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Mickey Jo (Theatre Critic and Content Creator)
I'm thinking that I'm probably going to have titled this something like why Dylan Mulvaney Is Playing Anne Boleyn on Broadway. Or perhaps why six the Musical on Broadway cast Dylan Mulvaney. And if I have done that then and the short answer to that question is the two part process. Six the Musical on Broadway needed an Anne Boleyn and then they chose Dylan Mulvaney to play that role. The longer answer to the question is this entire video oh my God. Hey, welcome back to my theatre themed YouTube channel. Or hello to those of you listening to this on podcast platforms. My name is Mickey Jo and I am a theatre critic, content creator and pundit here on social media. I spend almost every day of my life seeing theatre and I spend every single day of my life talking about it. Which is what we're going to do right now. Because a Piece of Broadway Casting is making head headlines now. I actually shared some thoughts last week about a bunch of different casting announcements for a handful of different shows, and hours after I posted that online, six the Musical joined the conversation with some very exciting news about an entire new roster of queens joining the Queendom, AKA the Lena Horne Theatre on Broadway, where the show is approaching its sixth anniversary. That is depending on when exactly you start counting from, because the show had begun performances in March 2020 when all of the theaters on Broadway shut down amidst the developing situation. In fact, it was set to be six the Musical's opening night when the performance was cancelled. The show wouldn't have the chance to officially open for a little while, but a handful of other shows on either side of the Atlantic continue to celebrate their milestone anniversaries as if this period of closure didn't actually happen Anyway, Some original Broadway cast members are going to be returning to the show alongside some new faces, a couple of them well known faces, including the performer and songwriter Abigail Barlow. I keep trying to say Marlo, probably because I'm thinking of Annabel Marlowe, the sister of one of Six's co creators, Toby Marlowe, who also originated the role of Catherine Howard. Funnily enough, the role that Abigail is going to be playing, as well as performer and social media personality Dylan Mulvaney and Dylan's casting in the show in particular has unsurprisingly elicited some very strong responses, some of them so vitriolic that six's X account, which I just hate to say six's social media page on the app formerly known as Twitter, has had to resort to actually privatizing the page. Now, generally, whenever anything from the Broadway and musical theatre sphere spills out into the mainstream, I like to come on here because often the conversation that you see happening on social media and I did make the mistake of opening the app formerly known as Twitter earlier today, which I regretted almost immediately when my blood pressure spiked. The commentary that you often see and the reporting that you often see in the press by major media outlets tends to be wildly ignorant and misinformed. And so, as somebody who spends every day of their life speaking about this industry and its machinations with some level of insight and authority, I guess I thought I would come on here and clear up a little bit of misinformation. So we're going to talk about Dylan being cast in six on Broadway. We are going to talk about stunt casting and its implications in the current financial ecosystem within particularly the Broadway theatre industry. We are also going to talk about the wider anti trans bigotry that this has once again unearthed, as well as perhaps current and future prospects for trans and non binary performers in professional theatre. And for those of you simply curious about this from an industry standpoint, maybe we'll also talk a little bit more about what this means for six the Musical and why they might be pulling out such a bold casting move at this time. And I don't just mean Dylan. This entire roster is quite unlike the way they've been casting the show for the last few years now. As always, I will be sharing my thoughts with you. I am cautiously intrigued to hear yours in the comments section down below on the understanding that everyone is going to conduct themselves with a basic level of human decency and mutual respect. I am a champion of free speech. Theatre has always been a haven for subjective opinions, but virtually speaking, this is my house and you're going to take your shoes off at the door. What I mean by that is my comment section is not a space in which bigotry or transphobia are tolerated. So on the basis that we are now, hopefully all on the same page, let's carry on with this conversation and talk about why Dylan Mulvaney has been cast in six the Musical on Broadway. So, as we tend to do, let's zoom out on this entire thing. And bring in the well needed context. And we're going to talk about six the musical and the way the show has been cast historically in the approach that it takes to these characters who were real women, who all lived, who admittedly did not all live at the same time and form a Tudor pop group. Just in case anyone happened to be of the opinion that this was a steadfast documentary with handheld microphones and confetti cannons. But first, I think it would be beneficial for us to talk about Dylan, who I should point out, I have seen performing on stage on multiple occasions. I have met and spoken to her on many more occasions. I think I can call Dylan Mulvaney a friend at this point. We have mutual friends, we have interacted many, many times. And Dylan a few years ago became this mega popular social media influencer, content creator who was in real time, very publicly documenting her transition with a series that she titled Days of Girlhood. Sort of illuminating the contemporary transgender experience, but more so than anything else, finding joy and euphoria in what can be a very sort of fraught personal circumstance, especially in the current socio political