Good morning, and welcome to Broadway News’ Broadway Review by Brittani Samuel — our overview of reactions, recommendations and information tied to last night’s Broadway opening of “Oh, Mary!”
RUNDOWN
![](https://www.broadwaynews.com/content/images/2024/07/Cole-Escola-9027-in-Oh--Mary----Photo-Credit-Emilio-Madrid.jpg)
Upon walking into the Lyceum Theatre for the new Broadway comedy “Oh, Mary!”, there’s a chance that you know little about its central character, former President Lincoln’s wife, other than her name: Mary Todd Lincoln. Walking out, you might know even less. That’s because Cole Escola’s wild hit, their first full-length play, is defiantly ahistorical. Escola, a proud ham and cabaret veteran, did not set out to make a damning political satire with “Oh, Mary!” The show, set against the backdrop of a nation mucking through war, disease and division, is exceedingly silly. President Lincoln calls on United States military generals to control his wife; Mary (played by Escola) is a booze-addicted slosh desperate to reignite a fledgling cabaret career; and nearly every person is queer and/or riddled with kink. Escola’s zany, imagined account of a major moment in American history — the play is specifically set in the leadup to Lincoln’s assassination — is a relief for anyone looking to have an intellect-less evening in the theater, though less satisfying for those who demand their comedy sit higher up the brow.