Kay Sibal, who wowed audiences and judges on the 26th season of the reality singing competition The Voice, is currently making her Broadway debut in SIX The Musical at the Lena Horne Theatre.

The Filipina performer, a 2022 graduate of UCLA, plays Katherine Howard in Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow's Tony-nominated musical about the six Renaissance women who married King Henry VIII. The international hit production, which has played over 1,500 performances for New York audiences, will celebrate the fourth anniversary of its official Broadway opening this fall.

Sibal's regional credits include Invincible at the Wallis Annenberg Center, The Tempest at the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, Spring Awakening for East West Players, and Grumpy Monkey at the Pasadena Playhouse

In the interview below for the Playbill series How Did I Get Here—spotlighting not only actors, but directors, designers, musicians, and others who work on and off the stage to create the magic that is live theatre—Sibal shares her admiration for stage managers and why Six shows the multi-faceted power of women.

Where did you train/study?
Kay Sibal: UCLA's Musical Theater program!

Was there a teacher who was particularly impactful/helpful? What made this instructor stand out?
My high school acting teacher, Kim Taylor, is the first person to help me understand acting. When I enrolled in her acting class as a freshman in high school, she helped me out with a monologue after school one day. She really took the time to listen to how my brain worked and figured out how to work with it. She's been my most impactful mentor ever since, and I still reach out to her for career and life advice. She even coached me for rounds of auditions for Six!

Do you have a favorite moment in the show for Katherine Howard? What makes that part stand out?
My favorite moment in the show is actually near the end of the show when the queens realize that they've made a mistake competing against each other. They all have a conversation about their existence as "wives," and Katherine Howard is the one to point out the problem that history remembers the queens in a way that forces them to compare themselves, instead of just celebrating who they are. This is my favorite Howard moment because despite her being the girly, feminine, promiscuous one, she's also a great leader and very smart. I love how my character reminds everyone that women can be pretty and smart.

Why do you believe Six has been such a hit all around the world?
I think it's because Six as a show just has such a unique and unexpected structure. It's more of a pop concert than a musical, and I think people love that! And, because everyone can see themselves in the queens we play—there's such a diverse representation of music, costume, personality. Who doesn't love a girl group?

What has been the most special part of performing in Six with its all-female cast and band?
The most special part of being in a woman-led show is that we feel protective of each other. We understand that a space like ours is special, and it almost feels like we protect each other from the vibes of patriarchy. We talk about women's issues and lift each other up. Another special part of performing in an all-woman show is that every night, we prove that we actually don't need men to succeed. It's actually possible to hire only women and sell tickets for over four years!

Do you have a dream stage role and/or artists you would like to share the stage with?
Like most people, I would love to play Eurydice in Hadestown (or anyone in Hadestown). My other dream roles are Natalie in Next to Normal, and to originate an original Broadway role. And honestly, my dream collaborators to share the stage with is my current cast—I can't imagine it getting any better than what I have at Six.

Is there a person or people you most respect in your field and why?
The people I most respect in my field are stage managers and directors. Stage managers have the most difficult and important job when keeping a show running—they wrangle everybody, they keep all departments locked in before the show, during the show, and after the show. SMs have all the answers to everybody in the building's questions, and I have so much respect for that. Directors, especially in the room of a new work, use a similar superpower—they must balance, manage, and find harmony with all creative departments of the theatre, all to serve the story. It's such a huge job, and when directors do it well, it literally changes lives!

What do you consider your big break?
I consider my big break to be The Voice, which I did last year. I'm proud of all the projects I've done, but receiving recognition in the way that I did on The Voice felt really good. It was a project that was out of my comfort zone, since usually I'm a theatre actor, and talking about my own life story on TV was really uncomfortable. But at the same time, I've worked on my musicianship on my own for as long as I can remember. I always thought I was a pretty good singer, but when strangers from all over the country started following me for my singing, that was really affirming. And The Voice gave me the confidence I needed to come to New York for Six!

What advice would you give your younger self or anyone starting out?
I always tell kids at the stage door to focus on figuring out who they are before anything else. Actors are so much more interesting to watch, and easier to cast, if they are really good at being authentically themselves. Not when they copy their role models, or try to emulate someone else. For me growing up, it was really hard to trust that who I was was exactly what people wanted from me. I thought I needed to work on matching the personality of people I saw in the industry. But as I did more projects, I kept getting feedback about being less of a chameleon and more myself. Being authentically you is something that no one in the world can teach you, so start figuring it out early. Give love to the voice inside your head telling you what you want and don't want—it's more reliable than you think!

In such difficult times in this country and around the world, how do you think theatre can play a positive role, either for yourself and/or the community at large?
I think humans naturally have difficulty coping with fear and the unknown. These times are unprecedented, and we cannot predict what will happen in politics, world peace, the environment, especially with the way this country is being run right now. Theatre has the power to help any one person cope, because it puts stories and characters in front of you that move you. By seeing humans moving through life onstage, feeling and expressing their emotions, it forces you to do the same. It moves you forward when you're feeling stuck. That is so powerful!

What is your proudest achievement as an actor?
My proudest achievement as an actor is earning the opportunity to portray Katherine Howard in Six on Broadway every night! This show is something I've worked so hard to book, and to come to the Lena Horne Theatre every day for my job still makes me feel proud. I'm so proud to be on the same stage as some of the most talented and kind women ever. I'm proud that I get to feel beautiful and powerful every night. I'm proud to make my AAPI and Filipino community proud. I'm proud to tell the story of those who have experienced sexual violence and trauma, to make their stories known and heard. I feel proud to bring joy and inspiration to young girls and women!