landscape. The less said about which perhaps the better. I gather that we all have some level of understanding of what is happening right now to the transgender community on a global level. And if you don't, it's probably important that you find out. Key to this conversation though is that prior to this, Dylan had a background in musical theatre, had been a part of the national tour of the musical the Book of Mormon, a career which she recommenced a few years ago after finding huge newfound levels of fame and popularity, and amidst becoming sort of the de facto face of the trans community in the 2020s, some regrettable notoriety, but with the bud light of it all in the rear view mirror. Dylan appeared at cabaret performances. She starred in her own one woman show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which more recently transferred off Broadway to the Lucille Lortel Theatre in New York. She has also appeared alongside established actors in concert production. She was part of a concert at the Savoy Theatre here in the West End before a bear took up residence. All of which, I hasten to point out, happened entirely without incident. Not only was there no discernible anti trans backlash to any of this, but there also didn't arise much of a conversation, especially with Dylan's being cast in that Drew Gasparini concert, about stunt casting or her not being qualified for the role that she was hired to portray. Worth noting, in each instance, Dylan was portraying herself or a non gender specific character Fast forward to this month, January 2026, when Dylan is announced alongside a handful of other performers to be joining the cast of six the Musical on Broadway playing the real life historic Queen Anne Boleyn. And there arises some conversation about this being indicative of historical inaccuracy as well as some transphobic conversation about opportunities within the theatre industry within Broadway being taken away from women who deserve them. At which point I think it would be helpful for us to fast forward about a decade or so to when six the Musical was first being developed. Now, the show's life started here in the uk, co written by students and friends Toby Marlowe and Lucy Moss. It began as a university production performed and produced students at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, whereupon I believe it was noticed by producers who then further developed the show development, which eventually amounted to a return to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in a professional production that bears some close resemblance to the show that you see today. It also happened to be the occasion when I saw the show for the very first time in a venue that was literally a giant purple inflatable cow. And the inherent anachronism of the piece notwithstanding, with the six wives of Henry VIII existing as a girl group within this sort of purgatorial yet contemporary space, performing a banging pop musical theatre score, it was immediately clear that each of these characters had been conceived with a deliberately modern sensibility and sort of vocally styled after various recognizable music icons. Catherine of Aragon seemed very much inspired by Beyonce, Anne Boleyn by Lily Allen, with other references in there to the likes of Britney and Ariana Grande and Alicia Keys and Rihanna and Adele. And though the show's script and lyrics were littered with witty historial trivia and the score even contained a nod to the Elizabethan melody of Green sleeves, it wasn't purporting to be any kind of a history lesson. What it was was right there in the lyrics, a histo remix. And the show quickly came to prominence with that cast from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. What we then saw over the next few years was a very impressive rate of expansion for the show as they put out a concurrent UK tour with another set of Queens hiring more and more understudy and standby performers as the months went by to cover these very phys vocally demanding roles, a North American production was announced that eventually made its way to Broadway. The show began to appear on cruise ships. To date it has appeared in many countries. It is beginning to be translated into other languages. A Japanese language production recently happened. There is going to be a Spanish language production in Madrid later this year. It has gone from hit musical to undisputed global phenomenon in a way that few shows have since Hamilton. A big reason for which is the show's winning formula, which combines this dynamite score with all ages entertainment. And it's worth pointing out comparatively low running costs, the set being a single static one and the cast by definition being quite small. And one other key area of success that is worth pointing out is the malleable nature of the roles within the show. Each time that they would open a new production or bring in replacement casting or even have an understudy performer go on, their interpretation of of these six well known Tudor queens could look and sound entirely different to their predecessor or the principal performer who they were understudying. There was no sense of rigid continuity about how these queens ought to be portrayed, about the accent that they might have, about their skin tone, about their physical appearance, to some extent even about their vocal type. And it became clear very quickly as six rose to meteoric success, that diversity was going to be a big part of their approach and their cast, casting included, within which was an act of encouragement for trans and non binary performers to audition. And there have been, prior to the casting of Dylan Mulvaney, multiple non binary performers in productions of the show, empowering this story of historic womanhood and personhood to attain contemporary cultural resonance. So to recap, this is not really the first time that this has happened within this particular show, and ultimate exact historical accuracy has never been a principal concern of Six the Musical. So let's dig a little bit more into this and the conversation that has been arriving since Dylan was.
