At a Glance
- Dylan Mulvaney and Abigail Barlow will debut in Six on Broadway
- Mulvaney plays Anne Boleyn; Barlow plays Katherine Howard
- Both creators built huge followings through viral online content
- Why it matters: Social-media fame is now a direct pipeline to theater’s biggest stage
Broadway’s newest leading ladies come from TikTok and Grammy-winning fan projects. On Jan. 16, producers announced that Dylan Mulvaney and Abigail Barlow-digital-native stars with zero prior Broadway credits-will step into the hit pop-concert musical Six, which chronicles the turbulent marriages of King Henry VIII’s wives.
The Casting Details
Mulvaney, 29, will play Anne Boleyn, the king’s second wife and the show’s sarcastic scene-stealer. Barlow, 27, takes the role of Katherine Howard, the fifth wife whose tragic arc is delivered in glittery pop ballads. They join returning cast members Adrianna Hicks as Catherine of Aragon, Anna Uzele as Catherine Parr, and 2024 alum Olivia Donalson as Anna of Cleves.
Performance dates were not disclosed, but the producers confirmed the pair will rotate into the current line-up at the Lena Horne Theatre.
From Screens to Stage
Mulvaney skyrocketed to fame through the video series “100 Days of Girlhood,” documenting her transition for millions of TikTok followers. She holds a BFA in musical theatre from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music and previously toured the U.S. as Elder White in The Book of Mormon.
Barlow’s breakthrough arrived when she and writing partner Emily Bear posted songs inspired by Netflix’s Bridgerton. The online buzz became The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, which won the 2022 Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. Netflix later sued to block live stagings, but Barlow & Bear were hired to compose for the 2024 Moana sequel, replacing Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Off-Broadway Warm-Up
Mulvaney’s stage return began last fall in The Least Problematic Woman in the World, a solo show she wrote and performed off-Broadway. The piece-formerly titled F–hag-ran Sept. 20 through Nov. 30 after a debut at Scotland’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. She told News Of Losangeles the show was born from “Beergate,” her term for the conservative backlash that followed her 2023 Bud Light sponsorship.
> “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I need to get back on stage, and it’s really hard to get cast as a trans person right now in theater.’ So I was like, ‘I need to write something.'”
A Growing Trend
Mulvaney and Barlow arrive as Broadway courts influencer audiences. Whitney Leavitt of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives will begin performances as Roxie Hart in Chicago on Feb. 2, extending a pattern that marries built-in social followings with ticket sales.
Barlow trained at the Alabama School of Fine Arts and Birmingham Dance Theatre before turning online platforms into creative laboratories. Mulvaney’s theater degree and national-tour résumé provided traditional credentials, yet she credits social media with giving her the visibility to create her own opportunities.
What Comes Next
Producers have not announced whether Mulvaney and Barlow will extend beyond their initial contracts. Cast turnover is built into Six‘s concert format, allowing new performers to rotate in without major production overhauls.
For now, audiences can expect Mulvaney’s comedic timing to reshape Anne Boleyn’s snarky anthem “Don’t Lose Ur Head,” while Barlow’s pop sensibility will color Katherine Howard’s emotional centerpiece, “All You Wanna Do.”
Key Takeaways
- Broadway’s talent pipeline now runs through TikTok and Grammy-winning fan albums.
- Mulvaney brings both classical training and a massive built-in audience.
- Barlow parlayed viral songwriting into composing for major studio films.
- Expect more social-media stars to follow as theaters chase younger demographics.
