Dylan Mulvaney Is a “Woman Ahead Of Her Time“ in Broadway’s SIX

Don’t lose your heads, SIX fans: A new Boleyn girl is headed to take over pop herstory. Dylan Mulvaney is officially stepping into the shoes of Henry VIII’s most (in)famous wife, marking the trans trailblazer’s Broadway debut when she takes her first bow as Anne Boleyn at the Lena Horne Theatre on February 16.

The actress, singer and social media star—who boasts more than 10 million followers across her platforms—may have found fame by documenting her “Days of Girlhood” on the internet, but she also arrives in New York with an impressive performing background, including a BFA from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and credits ranging from the national tour of The Book of Mormon to shows at some of the most well-known regional theaters in the country.

More recently on her road to Broadway, Mulvaney performed her one-woman Off-Broadway show The Least Problematic Woman in the World, and made a debut at Carnegie Hall in The Drowsy Chaperone.

Of course, since becoming arguably one of the most high-profile transgender celebrities of the moment, Mulvaney has also been no stranger to being labeled a cultural bellwether — inspiring queer and trans youth around the world and championing LGBTQ+ visibility while regularly inciting a shocking (and often disproportionate) level of rage, vitriol and downright hate from the conservative right.

Just one example: mere news of her casting in the Tony-winning Broadway hit SIX was met with such outrageous backlash on X that the show turned its official account on the social platform private, and issued a statement following the backlash over the casting news. “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,” the show said. “While we welcome passionate engagement with the show, aggressive, threatening or abusive behaviour is never acceptable.”

And yet, Mulvaney weathers her ability to make detractors, well, lose their heads with grace and a smile. In fact, the polarizing nature of her very existence in the spotlight is an attribute she feels she shares with her regal SIX character — an equally controversial woman who just so happened to make history.

“I think the parallels between us are really interesting,” Mulvaney tells Ticketmaster ahead of her Broadway debut. “She wanted to have a voice, she was so passionate about so many different things — and I think she just assumed that she could, that she had a right to existence and to being in charge of her own narrative.

“Which I feel is very similar to what I’ve gone through in the past few years in the public eye. So I think that maybe we were both just women ahead of our time in some ways,” she continues, before adding with a laugh, “And I’m really happy that beheadings don’t exist right now.”

Below, Mulvaney took a break from rehearsals to open up about prepping for her Broadway debut, the pop stars she’s channeling in her portrayal of Anne Boleyn, why seeing trans joy on stage feels more important than ever, and her thoughts on SIX as “the largest celebration of femininity that exists on Broadway.”

Congratulations on the show!

Thank you! Broadway debut!

How are rehearsals going so far? You just mentioned before we started that you’ve just finished learning the entire show.

It’s funny, ’cause I’ve seen the show probably, like, four times now? And I think because they’re so great at making everything look so easy, I assumed it would be a lot easier than it actually has been to learn. The choreography, specifically, is so sharp and slick and clean. And when you’re watching it, it just kind of feels like a wash of movement. But now that I’m in the room, it’s a lot more than I would’ve expected. But I’m feeling really proud of myself and how much my body remembers. You know, I’ve been a performer my whole life, but it’s kind of like riding a bicycle, it definitely is a muscle that has to be worked. But I’m back on the bike and can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing every day than learning the show.

Tell me a little bit about your theater kid roots.

I started in San Diego. My first show was High School Musical — I played Ryan when I was, like, 10. Then I started doing How the Grinch Stole Christmas at the Old Globe and got to work with a lot of older actors who were queer, and started realizing that you could do this professionally. I did a bunch of regional theater in San Diego like Spring Awakening, and I just became so obsessed.

Then I went to school for musical theater in Cincinnati, Ohio [at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music]. And that was kind of insane to be taking something that felt like a hobby in many ways, even though it was an obsession, and realizing you get a degree. Which I’m really happy to be using right now, ’cause I think my parents were really worried that I wouldn’t end up using it for anything. It’s a big decision; you have to be so committed and you have to have such a deep belief in yourself that you can do something like that if that’s what you’re gonna go to school for.