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Mickey Jo (Theatre Critic and Content Creator)
There are so many things that I want to be conscious of not neglecting to point out here. There are so many aspects of this that I think need to be illuminated. There are so many parts of conversations happening right now that deserve to be thoroughly debunked. But before any of that, I want to create a little bit of space here to share what Dylan articulated about her casting herself on social media in anticipation of the first rehearsal.
Dylan Mulvaney (Transgender Performer)
My first instinct was to come on here and try to convince those people that I do have what it takes to be a Broadway performer and to tell you why. But then I realized that I shouldn't waste my breath on that, because this is a miracle. It's a miracle for anyone to make it to Broadway, and there are so many incredible performers that deserve to be, and I genuinely hope that they will. But. But 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, and in trying desperately to get back to what I once loved, which was theater, I would do it all over again if it meant that I got to be on stage.
Mickey Jo (Theatre Critic and Content Creator)
Stage.
Dylan Mulvaney (Transgender Performer)
So if there are any queer or trans kids watching, I just want you to know that you can literally do anything. Maybe that's theater, maybe it's something different. But do not let anyone take away what brings you joy.
Mickey Jo (Theatre Critic and Content Creator)
So why exactly does anyone have an issue with an established musical theater performer making her Broadway debut other than ignorance and malice? Well, let's talk about some of the things that are being said. And I did see some commentary around the importance of Anne Boleyn's motherhood and her ability to bear a child and the importance of that to her as a historic character. And, you know, I grant you the show evolved and changed somewhat in its first transatlantic journey when it opened regionally in Chicago pre Broadway, it didn't change that much. And having seen this musical in four different countries to date, I can confirm no live young are birthed on stage. In response to that particular comment, someone else did brilliantly point out that defining Anne Boleyn by her ability to produce Offspring, which was sort of, you know, a part of what she ended up being beheaded for, is at the very least somewhat ironic. I also think everyone in this mob declaring that Dylan is inappropriate to portray the character of Anne Boleyn is sort of unwillingly participating in an increasingly ironic situation. Because at this point in 2026, who better than Dylan Mulvaney to really understand some of the stuff that Anne Boleyn went through being publicly vilified in the way that she was? It feels a little reductive to describe her experience as Tudor cancel culture, but it's not entirely off the mark. And for what it's worth, Jane Seymour is the character in the show who sings a comparatively more sincere and heartfelt song about motherhood. Anne Boleyn sings a fun uptempo pop number featuring such lyrics as who am I kidding? I was pret a manger. And if that sounded like any kind of a criticism from me, it absolutely isn't. I walked out of that purple cow day one saying, that song is gonna be a hit, and I'm excited to hear Dylan sing it. Anne Boleyn has often been a fantastic comedy character with this really vibrant personality, which we can guarantee Dylan Mulvaney will be bringing to the stage. There's every possibility in rehearsal that the key might be adapted. This is a reality. I think we need to talk about more with trans and non binary performers and trans and non binary voices. And I think it serves everyone, not just individuals from that community, to allow for a little bit more flexibility with keys in musical theatre. I know to some people that will sound a little bit sacrilegious. I probably in the past have, you know, talked in a slightly shaming way about performers having keys altered. And I don't know who that benefits. I think it just perpetuates this very sort of tenorific idea of, you know, higher always being better, which is a notion I'm actively trying to dissuade people from. You can often hear me these days saying, is it a good musical theater song or is it just high and loud? There are a lot of performers whose performances would benefit from a little flexibility when it comes to keys. No one really complained or talked about the fact that Nicole Scherzinger's Norma Desmond sang with one look in a just slightly lower key. In fact, she went on to win a Tony Award. And Dylan wouldn't be the first performer with some kind of profile brought into a show for whom the material may be tweaked a little bit. I'm trying to resist using the word celebrity there, because when it comes to this dialogue with stunt casting, I think we too often gloss over the fact that a lot of these performers have theatrical backgrounds. Like I said, Dylan had been and has been doing musical theatre on stage. You've actually very possibly been hearing Dylan Mulvaney's voice on Broadway. Admittedly not live and admittedly not singing, but she appears pre recorded for a brief moment during the introductory scene of Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York, unmistakably her. If you didn't clock it already, you will the next time you watch that show. And the stunt casting conversation is one that we have had time and time again. And it's not just Dylan, because Abigail Barlow also being brought into the show. And you can talk about opportunities for undiscovered talent being denied because of this. The reality is that, you know, if this is necessary to boost the box office to prolong the Broadway run of the show during financially trying times when everything is just, you know, getting more and more expensive and