THEATRE REVIEW: "Oh, Mary!" at the Lyceum Theatre (New York, NY)

     On October 5th, 2025, Kathryn and I saw the matinee performance of the Cole Escola play "Oh, Mary!" at the Lyceum Theatre in New York City.  The play, while a comedy, is about a stifled Mary Todd Lincoln during the weeks leading up to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.  The production opened July 11th, 2024 after beginning previews on June 26th.  One synopsis of the play described it as being told through "the lens of an idiot."  Yet it's been one of the hottest tickets on Broadway for months now.  Kathryn and I were thrilled to finally see the play.

     At the performance of "Oh, Mary!" that Kathryn and I saw, the cast included Hannah Solow (Mary Todd Lincoln), Jenn Harris (Mary's Chaperone/Bill), Phillip James Brannon (Abraham Lincoln, or "Mary's Husband" as credited in the Playbill), Martin Landry (Mary's Husband's Assistant/Kyle), and James Scully (Mary's Teacher).  The cast was amazing.  The entire show was either hilarious, fascinating, or both.  It was fascinating because each character possessed a vulnerability that complemented the humorous qualities perfectly.  Even if this play is told through the "lens of an idiot," it is also a work of brilliance.  With that being said, it is one of the most historically inaccurate plays I've ever seen.  Yet I loved it.

     Prior to Hannah Solow officially taking on the role of Mary Todd Lincoln, the part had been played by Cole Escola, Betty Gilpin, Tituss Burgess, and Jinkx Monsoon.  Yet Hannah Solow was the original understudy for the role of Mary Todd Lincoln and Mary's Chaperone/Bill -- even when the show first performed Off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (beginning February 2024).  The rest is history... told through the lens of an idiot... 

     About an hour into the performance we saw, they stopped the show due to a medical emergency.  It was only for a few minutes, but it felt longer because no announcement was made explaining what the medical emergency was.  Kathryn and I were relieved the rest of the show wasn't canceled, or that the medical emergency didn't involve the entire theatre being quarantined.  Luckily the show started up again right where the cast left off, at which point Hannah Solow said "where...was..I?"  I hope the show is just as successful in the West End (the West End Production opens December 3rd, 2025 at the Trafalgar Theatre), and that a national tour will launch soon.  This is a show people need to see, because the comic relief is continuous, relentless, and joyous.  

     It was so great to see Kathryn again, and it was great for both of us to see such a fantastic show.  Some other dark comedies can sometimes lag between funny scenes.  That was not the case with "Oh, Mary!"  The laughs were constant.  Though there was one instant where Mary Todd was reflecting about her old life verses her life as a first lady, which was probably one of the most serious moments of the show.  The most serious moment of the show might have been the scene at the saloon towards the end of the show, yet there were a few laughs then, too.  I hope to see this show again, but am grateful we got to see it at least once.