score features orchestrations by Tom Curran with music supervision by Joe Beighton and U.S. music supervision by Roberta Duchak. Casting is by The TRC Company's Peter Van Dam. Theater Matters is general manager, Sam Levy is associate producer, and Lucas McMahon is U.S. executive producer.
Six won the 2022 Tony for Best Original Score (music and lyrics) and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical. The West End production continues at the Vaudeville Theatre in London.
Visit SixOnBroadway.com.