international tourism for unimaginable reasons might be dwindling, if the box office needs a boost and it doesn't get that boost and the show closes, then nobody has the opportunity to go into the show and countless individuals lose the jobs that they currently have. Which, it's worth pointing out, includes an awful lot of female identifying and non binary individuals. All of this commentary around a job being taken away from a woman is a transphobic and dismissive of the fact that trans women are women. I will say it again, trans women are women. But it's also super ignorant, unsurprisingly, of the history of Six, a show that in its early days and for the most part, I think, still was very committed to female identifying and non binary musicians on stage. A corner of the industry in which which often women are actually even less well represented. It's just so inaccurate to hurl any of those kind of accusations at a show like Six, which from the beginning of its life has been female centric and deliberately female empowering and trans and non binary inclusive. I actually think celebrity status, Instagram followers and name recognition notwithstanding, it is high time a trans femme performer joined the cast of Six the Musical. And in a roundabout way, after the initial noise of it all dies down, I think this is going to be a beneficial thing for trans and non binary performers working in the theatre industry. And make no mistake, there are currently many of them. Dylan Mulvaney is not the first trans woman to step foot on Broadway, nor does she believe that she is there are other Broadway shows right now. There are West End productions right now, there are national tours, there are shows in every corner that are already employing trans and non binary performers, many of whom you may have seen on stage already. And guess what? If you thought that roles for women in theatre were scarce, get ready to hear about the prospects of trans and non binary performers trying to perform authentically within the industry as their authentic selves. And so, as is always going to be the case, the visibility and the representation that this is going to create I think is ultimately going to be a very rewarding and powerful thing. A lot of young audience members go to see Six the Musical. It's really popular with that generation and I think that this could be a connecting moment for a lot of young people.
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Mickey Jo (Theatre Critic and Content Creator)
There are a couple more aspects of this I want to talk about and you may be curious with what I alluded to about Six and the box office and the current financial landscape. And the show has been running for a few years now. We've seen a phenomenon over the past couple of Broadway seasons where not that many shows until more recently had been able to sustain their run through the following Tony Awards. A lot of Tony Award winning best musicals weren't running, you know, that much longer than a year. Shows are also taking longer to recoup their initial investments even with high ticket prices because everything has become more expensive. And Six is one of from a few years ago, the last few standing from its season alongside like Moulin Rouge, MJ the more recent and Juliet. And after a few years a show like that is going to slow down. It's not the new and exciting thing anymore. Very often in that instance what you will see is a production attempting to court some reignited box office interest via stunt casting, bringing celebrity names into the show to get people to buy tickets. Chicago's Been doing it for decades. Moulin Rouge, a couple blocks down, has been no stranger to stunt casting for a little while now. If anything, it's impressive that Six has held on for as long as it has before starting to bring in some names, which it's already been doing a little bit from the music world, but now certainly in a more conspicuous way with Dylan and Abigail alongside some of the original Broadway company, which I think mitigates the bigger concern that I have. Everyone's out here talking about historical accuracy and stunt casting, whatever. My concern is the power balance of the whole thing because I've seen six the musical, I think, more than 20 times. Like I said, various countries, countless queens, and it works best, as do most shows. It's worth pointing out when the entire company joins the show at the same time when they start together and they become not just a cast, but a convincing pop group. They are performing as a girl band on stage, harmonizing, dancing together. It needs to feel cohesive and it very much so did at the beginning. That was a big part of why it was so great, because of the magic, chemistry and connection between those original performers. That sort of felt like it had diminished somewhat when there was a partial cast change. When some of that cast left to do other projects and other brilliant new performers were brought in, you didn't feel the same electricity between every single individual on stage. Subsequently, when there were full cast changes, then it felt like the magic was back a little bit. And my concern for as long as people have been talking about, like pop stars going into Six, like, could they get Ariana Grande? And I've never thought that they particularly could, for what it's worth, has been the notion of a power imbalance. The idea of an audience going to see one particular individual and being more enthusiastic about them than the other queens alongside who would then start to feel like supporting players in a show that is all about them becoming equal and an audience realizing that important message. Message. So I think it's probably a given that some people are going to go to the show just to see Dylan Mulvaney. I think it's also a given some people are going to go just to see Abigail Barlow. They both