The raucous, larger-than-life performance of actor-author Cole Escola, who reimagines Abraham Lincoln's wife as a budding cabaret sensation, is set to take the stage for previews from June 26. The off-Broadway smash hit, Oh, Mary!, is making its triumphant Broadway debut at the Lyceum Theatre, and while its reach is expanding, Escola, the show's star and creator, vows to preserve its eccentric charm.
"It's going to be grander, more vibrant, more daring..." Escola teases, only to quickly add, "But it'll be the same heart-stopping show. We don't want to tamper with the magic formula." This recipe has already seen the play, which premiered at the Lucille Lortel Theatre last winter, sell out and extend its run twice. Given its unconventional portrayal of Mary Todd Lincoln as a headstrong wannabe singer with a penchant for booze — and when unavailable, paint thinner — the enthusiastic response was a pleasant surprise. It even garnered praise from the likes of Steven Spielberg, Sally Field (who portrayed Mary in the film), and screenwriter Tony Kushner, all of whom attended a performance.
"I'm astonished," Escola confesses. "I'm sure the tide will turn, and people will realize this show isn't as brilliant as it seems. Then, we'll all be chased out of town." They chuckle, adding, "That's the fear, and it keeps me going."
Escola, a nonbinary actor known for their roles in Difficult People and Search Party, first conceived the idea in 2009, pondering, "What if Abe's assassination wasn't such a tragedy for Mary Todd Lincoln?" The vision of themselves as Mary, adorned in a hoop skirt and ringlet curls, stuck. After years of contemplation, Escola finally sat down to write the play during the pandemic, booking a desk in a Brooklyn co-working space and starting at the crack of dawn when the space was deserted. The play flowed out of them in a mere four days.
Escola admits they didn't delve into research on the real Mary Todd or President Lincoln (played by Conrad Ricamora). This is partly because the show focuses more on Mary's unbridled pursuit of fame than historical accuracy, but also because Escola sees the character as an extension of themselves. "I've always had a love affair with theater, but I felt like an outsider," they explain. "So I created a platform that gave me a seat at the table."
Escola, 37, attended Marymount Manhattan College for a year but couldn't afford further education. They found creative outlets through web videos, parodying Bernadette Peters and creating Our Home Out West, a 30-minute Western spoof starring Amy Sedaris. Eventually, they wrote episodes for shows like Hacks and The Other Two and performed solo sketch comedy acts. All of this culminated in Oh, Mary!, their first full-length play. "It's tailor-made for me," Escola says. "It's got all my favorite elements: genre-bending, melodrama, vulgar humor, and pure silliness."
Since the play's world premiere, Escola has been showered with attention, including an invitation to the Met Gala. They walked the red carpet in a Thom Browne ensemble inspired by Miss Havisham from Great Expectations, complete with a white veiled hat and a flowing skirt. Escola admits the attention is overwhelming. "It's exhilarating but scary," they confess. "When I focus too much on it, it feels like indulging in too much birthday cake. It gives me an ego toothache, an ego stomachache."
Luckily, Escola says, "Doing the show eight times a week is like taking eight 90-minute Barry's Bootcamp classes. It keeps me grounded." They've also been making an effort to catch all the Broadway shows of the current season, determined to be able to offer genuine feedback to their peers. "I want to be able to say, 'I saw your show, and it was brilliant' or 'I saw your show, and it needs a bit of polishing,'" they joke.
With Oh, Mary! set to run on Broadway until September 15, Escola is already brainstorming their next theatrical project. Going forward, however, they plan to focus more on writing than starring. "My dream is to write for other actors in theater and maybe give myself a tiny role where I don't have to run, jump, or fall," they say with a mischievous smile.
This revised story originally appeared in the June 19 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.
