An Exclusive Look Inside Oh, Mary!’s Raucous Opening Night on Broadway

A throng of stars from stage and screen gathered last night at New York’s Lyceum Theatre to celebrate the Broadway premiere of Oh, Mary!, the play written by and starring Cole Escola as Mary Todd Lincoln, reimagined here as an alcoholic wannabe cabaret performer.

The sweltering 91-degree heat did not keep the play’s legion of boldface fans from paying homage to this deliciously ahistorical (and critically acclaimed) first-lady farce. With the tumult of Times Square as a backdrop, Ruth Negga braved the temperatures in a knit dress, with Escola’s friend and frequent collaborator Amy Sedaris just behind her. Rebecca Hall and Morgan Spector gamely posed with an Oh, Mary! frame while Spector’s Gilded Age costar Ben Ahlers walked the carpet (no season-three spoilers from either). Kaia Gerber continued to rep hot brunette summer as she and Austin Butler ducked in just before curtain. (Among the other guests were Patti LuPone, Molly Ringwald, Maude Apatow, Kara Young, and Matthew Broderick.)

Oh, Mary!’s star and creator opted for a slinky, black corset gown by CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist Jackson Wiederhoeft, channeling so much John Singer Sargent’s Madame X. “I feel crazy,” Escola said before heading into the theater to transform into Mary, dodging fans lined up for selfies. “It’s like a birthday and Christmas and first date all together.”

Cole Escola during the curtain call for Oh, Mary! at the Lyceum Theatre on Thursday night.

Photo: Jenny Anderson

Inside the Lyceum, preshow music appropriately alternated between Ethel Merman’s disco album and Liza Minnelli’s 1980s collaboration with the Pet Shop Boys. As the curtain came up, there was little doubt that Escola and company would continue the streak they have been on since opening downtown at the Lucille Lortel this past winter. Escola’s acrobatic pratfalls and pitch-perfect timing remain unchanged from the show’s off-Broaday run, though the sets have been noticeably dolled up since the transfer. Earlier this week, on The Run-Through With Vogue, Escola expressed worry that the show may be “overstaying our welcome,” but judging from the rapturous applause after the swift 80-minute run time, they had nothing to fear. After a short speech (“I really want to make this quick because we all want to get to The Eagle”), with thank-yous to director Sam Pinkleton (dressed last night in Thom Browne), the cast and friends headed to the storied gay leather bar in west Chelsea, where among the crowd of friends and admirers were comedians Bridget Everett and Julio Torres.

For Escola’s Eagle debut—they had never been to the club before—the star and their stylist, David Moses, went with a white feathered minidress from Wiederhoeft’s fall 2024 collectsion and pearls by Presley Oldham, a delightful contrast to the club’s dark and delightfully seedy ambiance. Posters of Escola as Mary, looking dour and severe, hung throughout the three-story space amidst chaps and other leather accoutrements available for sale. Partygoers nibbled on passed ice cream cones and smoked cigarettes on a packed roof deck while Sylvester’s “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” played on the dance floor below. Whispers of glee could be heard as the official reviews started trickling in around midnight—but other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the slay?

Oh, Mary! runs until September 15. See portraits of the cast and creative team on opening night below.