have significant followings on social media, on TikTok. Abigail, I've sort of under explained this, but if you don't know is one of the two composers behind the unofficial Bridgerton musical, which is a whole different story that you may remember. I'm quite enthusiastic about the prospect of seeing both of them on stage. So you can bet that I'LL be back at the Lena Horn. But I do think that the possibility of a problem there is is somewhat resolved by the star power of the two original Broadway company members, Adriana Hicks and Anna Uzeli, who subsequently went on to appear in Some Like It Hot and New York, New York, respectively, going back into the show as Catherine of Aragon and Catherine Parr. In any case, time will tell, and when they begin performances next month, I believe audiences will find out how well suited each of the newcomers are to their roles and how well the overall ensemble works. I mentioned the approaching 6th anniversary in my introduction. I wouldn't be surprised if the show is hoping to maintain its presence on Broadway until then. There was a splashy celebration for it here in the West End when it happened thereafter, I think it wouldn't be considered a failure whatsoever if the Broadway production were to close and for it to move subsequently to somewhere like New World Stages, to a nice Off Broadway venue where I think it could run for decades. A lot of shows need to downsize and sort of reconfigure themselves in order to make that kind of a move, but it's happened before. For productions like Jersey Boys, the play that Goes Wrong still running successfully off Broadway as Well as Avenue Q6 would need to do very little. It would sort of be a seamless transition and not to revert to the transphobia of it all having shifted to more of an industry conversation. But I do want to point out that when people are demanding that female roles role originally written for women not go to trans women, it's the same thing as the public bathroom bill here in the UK and the debate around that. It's not about prioritizing women so much as it is a thinly veiled attempt to exclude members of the trans community from public life. Because there is an utter scarcity of specific trans roles within theatre, within musical theatre. And to demand that trans women not be allowed to play women on stage when their gender identity sort of precludes them from being able to play male characters. Nor would it really make sense for them to. It would be confusing to an audience. It would be a source of dysphoria. It's just not something that would ever really work. The only solution then is that they don't appear on stage whatsoever. And make no mistake, that is what the transphobes want. Likewise, they don't want trans women to stop using the women's bathroom and instead use the men's bathroom. They simply want the to stay home and cease to exist. So to the inevitable commenter down below who attempts to reframe this as a women's rights issue rather than blatant transphobia. Spare me. And while I described who Dylan was before and talked about the couple of occasions on which we have met, I really failed to outline her character and that for the most part over the last couple of years her social media platform has been dedicated to like traveling around the world and hyping up up her friends, which is almost entirely women and queer people. The majority of the occasions on which I have met her have been when she has been celebrating the work and achievements of creative collaborators and friends of hers. Truly, just being this gleeful cheerleader, I can think of few individuals more deserving of a Broadway debut than Dylan Mulvaney. Certainly I think it's a much more exciting piece of casting than Tom Felton reverting to the role of Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child down of the Lyric Theatre, something I've been deliberately neglecting to report on, but which I can only describe as a loser move from all involved, including all of the outlets and individuals who made an active choice to report on it multiple times. I hope you got those clicks that you wanted and that revenue. At least we can be pretty sure that yours isn't going directly to funding anti trans legislation. Needless to say, you won't catch me putting a microphone in the face of anyone too spineless to even comment on the plight of the trans community. I will, however, be going back to C6 on Broadway and so should you. And lest I continue to rant about this into the early hours of the morning, that I think is all that I have to say about Dylan Mulvaney and the rest of the cast being announced for the Broadway production of Six. I'm very excited about it. I'm going to go and check it out at my next convenience. If you plan to see Dylan, Abigail and the rest of the cast in six on Broadway, let me know in the comments section down below. Share any thoughts that you might might have about this particular piece of news. Let's keep it friendly. Let's celebrate and champion the basic human rights of the other people living on this planet. If that isn't too much to ask. If there are any other Broadway or theatre centric stories that you would like me to comment on, be sure to let me know in the comments section down below. If you want to stay up to date with everything that I am sharing across the musical theatre Internet, then you can sign up for my substack a link to which I hopefully have remembered to put in the description of this this video. And if you want to hear more from me here on YouTube or perhaps on podcast platforms, make sure you are following me wherever you are, seeing my face or hearing my voice. As always, I hope that you enjoyed this commentary and I hope that everyone is staying safe and that you have a stagey day for 10 more seconds. I'm Mickey Jo Theatre. Oh my God. Hey, thanks for watching. Have a stagey day. Subscribe.
