“Oh, Mary!”

“Oh, Mary!”
Lyceum Theatre
December 16, 2024 

Photo courtesy of "Oh, Mary!"

The Broadway production of “Oh, Mary!” is madcap hilarity.  Playwright Cole Escola took a few historical facts, combined them with a few little known facts, asked, “What if?” and went wild with the possibilities.  Director Sam Pinkleton found the style and pace that heightened the humor.  The cast plays each moment for every laugh.  It is over the top fun! 

Mary Todd Lincoln (played by Cole Escola) has a drinking problem.  She tells her husband, Abe (played by Conrad Ricamora) that she will stop drinking if he lets her go back to her true calling, which is cabaret singing.  He refuses to allow it.  It is not befitting for the wife of the President to sing in cabarets, especially during times of war.  More importantly, Abe is concerned that he will not be able to keep his homosexuality a secret in that setting.  As soon as the war is over, Abe decides to allow Mary to take acting lessons to keep her occupied.  Mary falls in love with her acting teacher (played by James Scully).  When she finds out what is really going on between her teacher and her husband, she comes up with an idea to rid herself of the unbearable obstacle in her way of achieving her cabaret dreams.

Conrad Ricamora & Cole Escola
Photo courtesy of "Oh, Mary!"

This cast (Cole Escola, Conrad Ricamora, James Scully, Bianca Leigh, and Tony Macht) is in perfect sync throughout the ninety-minute performance.  The timing and style are consistent and effective.  The storyline is full of surprises, and the playwright and director connect them all the way through to a grand finale payoff. 

Cole Escola is scheduled to perform the role of Mary through January 19.  Betty Gilpin will take over the role from January 21 through March 16.  The play is worth seeing no matter who is performing.  It is raucously off beat and precisely on point.

“Oh, Mary!” is playing at the Lyceum Theatre. 

Domenick Danza