Gianna Yanelli, musical theatre alumna, plays Anne Boleyn in the fourth anniversary Broadway show of “SIX.” She steps onto a dark stage lit in purple, dressed in green-and-black pop band attire. Inspired by artists like Avril Lavigne and Lily Allen, her sections of “SIX” give a unique pop-rock sound that she calls “empowering” in Boleyn’s biographical story.
Prior to landing her role as Boleyn, Yanelli graduated from Texas State in 2014. She said she appreciated her time at the university, noting a sense of community and teaching of practical skills needed to succeed in the industry. Her experience helped shaped her as an artist, something she said is unique to Texas State.
Yanelli was part of the first recruited class for the bachelor’s degree in musical theatre program brought in by Katlin Hopkins, founder and former head of the program. Hopkins recalled Yanelli entering the room and being the most incredible energy force with a strong personality and incredible voice.
“I knew right away I wanted her in the program, and I knew she was going to have a huge career if we could just focus that energy of hers,” Hopkins said.
Hopkins and the faculty called it the “forever program” during recruiting, as Hopkins maintained a friendly relationship with the students even beyond graduation. She said it’s important in creative industries to have connections with other talent and to view fellow students not as competition but rather as teammates.
“We weren’t just taught the mechanics of acting, singing and dancing,” Yanelli said. “We were taught how to have a work-life balance, to appreciate all different sides of theater, to get to know the people who run the theaters … and that everyone has an important role in the entertainment industry.”
In addition to Hopkins’ classes, Yanelli took a class with Laura Lane, professor at Texas State’s School of Theatre, Dance and Film. According to Lane, the class required the students to transcend self-consciousness to access deeper creativity and had a heavy emphasis on collaboration. Lane said Yanelli’s success is a testament to her mastery of those two concepts.
“I remember Gianna as an extremely creative, driven actress as well as a good human,” Lane said. “She worked hard to develop skills involving self-discipline and generosity to her class ensemble. Gianna always excelled. I am so glad to have been part of her professional development.”
Yanelli said her time at Texas State helped her with “SIX,” describing how she stays connected with the team and attends dinners with the backstage crew. In addition, her training helped her use different stage techniques such as full body commitment, a technique Yanelli describes as “allowing yourself to inhabit a character, within characterization and physicality.”
“I feel like I’ve become a better artist in person because of my training,” Yanelli said. “Obviously, the program itself is unbelievable … and it’s amazing to see how much it’s grown and how much recognition it’s gotten.”
Yanelli was first brought to the cast of “SIX” on Sept. 22, 2024, after auditioning many times for Boleyn. She said she was excited to bring a more accurate portrayal of Boleyn to the stage.
“A lot of people like to think she was this witch who cheated on the king and was like [expletive] and all this stuff, and it actually turns out none of that was true. It was all fabricated,” Yanelli said. “So, for me, it’s being able to reclaim a story that was wrong for all these years and living in her story.”
Every rendition of the musical has included a Texas State alumna, including Anna Uzele in 2021-22’s “SIX” and Adriana Scalice in 2024’s North American “Boleyn” Tour as Catherine Parr, Bella Coppola in 2022-23’s “SIX” as Jane Seymour, and Emma Elizabeth Smith in 2025-26’s North American “Boleyn” Tour as Catherine of Aragon.
Created by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, “SIX” is a musical that revolves around the six wives of King Henry VIII, who each share their experiences with him in the form of comedic and educational pop melodies that take inspiration from different pop icons such as Beyoncé and Britney Spears.
The six queens of the musical were all wronged by Henry VIII in some way, with each of their struggles getting swept under the rug. Yanelli drew a comparison between how these women were treated to the treatment of the modern woman, citing the continuing discrimination women face.
“I feel like a part of me feels healed in being able to tell these stories that the women did not get to do at the time,” Yanelli said. “It feels like we’ve given back to them, which is why I feel like it’s definitely such a cultural phenomenon because it is still happening today.”
“SIX” on Broadway is open ended with no closing date at New York City’s Lena Horne Theater. More tickets will be available after July 26.