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Mickey Jo (Theatre Critic and Content Creator)
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Podcast: MickeyJoTheatre
Host: MickeyJoTheatre
Date: January 21, 2026
Episode: Why shouldn't Dylan Mulvaney be in SIX? | The honest truth behind the Broadway casting backlash
In this episode, Mickey Jo tackles the online backlash and heated debate concerning Dylan Mulvaney’s casting as Anne Boleyn in Six: The Musical on Broadway. The discussion explores the hysteria around so-called "stunt casting," the history, flexibility, and inclusivity of Six, the broader context of anti-trans sentiment, and the practical realities facing both performers and producers in today’s Broadway ecosystem. The episode includes Mickey Jo's industry insights, a segment featuring Dylan Mulvaney's own words, and a thoughtful, direct critique of backlash arguments.
Six announced a major cast shake-up for its sixth Broadway anniversary, including Dylan Mulvaney as Anne Boleyn and Abigail Barlow as Catherine Howard.
Dylan’s casting prompted aggressive online backlash, particularly transphobic comments.
The show's social media team even privatized their “X” (Twitter) account to manage the vitriol.
Mickey Jo positions himself as an informed, regular theatergoer and critic, aiming to debunk misinformation prevalent in social and mainstream media.
“The commentary that you often see and the reporting that you often see in the press ... tends to be wildly ignorant and misinformed.”
— Mickey Jo (04:38)
He previews the episode’s structure: addressing the Dylan Mulvaney casting, the idea and necessity of “stunt casting,” anti-trans bigotry, prospects for trans/nonbinary performers, and why Six is making such a casting move now.
Dylan is a trained musical theater performer, with credits including Book of Mormon (tour), solo work at Edinburgh Fringe and Off-Broadway, and concerts in the US and UK.
Her prior stage work as herself or non-gender-specific characters drew no backlash, unlike the Six announcement.
Dylan became a widely recognized, sometimes controversial public figure after documenting her gender transition on social media, particularly with “Days of Girlhood.”
“I think I can call Dylan Mulvaney a friend at this point ... Dylan a few years ago became this mega popular social media influencer ... documenting her transition with a series ... finding joy and euphoria in what can be a sort of fraught personal circumstance.”
— Mickey Jo (08:41)
Six originated at the Edinburgh Fringe with a deliberately modern, flexible take on its Tudor queens, inspired by pop icons and current musical genres.
Success led to rapid international expansion and a reputation for diverse, malleable casting – by voice, appearance, ethnicity, and gender identity.
The show explicitly invites trans and nonbinary performers to audition; there have previously been nonbinary cast members.
Historically, Six is not invested in period accuracy – neither musically nor visually.
“There was no sense of rigid continuity ... It became clear very quickly, as Six rose to meteoric success, that diversity was going to be a big part of their approach and their cast, casting included, within which was an act of encouragement for trans and nonbinary performers to audition.”
— Mickey Jo (12:40)
Dylan's casting as a trans woman is not unprecedented for the show or the broader industry.
