The stars came out to play last week at the Broadway opening of Cole Escola’s historical romp, Oh, Mary!. The performance concluded with an ecstatic standing ovation and after-party at The Eagle. (Where else does Broadway glitterati celebrate than an iconic leather bar?)
Loosely based — if by name only — on the cabaret dreams of first lady Mary Todd Lincoln, Escola’s wacky comedy drew raves when it opened Off-Broadway earlier this year. The transfer arrives with the original cast intact, including Escola in the title role, Conrad Ricamora as Mary’s Husband, and James Scully as Mary’s Acting Coach.
Director Sam Pinkleton keeps the pace brisk at a tight 80 minutes while still giving breathing room for Escola’s smartly crafted script, which finds a petulant Mary facing off against everyone she encounters. Without giving away any spoilers, let’s just say her fantasies come true in a show-stopping finale played with laugh-out-loud sincerity.
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@queerty #ColeEscola gives speech after opening night of #OhMary on #Broadway ♬ original sound – Queerty*
Escola’s triumph is nothing short of radical following a Broadway season that took a step backward on queer and trans visibility. Escola has been making the late-night circuit, with appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers, and a camera-grabbing appearance at the Met Gala, but their onstage performance reinforces more than 15 years’ worth of dedication to the craft, including on-camera roles, TV writing, and the solo sketch show, Help, I’m Stuck!
We’re clearly having an Escola moment and loving every second of it. While Oh, Mary! will only play a limited 12-week run, we’re already fantasizing about which historical figure they might tackle next. Cleopatra? Mother Teresa? The possibilities are endless!
Oh, Mary!, Lyceum Theatre, New York City. Performances through September 15.
A queer mountain lion invades NYC’s Little Island
It may be a heat wave in New York City, but that didn’t stop theatergoers from descending upon one of the city’s newest outdoor cultural venues, Little Island, the undulating public park nestled on the bank of the Hudson River.
Comprised of 132 pots embedded into the river and beautifully landscaped, Little Island also features a 700-seat waterfront amphitheater presenting seasonal (and affordable!) programming, including dance, music, and theater — so you know the gays will be first in line.
Queerty was on hand for a recent performance of Open Throat, adapted from Henry Hoke’s award-winning novel of the same name. Both charming and a searing commentary of humankind’s crushing self-absorption, the play follows the journey of a queer mountain lion who lives under the Hollywood sign amid a devasting drought.
Adapted by Hoke and directed by Caitlin Ryan O’Connell, Open Throat sticks close to the source material, following a narrative format (books in hand) with the lion played by three of our favorite actors: Chris Perfetti (Abbott Elementary), Calvin Leon Smith (Fat Ham), and Jo Lampert (Orlando). But the breakout star is Steven Wendt, who performs live foley (sound effects) and shadow puppets to accentuate Hoke’s text.
“Open Throat proposes a deceptively simple equation that exposes us for who we are: vulnerable, reckless beings who worship “green paper,” talk into wires and have rendered the natural world unlivable,” wrote the New York Times of Hoke’s book. Seeing that idea brought to life onstage — particularly amid today’s political and cultural fragility — strikes a dramatic chord that roars.
More exciting things are in store at Little Island, including icon and activist Queen Jean’s Summer Legacy Ball (August 8-9), a two-night extravagant celebration of ballroom culture (and a great companion piece to Cats: “The Jellicle Ball” playing at PAC NYC.
Little Island, New York City.
Queen for a day
What happens when one of America’s richest couples decides to build a $100 million mansion in Orlando, Florida, but then their lives explode like a shaken bottle of kombucha? You write a musical, of course!
Or at least that’s what Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz did to reunite with Broadway’s OG Glinda Kristin Chenoweth starring in The Queen of Versailles. Bring on board co-star F. Murray Abraham (The White Lotus), book writer Lindsey Ferrentino, and director Michael Arden (Parade), and you’ve got a potential Broadway blockbuster.
The production will premiere this summer in Boston for a limited run, with eyes on a New York transfer later this season.
The Queen of Versailles, Emerson Colonial Theatre, Boston. Performances July 16 – August 25.
Margaret Cho pays it forward at Joe’s Pub
Joe’s Pub has named comedian, trailblazer, and past Pride50 honoree Margaret Cho the 2024-45 Vanguard Award & Residency recipient. Once the Off-Broadway Public Theater’s costume shop and converted into a wildly popular downtown performance venue, the venue has served as an incubator for some of our favorite performers, including Bridget Everett and Justin Elizabeth Sayre.
Cho will curate a year’s programming from artists, saying, “I’m thrilled to introduce artists to the Joe’s Pub world who continually inspire me. It is an honor to finally sit in the audience after so many years of performing, and I want to help create a show that makes me laugh, weep, and dream. I look forward to seeing these incredible shows with all of you.”
Initial performances include comedian and rock star Charlene Kaye’s solo show Tiger Daughter — or How I Brought My Immigrant Mother Ultimate Shame (October 25). Cho will also host Margaret’s Children, a showcase of comedians Nori Reed, Robin Tran, and Sabrina Wu (January 24-25, 2025). In the spring, Cho will be a guest on a live recording of the Dopey Podcast (March 11), followed by a solo show from comedian Youngmi Mayer on April 4. Our only question: Will Cho’s rescue dog, Lucia Katerina Lawlor Cho (shown above), make an appearance?
Joe’s Pub, New York City
#Broadwaytok
Liza’s still kickin’ it! We stumbled across a recent sing-a-long she had with longtime friend and collaborator Michael Feinstein, where the EGOT winner kicked off her shoes to sing Gershwin’s “Embraceable You.”
@staunchlibra Liza’s still got it! #liza #kicks #legs #foryou #legend #oldhollywood #studio54 #ms #singer #gershwin #lizaminnelli #cabaret #legup #fosse #broadway ♬ original sound – StaunchLibra
Woody
Love me some Kristin Chenoweth.