Cole Escola stars as Mary Todd Lincoln in the new play “Oh, Mary!” The show is being performed at the Lyceum Theatre in New York City.
It also stars Conrad Ricamora as Mary’s Husband (Abraham Lincoln), James Scully as Mary’s Teacher, Bianca Leigh as Mary’s Chaperone Louise, and Tony Macht as Mary’s Husband’s Assistant.
The play was written by Escola and directed by Sam Pinkleton. The show previously had a successful run at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, and it just moved to Broadway for a limited 12-week engagement.
In this dark comedy, Cole Escola portrays Mary Todd Lincoln as a miserable, suffocated person in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
This one-act play tackles such subjects as unrequited yearning, alcoholism and suppressed desires as it explores the forgotten life and dreams of Mrs. Lincoln through the lens of an idiot. As a result, Mary becomes a cabaret-obsessed drunk.
Escola works well opposite Conrad Ricamora, who plays Mary’s Husband while the country was in a time of war. Watching them fight back and forth is quite hysterical.
James Scully is a revelation as Mary’s Teacher, and he deserves to be commended for nailing a verse from a Shakespearean play (as his character tries give Mary some acting lessons).
Without giving anything away, it has an ending that the audience will need to see to believe.
The Verdict
Overall, “Oh Mary!” will make the audiences laugh from start to finish. Cole Escola is sustains the audience’s attention for its entire 80-minute duration, and the rest of the cast is impressive as well.
Everybody brings something unique to the table, and it is nice to see some of the supporting actors play multiple parts (Bianca Leigh and Tony Macht).
The show is witty, raw, authentic, unfiltered, and Escola doesn’t hold anything back in a transformative performance that runs the gamut.
At the same time, Escola is able to rewrite history in a distinct and refreshing manner. It is one of the funniest shows one will ever get to see. “Oh Mary!” garners an A rating. Bravo.