Mickey Jo quotes Dylan’s heartfelt social media message:
“My first instinct was to come on here and try to convince those people that I do have what it takes to be a Broadway performer and to tell you why. But then I realized that I shouldn’t waste my breath on that, because this is a miracle ... for me to be able to step out onto a Broadway stage as Anne Boleyn ... I think that’s a miracle.”
— Dylan Mulvaney (15:21)
“So if there are any queer or trans kids watching, I just want you to know that you can literally do anything. Maybe that’s theater, maybe it’s something different. But do not let anyone take away what brings you joy.”
— Dylan Mulvaney (16:38)
Claims about “historical inaccuracy,” Anne Boleyn’s “motherhood,” or Dylan “taking women’s roles” are dismissed as either misguided or cloaks for transphobia.
Points out the irony of defining Boleyn solely by motherhood in light of her execution, and that Six offers only a comedic, modernized version of these historical figures.
"Who better than Dylan Mulvaney to really understand some of the stuff that Anne Boleyn went through, being publicly vilified in the way that she was? ... It feels a little reductive to describe her experience as Tudor cancel culture, but it’s not entirely off the mark.”
— Mickey Jo (17:40)
Notes that vocal keys are often adjusted for individual performers, and musical theatre should be flexible, especially for trans and nonbinary voices.
“Is it a good musical theater song or is it just high and loud? There are a lot of performers whose performances would benefit from a little flexibility when it comes to keys.”
— Mickey Jo (19:22)
Acknowledges that Six may be using high-profile castings as a box office strategy, following the pattern of many Broadway shows after long runs.
Stresses that without strategies like this, shows risk closing, which removes opportunities for all – including women and nonbinary performers.
Defends the show’s overall commitment to diversity and empowerment from its inception.
“If this is necessary to boost the box office ... and if it doesn’t get that boost and the show closes, then nobody has the opportunity to go into the show and countless individuals lose the jobs they currently have.”
— Mickey Jo (20:54)
Emphasizes the importance of visibility for trans and nonbinary performers, especially in a show admired by younger audiences.
Argues that denying trans women female roles amounts to erasure from public life, likening it to exclusionary bathroom bills and broader anti-trans debates.
Notes the near-nonexistent pool of specifically trans roles in musical theatre; blocking trans women from women’s roles would mean effective disappearance from the stage.
“...when people are demanding that female roles originally written for women not go to trans women, it’s ... a thinly veiled attempt to exclude members of the trans community from public life.”
— Mickey Jo (28:20)
Expresses hope that new cast members will gel as a group, which is essential for Six’s “girl band” feel.
Notes that bringing back original stars Adrianna Hicks and Anna Uzele should balance any potential “star power” disruption by Dylan or Abigail.
If the Broadway production did close, Mickey Jo speculates Six could transition smoothly to a smaller Off-Broadway run, similar to other long-running shows.
“I do think that the possibility of a problem there is somewhat resolved by the star power of the two original Broadway company members ... going back into the show...”
— Mickey Jo (26:15)
On Industry Ignorance:
“The commentary ... tends to be wildly ignorant and misinformed.”
— Mickey Jo (04:38)
On Dylan’s Personal Journey:
“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.”
— Dylan Mulvaney (16:13)
On Key Adaptation and Trans Voices:
“I think it serves everyone, not just individuals from that community, to allow for a little bit more flexibility with keys in musical theatre.”
— Mickey Jo (19:16)
Calling Out Hidden Transphobia:
“...It’s not about prioritizing women so much as it is a thinly veiled attempt to exclude members of the trans community from public life.”
— Mickey Jo (28:20)
On Dylan’s Character:
“Truly, just being this gleeful cheerleader, I can think of few individuals more deserving of a Broadway debut than Dylan Mulvaney.”
— Mickey Jo (31:00)
Mickey Jo argues passionately that Dylan Mulvaney’s casting as Anne Boleyn is a logical, overdue, and positive step for Six and Broadway. He offers historical, social, artistic, and pragmatic context, calls out the often-unspoken transphobia driving the backlash, and urges both the industry and audiences to embrace diverse, authentic talent on stage.
To sum up:
This episode is a robust defense of inclusive casting, a nuanced view of Broadway economics, and a celebration of trans visibility in theatre, centered around Dylan Mulvaney’s history-making role in Six: The Musical.