August 24, 2023
Is Trans Influencer Dylan Mulvaney Headed to Broadway?
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, who has shared her transition journey with more than 10 million followers on social media, has reportedly been asked to audition for the role of Sally Bowles in a revival of "Cabaret."
Page Six reported that the revival originated in London, and is transferring to Broadway, "with Eddie Redmayne expected to take the male lead."
Page Six added that "while the cast for the Spring opening at the August Wilson Theater is already in place, producers have auditioned Mulvaney to take over the female lead British cabaret performer Sally Bowles if the show has a long run in New York."
The publication noted that Sally Bowles "has previously been famously played by Liza Minelli, Michelle Williams, Emma Stone and Sienna Miller."
Mulvaney is famous at this moment for having been subjected to virulent anti-trans rage for her partnership with Bud Light. A viral video in which Mulvaney shared a novelty Bud Light can with her face printed on it sparked conservative calls for a boycott of the brand, which subsequently tumbled from its perch as America's best-selling beer and cost the company billions in lost revenue. Right-wing rage was so intense that some influencers, including Kid Rock, posted videos of their own in which they directed violence at cans of Bud Light beer.
The brand promptly backed away from its onetime ambassador, sparking criticism and even some boycotts from the LGBTQ+ community.
Mulvaney, caught in the middle, posted about her experience, describing "more bullying and transphobia than I could have ever imagined."
The influencer called out Bud Light, alleging that the brand had abandoned her. "For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse, in my opinion, than not hiring a trans person at all," she declared.
But there's more to Mulvaney than the controversy. Page Six recalled that she has proven acting chops.
"Before she became a TikTok superstar, Mulvaney got her bachelors in musical theater and has appeared in a national tour of the 'Book of Mormon,' playing the lead role Elder White, as well as Off-Broadway productions," the news account detailed.
"'Cabaret' takes place in a nightclub in Berlin as the Nazis rise to power," Page Six noted. "Bowles was played in the London production by Jessie Buckley and is currently running with director Judd Apatow's daughter, Maude, in the role."
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.