When people ask Kay Sibal, PHS ’18, about her ultimate dream, she always says it is to perform on Broadway. After pursuing a career in acting, songwriting and singing, Sibal can finally say she has made that dream a reality.
Sibal will make her Broadway debut as Katherine Howard in the Tony Award-winning “SIX the Musical”, which uses modern pop songs to tell the story of King Henry VIII’s six wives. Performances with Sibal and the all-new cast of queens start on Feb. 19 at the Lena Horne Theatre in New York City.
“It’s a moment I’ve been waiting for my entire life,” Sibal said.
The musical is styled like a high-energy pop concert slash singing competition. The six queens — Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr — perform as a pop girl group, with original songs and personalities inspired by icons like Avril Lavigne and Beyoncé.
Fifth wife Katherine Howard (also known as K Howard) is a “pink pop princess” based on Ariana Grande, Sibal said. Sibal has “always been a pop girl,” which makes her ideal for the role.
“’Six’ has actually been one of my favorite musicals since I was in high school,” Sibal said. “I remember walking home from high school listening to the soundtrack.”
Years before her Broadway debut, Sibal’s musical theater journey began in third grade when she joined a PHS musical in need of a young performer. She went on to sing in the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir and perform in Youth Musical Theater Company productions. At PHS, she participated in Amy Moorhead’s musical theater program and took acting with Kim Taylor and a cappella and AP music theory with Joe Piazza. In 2016, she won the annual bird calling contest with fellow PHS ’18 grad Maya Guzdar.
Sibal said she is deeply grateful for her upbringing and training in the Piedmont arts scene, and the community’s ongoing support and funding of its arts programs.
“The arts in Piedmont is the reason why I was able to be here today,” Sibal said. “I always think back to how lucky I am that I went to a public high school, and our arts program just happened to be so good.”
After graduating from PHS, Sibal studied musical theater at UCLA and later starred in Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo’s musical, Invincible. In 2024, joined “The Voice” (Season 26) and reached the Knockouts stage.
In 2021, Sibal sent in a self-tape to “Six” during an open casting call. After several callbacks, she got the role in October 2024, and moved to New York in January to begin rehearsals.
Many of Sibal’s family and friends will attend her Broadway debut, including her former roommates and fellow PHS ’18 grads, Ko Narter and Maggie Lucas. When they lived together in Los Angeles, Narter and Lucas recalled hearing a “joyful scream” from Sibal’s room and instantly knew she booked it.
“I’m excited to get to witness everyone else witnessing Kay,” Narter said. “Right now, Kay Sibal is my best kept secret… It’s so fun to see other people discover her.”
Narter and Lucas have seen Sibal perform many times, but they are especially excited to see her Broadway debut. Both spoke of Sibal’s talent, strong work ethic, and dedication to her craft as reasons for her success.
“She’s going to be so good,” Lucas said. “She’s worked so hard. This is something she’s been dreaming about for a really long time, so it’s an incredible payoff.”