Cole Escola’s Play ‘Oh, Mary!’ to Open on Broadway After Sold-Out Off Broadway Run
Mary Todd Lincoln had grand ambitions of being a cabaret star, at least according to playwright Cole Escola. Now, the former first lady is getting her due on the grandest stage of all.
“Oh, Mary!” is transferring to Broadway after a sold-out, twice-extended run at downtown Manhattan’s Lucille Lortel Theatre. The play, written by and starring Escola as the wife of President Abraham Lincoln, will begin previews at the Lyceum Theatre on June 26 ahead of opening night on July 11. The limited 12-week engagement will end on Sept. 15.
The deranged comedy follows a miserable, suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to the 16th president’s assassination. As the press release teases, “Unrequited yearning, alcoholism and suppressed desires abound in this one-act play that finally examines the forgotten life and dreams of Mrs. Lincoln through the lens of an idiot.”
“Oh, Mary!” runs at a brisk 80 minutes and played to rave reviews during its Off Broadway stint. New York Times critic Joshua Barone endearingly described the show as “So stupid. So campy. So unexpected. And […] sensational.” In his review, he wrote, “There’s little else in New York theater right now quite as surprising as “Oh, Mary!” […] the kind of show that will leave you gagging, both in the sense that you’ll be losing your mind with joy, and that you might just be grossed out.”
Escola, a comedian who doesn’t appear to be all that interested in historical accuracy, is best known for “Difficult People,” “Search Party” and “At Home With Amy Sedaris.”
Sam Pinkleton directed “Oh, Mary!” which also stars Conrad Ricamora as Mary’s Husband, James Scully as Mary’s Teacher, Bianca Leigh as Mary’s Chaperone, and Tony Macht as Mary’s Husband’s Assistant. The full creative team for the Broadway production includes dots (scenic designer), Holly Pierson (costume designer), Cha See (lighting designer), Daniel Kluger (sound design and original music), Drew Levy (sound designer), Leah J. Loukas (wig designer), Addison Heeren (props supervision), and David Dabbon (musical arrangements).
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