Social media star and stage performer Dylan Mulvaney is set to make her Broadway debut next month, joining the cast of Six in the role of Anne Boleyn. Mulvaney will begin performances on February 16 at the Lena Horne Theatre, marking a high-profile milestone for one of the most visible transgender performers in the United States.
Six, which reimagines the six wives of Henry VIII as a modern pop group, has become a Broadway favorite by blending historical figures with contemporary music and concert-style staging. Mulvaney joins the production alongside Grammy-winning songwriter Abigail Barlow, who will make her own Broadway debut as Katherine Howard. The new casting continues the show’s tradition of rotating guest performers with strong musical and cultural followings.
Mulvaney rose to prominence during the COVID era through her viral “Days of Girlhood” TikTok series, which documented her gender transition with humor and theatrical flair. While often framed in media coverage as an influencer, she has a long-standing background in theater, including national tours and a recent Off Broadway solo show titled The Least Problematic Woman in the World. Supporters have pointed to that experience as evidence that her Broadway casting is rooted in performance credentials rather than novelty.
Still, the announcement quickly drew backlash from anti-transgender commentators online. Social media posts celebrating Mulvaney’s casting were met with hostile responses, prompting the Six production team to limit comments on official accounts. Critics accused the show of “political casting” and recycled familiar arguments questioning transgender participation in arts and entertainment spaces.
The pushback echoes earlier controversies Mulvaney has faced, particularly following a 2023 partnership with Bud Light that sparked a sustained boycott campaign and made her a frequent target of right wing media figures. In this case, critics again framed her visibility as evidence of cultural overreach, even as Broadway fans and LGBTQ advocates rallied in support.
Supporters argue the criticism misses the point of theater itself. Broadway has long been a space where gender, performance, and reinvention intersect, and Six is already known for bending historical and cultural expectations. Casting a transgender woman as Anne Boleyn does not alter the show’s narrative, they note, but instead reflects the production’s emphasis on individuality, voice, and spectacle.
For transgender performers, Mulvaney’s debut carries symbolic weight. Broadway has historically offered few opportunities for trans actors in major productions, especially in roles not explicitly written as transgender. Mulvaney stepping into a leading role in a mainstream hit underscores a gradual, if contested, shift in who is allowed to occupy center stage.
As previews approach, Six appears poised to continue thriving artistically while once again finding itself at the center of a broader cultural debate. Whether embraced or criticized, Mulvaney’s Broadway debut ensures that conversation about transgender visibility in the performing arts is not leaving the theater anytime soon.
