They say Broadway reinvents itself constantly. When that reinvention arrives escorted by millions of followers and a barrage of headlines, the result is part cultural experiment, part high-stakes PR case study. Newly obtained documents chart Dylan Mulvaney’s striking leap from social-media stardom into a leading role in the Tony-winning musical Six — and reveal how the casting became both an artistic gamble and a live test of reputation management.
Mulvaney’s route to the stage wasn’t linear. The records sketch a familiar digital trajectory: fast-growing reach, intense media scrutiny and, at one juncture, a polarizing national moment tied to the Bud Light controversy. Those flashpoints didn’t occur in a vacuum; they shaped conversations among producers and shaped the mechanics of the casting process itself.
What the files make clear is that decision-makers were balancing two realities. On one hand, a built-in audience offers immediate commercial benefits — publicity, ticket interest and buzz. On the other, online fame can be volatile: headlines and backlash travel fast and unpredictably. Producers and agents told staff that social metrics weren’t meant to replace talent assessments, but they were increasingly treated as another credential to weigh.
The package includes casting notices, internal memos, publicity timetables and contingency playbooks. Some memos track ticket sales, regional attendance trends and daily social sentiment. Others spotlight efforts to emphasize Mulvaney’s stage credentials — vocal coaching, acting work in digital projects — as a way to steer attention back to craft rather than personality or politics.
Publicity teams prepared for disruptions. Contingency plans spelled out responses to protests and media surges, and marketing briefs suggested targeted outreach to community groups to frame the casting around inclusion and artistic merit. While the documents don’t show financial guarantees, they do reveal a noticeable uptick in spending on audience analytics and reputation management.
Putting the timeline together from rehearsal notes, emails and meeting minutes, the casting process reads as acceleration under pressure. Talks began before the controversy, then gained momentum as media attention amplified. Traditional theatrical steps — auditions, rehearsals, coaching — were layered with risk assessments: staged public statements, recalibrated marketing, and live social monitoring during previews and opening weeks.
Promotional messaging evolved as the situation unfolded. Early communications leaned into collaboration and the rehearsal journey; later ones were tightened and more defensive, anticipating flashpoints. Backstage, logistics shifted too: added front-of-house staffing for initial performances, regionally sensitive ad buys, and greater security planning — all measures shaped by the reality of instant online reaction.
The documents name roles rather than dollar figures: producers and casting directors guided creative choices; marketing and communications teams sculpted the narrative; talent reps negotiated terms; venue managers set security protocols; and outside publicists and community liaisons advised outreach. Legal counsel flagged reputational clauses and monitored messaging to limit liability. Notably, social-media analysts and audience-development staff were looped in from the start; their reach metrics were appended to casting reports much like résumés or headshots.
Tensions threaded through the papers. For some theater professionals and critics, this signals overdue expansion — new paths to the stage, diversified casting and access to new audiences. For others, it raises alarms: might visibility start to count for more than training and technique? The files reflect that debate: excitement for broader audiences tempered by concern about preserving artistic standards.
Ultimately, the documents don’t hand down a verdict so much as illuminate a new theatrical reality. Casting now happens at the intersection of craft, commerce and culture wars, and the Mulvaney episode offers a detailed look at how a modern production tries to navigate that terrain in real time.