But it worked out because I started doing The Book of Mormon a few weeks after college graduation. I did the tour in Mexico, Canada and the U.S. and then the pandemic hit. And that’s when I started exploring my transition and also social media. So it just feels really good to be getting back to what I’ve always wanted and what I’ve grown up doing with my life.

Who did you play in The Book of Mormon?

I was Elder White, so I was the one that was like, [sings high note] “Hellooooooo!” And oh my god, that was definitely a muscle too. ‘Cause when I started, I would get so nervous, and then I could wake up in the morning and just belt it out. In SIX, the singing is really, really high, so I’m hoping that I’ll have a similar experience of, like, once I get it into my body, I can just kind of truck it out. I also played Jeffrey Dahmer and Yoda — I think those are the more niche references in the show.

 

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What does it mean to you to be making your debut in a show like SIX which reframes history from such a female-centered perspective?

So much of my life has been devoted to rediscovering and exploring femininity in really camp and vulnerable ways, and I think that this show is the largest celebration of femininity that exists on Broadway currently. And being a trans woman, being able to step into this show and feeling so welcomed and such a sense of community from the other queens and the creative team, it’s made me feel like I have a chance at not only living my life as a person that can thrive every day, but as a performer.

Because one of the biggest things that I felt nervous about when I transitioned was, “Will there be roles for me? Will there be an opportunity for me in my new identity?” So it feels like a real gift to play Anne Boleyn, who’s a very, sort of, polarizing woman such as myself. I think the parallels between us are really interesting.

How much did you know about Anne Boleyn before joining the show? To this day, she’s arguably the most famous of all of Henry VIII’s wives.

It was pretty limited to, like, The Other Boleyn Girl. And now I’ve sort of become a little bit hyper-fixated on her life. It’s interesting because I think a lot of what she wanted — she wanted to have a voice, she was so passionate about so many different things — and I think she just assumed that she could, that she had a right to existence and to being in charge of her own narrative. Which I feel is very similar to what I’ve gone through in the past few years in the public eye. So I think that maybe we were both just women ahead of our time in some ways. [Laughs] And I’m really happy that beheadings don’t exist right now.

For your part, you’re famously known as The Least Problematic Woman in the World. How problematic would you say Anne Boleyn was for her time?

You know what? I’ll say maybe she wasn’t the least problematic, but she was definitely on the lesser of problems. I think that a lot of it was that she just didn’t want to play into the rules of how things normally went. And I think that is still [true] to this day where we see so much pushback, especially on women who want to be heard and want their opinions to be valued.

One of the historical facts audiences may learn in the show is that marrying Anne Boleyn was what actually prompted Henry VIII to break from the Catholic Church and change the English laws surrounding annulment at the time. If you had the power to change any law right now, what would it be?

Oh my god, there’s so many. [Laughs] I mean, if I had to sleep with someone right now to switch up the current members of office, I think I would be willing to do so. I would take one for the team. So I think rather than one specific law, I’d approach it as, like, the specific people in power that I would like to overturn.

SIX is a Broadway musical, but it’s structured like a pop concert. Are you living your pop star fantasy in the show?

A thousand percent. It’s really cool ’cause I think my song specifically, “Don’t Lose Ur Head,” is modeled after a Lily Allen-type number. And she’s now a friend of mine, so having West End Girl [as a reference], I’ve been so obsessed with how she tells her story through music. That is what I’ve really tried to play with as I’m learning the choreography and the music, and realizing that there’s another woman who’s just trying to tell her story in a way that is quite camp. I don’t think I’ll try to become a pop star after this, but I definitely think I’ll have some more tools in my toolbox if I need to go that route.

What’s your take on West End Girl as a whole?

Oh my god, I’m addicted. I just think the specificity and the niche-ness of Lily’s references, that’s what I’m addicted to. ‘Cause I think so much pop music can feel really general and sort of just like it’s been put through the washing machine, but I love when things are so weirdly specific. And that’s what is so great about SIX, too. Because they’re pop songs, but they’re written in a musical theater storytelling way. So you get the full story but with this really catchy tune behind it.

“Don’t Lose Ur Head” also channels a bit of Avril Lavigne. Are you a fan? Do you have a favorite Avril song?

