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Dylan Mulvaney, who stars as Anne Boleyn in the Broadway musical Six through May 31, is addressing her critics.
In a candid “Get Ready With Me” video shared to her social media platforms late last week, Mulvaney — who made her Broadway debut with the production in February — explained what it is like to replace an actor in a long-running musical as a trans person.
“I’ve now been in Six: The Musical for over two months, and I’m having the time of my damn life,” Mulvaney, 29, began. “And I’m filming this today from a place of abundance and not scarcity because some days I do not feel so great about myself, but I’ve had some really good shows lately.”
Mulvaney, whose casting in Six was met with some mixed reactions by online critics, noted that going into the show as a trans person “is extremely uncharted territory because there haven’t been a ton of trans folks replacing in musicals on Broadway, which is lame because it should be happening like all the time.”
The social media personality — who was wearing a shirt that reads “Tranne Boleyn” — pointed out that when casting teams “make an effort to include someone with a different life experience, it can give a character such a fresh and nuanced perspective.”
Mulvaney, who previously toured with The Book of Mormon, explained that she hasn’t missed a show at Six since her opening and completely readjusted her lifestyle to “deliver every single time” — yet she has still been met with some online hate.
“The biggest hurdle for trans people in musicals is changing the keys,” Mulvaney said, explaining that she sings the majority of the show in the original keys with the exception of her number “Don’t Lose Ur Head,” which she said was taken down a half-step.
Pointing out that there are clips circulating online of her singing the snippet of “Don’t Lose Ur Head” during “The Megasix,” Mulvaney said that the final number with the entire cast must be performed in its original key.
“When I started in February, I was seeing comments from our first night where people were saying very unkind things about my singing, and it took me a long time to realize that those people weren’t actually seeing me in the show,” Mulvaney said.
“They were basing their opinions on a very small clip on the internet, and they made me really hate that moment in the show, which is during our curtain call and during our bows when I’m supposed to be celebrating the show that we just did,” she continued.
While Mulvaney admitted that she’s not the “greatest vocalist,” she declared that she has “taken back my power” and is “not really interested in criticism unless it’s coming from someone who is sitting in that theater, seeing the show in its entirety.”
“I am giving 125% at every performance because I know how lucky I am to be here,” she said. “The trans joy and the humor that I bring to that stage every night is enough for me to believe that I deserve to be there.”
Celebrating the trans representation that is currently on Broadway — including in Cats: The Jellicle Ball — Mulvaney said she hopes to see even more trans people be given opportunities to shine.
Mulvaney cautioned that “it’s not best to publicly rip me to shreds in the comments because there are people watching and deciding if it’s worth putting trans people in their shows, too,” adding: “My hope is that many other trans people will be awarded the same opportunity.”
Speaking directly to trans and/or non-binary people, Mulvaney reminded them, “We are not the problem, we are the solution. And what we have to offer is so rich in experience and in joy that a note that we can’t hit or a costume that might need some alterations will be the tiniest casualty of what will be an epic show for all involved.”
“I think the coolest part is that I don’t say the word trans one time in this show, and when I’m out there, it’s not about my identity,” she said.
In the comments section of Mulvaney’s post, Broadway fans and friends celebrated the star for her performance as well as for speaking out against the critics.
“Omg I love you,” wrote Erika Henningsen, while Chaz Wolcott commented: “This is truly beautiful. You deserve to be there. Ignore the small-minded people who could NEVER ever face the criticism you face and still approach life with such wonder and hope. You’re an inspiration.”
Costar Abigail Barlow, who plays Katherine Howard, simply wrote: “Sister wifey.”
Six, a pop take on Henry VIII’s Six wives, is currently playing Broadway’s Lena Horne Theatre.
Photo Credit: Bruce Glikas
