Beyond The Feed

When Creators Step Off the Timeline and Onto the Stage

Monday night, something quietly revolutionary happened.

Two women who built massive audiences online stepped onto one of the most traditional stages in the world: Broadway.

Dylan Mulvaney and Abigail Barlow made their Broadway debuts in Six, Mulvaney as Anne Boleyn, Barlow as Katherine of Aragon.

And if you’ve been paying attention, this wasn’t a fluke.

It was a signal.

The creator economy is no longer confined to ring lights and algorithms. It’s bleeding into institutions that once felt completely untouchable.

This Broadway Moment Isn’t a Gimmick

There’s a temptation to frame this as “TikToker tries Broadway.”

But that framing misses the point.

Both of these women are performers first. The internet didn’t create their talent, it amplified it.

Mulvaney trained in musical theatre before ever posting a Day 1 video. Barlow has been writing, arranging, and building music long before her songs started trending.

What we’re seeing now isn’t creators dabbling.

It’s creators expanding.

Abigail Barlow: From Viral Bridgerton Musical to Grammy Winner

If you still think “internet famous” means “temporary,” let’s look at Barlow.

She and composer Emily Bear turned viral Bridgerton-inspired songs into The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, which went on to win a Grammy.

A Grammy.

Not a Streamy. Not a Webby.

A recording industry Grammy. Beating out industry legend Andrew Lloyd Webber in the process.

And if that wasn’t enough of a pivot, the duo also scored Moana 2 — stepping directly into Disney-level legacy territory.

That’s not influencer success.

That’s industry success.

The Old Pipeline Is Cracking

For decades, the path to Broadway or Hollywood looked like this:

Training → Agent → Auditions → Maybe, someday, a break.

Now there’s a parallel track.

Build audience → Prove demand → Walk into rooms with leverage.

Creators are no longer “hoping to be discovered.” They are arriving with data, fan bases, ticket-buying power, and cultural relevance already attached.

And institutions are noticing.

Broadway is expensive. Film scoring is high-stakes. These industries do not make sentimental hires. They make financial decisions.

When creators are invited in, it’s because they bring something measurable.

This Isn’t About Social Media Fame

This is about ownership.

Creators today:

• Fund their own projects
• Test ideas in real time
• Build community before pitching
• Control their narrative

The internet becomes the lab.

The stage becomes the expansion.

The shift isn’t “TikTok to Broadway.”

It’s direct access to audience → institutional validation → long-term career stability.

And that pipeline works both ways. A Broadway debut feeds the online audience. The online audience fuels the Broadway run.

It’s no longer either/or.

It’s ecosystem.

The Bigger Pattern

Dylan Mulvaney and Abigail Barlow aren’t outliers.

They’re part of a larger shift where creators are:

• Publishing books with major houses
• Launching fashion lines
• Directing films
• Producing albums
• Writing for legacy studios

The difference now? They don’t need permission to start.

Social platforms are no longer the end goal. They’re the launchpad.

And the most successful creators are treating them that way.

What This Means for Wallafan Creators

If you’re building something online right now, here’s the quiet takeaway:

The platform isn’t the destination.

It’s the proof of concept.

The audience you build today might buy a ticket tomorrow.

The niche you serve might fund your next act.

The experiment you post at midnight might become your Broadway debut.

Success beyond social media isn’t rare anymore.

It’s the next phase.

And last night, it took a bow.

About The Author

Ashley is a busy wife and mother, often found listening to an audiobook while driving the mom taxi, desperate to cling to her sanity through the joy of escapism. Her love of reading inspired her to return to school, and she is currently finishing her bachelor’s degree in creative writing at Southern New Hampshire University. Being a mother does not mean you have to give up your dreams; her story is still being written.