I used to dance to “Sk8er Boi” when I was like three years old on the coffee table in my star pajamas. So I think that would be my favorite go-to.

Any other artists or references that you’re personally channeling in your interpretation of Anne Boleyn?

Oooo! She feels a little bit of, actually, Anna Faris House Bunny vibes. It’s funny ’cause Anne can sometimes come off as stupid, but I think she is the smartest one of the group at other points. So I love playing into those two parallels. I’m always addicted to Chappell Roan. I love the way that she brings a kind of drag… you know, I’m definitely not a drag queen, but I think the show lends itself to some of those over-the-top moments that could be like drag culture.

Outside of “Don’t Lose Ur Head,” what’s it like playing backup in this kind of Broadway girl group with all these other queens?

I mean, it’s the coolest thing I think I’ve ever done because I get the opportunity to learn from these other girls as they’re leading their songs. And they’re all in such different styles, including the dance. So while I might not be, like, the best hip-hop dancer, I’m always just thinking, “How can I make sure that I’m not pulling focus from this other person?” And also just always throwing the energy back to whatever is going on at the center. And god, wait till the people hear the voices on these women! Like, it’s insane.

Last year, you premiered your one-woman Off-Broadway show, The Least Problematic Woman in the World, at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. What did you learn from that experience that helped prepare you for Broadway?

The thing about a one-person show is, like, it’s really just you and the audience. So you have to command that attention! You can’t really miss a beat. It’s truly just you, and you get on that bike and you’ve gotta ride it to the end of the show. So I think I really learned how to lock in and create that relationship [with the audience]. And I’m excited to bring that to SIX, but I think the greatest difference is now having other people to help me build out a world and to really connect with.

And also, I’m not playing myself in this one. Whereas I was truly just playing a heightened version of myself in that play, which I think taught me a lot about myself as a person. I was able to call myself out on some of my B.S. Now that I know myself well enough to take on Dylan, I think that really gave me an opportunity to now take on a different role, which is Anne. And it feels really good. We’re very similar in a lot of ways, but it’s nice to leave myself behind.

You also recently made your debut at Carnegie Hall as Kitty in The Drowsy Chaperone. That cast was particularly filled with LGBTQ+ performers.

Yes! Stacked with the dolls.

How did that moment feel for you to experience so much queer and trans representation on stage?

That was actually the day after my one-person show closed. And it was such an amazing, eye-opening, “Oh my gosh, this is what it’s like when you get this many trans people in a room!” And the purpose was not to say to the industry, like, “Hey, every show needs to look exactly like this.” It was, “What does trans joy look like at Carnegie Hall?” And I think we showed that audience that it’s limitless. It almost feels unexplainable. I felt like I had butterflies in my stomach, the good kind, the entire time. And so I think, hopefully, to any of the industry that was able to see that, it was to show them that, “Oh, if you put a trans person or two trans people or three trans people in your show, it will only make it better.” Because look at what it’s like when you’ve got all of us up there performing a story that isn’t inherently based in identity, but it actually only enhanced it.

Speaking of seeing more trans representation on screen, I also have to say I just loved your appearance on The Real Housewives of Orange County this past season with Heather Dubrow.

I didn’t really know that was gonna happen! That made me feel really happy because the Housewives have been some of my favorite people in the entire world. Like, I’ve met so many folks, but getting to meet a Housewife in person, it’s an out-of-body experience. Very similar to Broadway, actually.

Obviously, you have so many eyes on you — especially kids and teenagers. Do you have a message for any queer or trans kids who are watching you achieve this dream?

I would tell them, I know it’s so easy to be distracted right now by how loud so many voices other than our own currently are about our lives and our bodies and our identities. And so if there’s any way to mute some of that distraction by getting really good at something — whether that’s performing or any activity or hobby or interest — just to get really good at that thing. Because when we’re talented and skilled and experienced, those things are undeniable. And they’re trying to deny us so many things right now, but they shouldn’t deny us what brings us joy. So make sure to find those things and get really good at them. I think that’s where I’m at right now. Like, knowing that a lot of people don’t want me to be here, but I’ve spent my entire life devoted to getting here. And now I am, so I feel like I deserve to be here. That is what I would tell them.

SIX tickets are available on Ticketmaster.