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Review: Oh, Mary! Is Oh-Mazing!
July 11, 2024, 9:29.25 pm ET

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By Brian Scott Lipton

If those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it, those who do learn it are able to create hilarious theater -- as is proven by “Oh, Mary!” now occupying Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre after an extended Off-Broadway run earlier this year. Indeed, this don’t-miss farce proves to be a complete tour de force for the amazing Cole Escola, who is serving up 80 of the funniest minutes – both as writer and actor -- that you’ll see all summer, or probably all year.

The Mary in this case is not Mary Martin, Mary Tyler Moore or Mary Magdalene (although I’d love to see how Escola might skewer those women) but former First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. In real life, she suffered from bipolar disorder and survived the death of two of her young sons, one of whom died while her husband, Abraham, was President of the United States. But forget the tragedy, this is pure comedy tonight!

As brilliantly portrayed by Escola (flouncing around in Astor Yand’s period-perfect black gown) -- in what is already an award-winning performance -- Mary is both a merciless drunk who will swallow anything (and I mean anything) that she finds nearby and a sharp-tongued shrew who will insult anyone in her orbit.

Her “victims” including her constantly exasperated husband (the extraordinary Conrad Ricamora handling a difficult role with ease), her patient companion Louise (a delightful turn by the transgender actress Bianca Leigh) and her ultra-handsome acting teacher (the delicious, smooth-talking James Scully).

Do we want this shrew to be tamed? No way! Despite our better intentions, we can’t wait to hear Mary’s latest barb, delivered in a voice that sometimes resembles both Charles Ludlam and Charles Busch, each of which hits its target with the expertise of an Olympic archer.

Moreover, as unpleasant and brittle as Mary is, Escola somehow finds a way to make us feel just a smidge of sympathy for this deeply unhappy and sometimes delusional woman – one who sees the White House (nicely designed by the collective dots) as a proverbial gilded cage that (along with Abraham) is keeping her from returning to her true vocation: the cabaret stage.

Ironically, we have less empathy for not-so-honest Abe himself, even knowing his death is just days away. That’s because, here, he spends his time alternating between begging God to let him “win” the Civil War in exchange for a promise to stop practicing his avowed homosexuality, while also periodically engaging in less-than-appropriate behavior with his loyal aide Simon (an adorkable Tony Macht).

Plus, his disdain for Mary, as annoying as she may be, is so over-the-top he considers letting her die just because being seen as a widower might gain him some sympathy in the South, and later plots to send her off to a famed mental hospital where the patients are known to have short lifespans.

Given that the entire enterprise is in essence a series of sketches, one keeps expecting the show to wear out its welcome, even with its short runtime. Luckily, director Sam Pinkleton keeps everything and everyone in constant forward motion, with just the briefest of breaks between scenes. It also helps that Escola’s script has a few truly brilliant plot twists (which we won’t reveal here) that make the show’s second half even funnier than the first!

As of now, “Oh, Mary” is only scheduled for a 12-week engagement. So get those tickets now and don’t miss your shot!

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