Cole Escola (Photo: Emilio Madrid)

Oh, Mary!

By Deirdre Donovan

Theatergoers can now rendezvous with Mary Todd Lincoln at the Lyceum Theatre as Cole Escola's hit comedy Oh, Mary! transfers from its downtown digs to the Great White Way. Brilliantly directed by Sam Pinkleton, and starring Escola in the eponymous role, it is an uproariously funny show that delivers a wild and wooly version of American history.

The premise: Oh, Mary! centers on the miserably frustrated Mary Todd Lincoln who reveals her hopes and dreams in the months leading up to her husband's assassination. A former cabaret star, she is utterly bored in her role as First Lady.  While everybody expects her to be a devoted wife and mother, she simply yearns to return to her former showbiz haunts. And, oh yes. Mary frequently over-imbibes in alcoholic beverages, which prompts her husband to keep liquor under lock and key at the White House. Or as he puts it: "No one is safe while my wife has access to booze. The last time this happened she scaled a clock tower, derailed a freight train, and took a piss all over the senate floor.

Indeed, the delicate-souled may well be forewarned that Ecola follows in the artistic footsteps of David Mamet, heavily peppering four-letter words into their dialogue. This is not a family-friendly show. That said, it is, at this writing, one of the hottest tickets in town.  In fact, Oh, Mary! broke the all-time box office record at the Lyceum house in July, surpassing the former record holder, A Strange Loop.

Escola's Mary acts with all the sound and fury of a leading lady who fiercely insists on having her own way, however inappropriate it may be during wartime.  Although her husband's (Conrad Ricamora) political reputation is at stake as he endeavors to preserve the Union, Mary appears not to have a clue about what's going on in the country. When her spouse mentions the South to her, in fact, she naively retorts: "The south of what?"

Escola is supported by 4 superb actors who bring their own theatrical magic to the production. There's the aforementioned Ricamora as her husband Abraham, who struggles with his homosexual tendencies, and James Scully (making his Broadway debut), who plays Mary's dashing acting teacher. Bianca Leigh is Mary's proper chaperone Louise, and Tony Macht is Mary's husband's loyal assistant Simon.

Beyond its crackerjack acting, the creative team do a terrific job at bringing you back to the Civil War days. The theater design collective dots provides the authentic-looking 19^th century set, replete with an expansive presidential desk and an imposing portrait of George Washington, hung on the back wall.  An olive-colored sofa and chairs add a bit of warmth to the Oval Office, as does the rectangular rug positioned at center stage.

Conrad Ricamora, Cole Escola, Bianca Leigh (Photo: Emilio Madrid)

Nothing but praise can be offered for Holly Pierson's costumes. Whether it's Mary's black hoop-skirted dress, her husband's smartly tailored suit and signature top hat, or the acting teacher's more understated outfit, Pierson's wardrobe choices are in perfect synch with each characters' personality.

A shout out to wig designer, Leah J. Loukas, for purposefully creating an outlandish hairdo for Mary, which can best be summed up as a profusion of dark sausage curls that alternately frame or swish around Escola's face.  Loukas crafts a more matronly styled wig for Mary's chaperone Louise.  But, make no mistake, big hair definitely is in for the play's distaff characters.

Conrad Ricamora, Tony Macht (Photo: Emilio Madrid)

It's impossible to pick a "favorite" scene, as the play's power is in its cumulative dramatic effect.  But theatergoers should know that Escola plays fast and loose with history and likes to spring one surprise after another in their 80-minute drama. In fact, the element of surprise is vital to this theater piece.  So, suffice it to say, that yours truly won't provide you with too many plot details as it would spoil the fun.

Still, whenever Escola's Mary is on stage, all eyes are on her. What makes Mary so wickedly delicious to watch and listen to is that she does precisely what is in bad taste and against all the rules of polite society. She is a harpy to end all harpies, and a terrible burden to her husband who is already weighed down with the guilt of his homosexual dalliances in a pre-Stonewall era.

While some theatergoers might be offended by Escola's fast and loose handling of American history, most will likely delight in the play's wacky logic. Of course, the only real way to find out why this play is generating so much buzz around Broadway is to head to the Lyceum and see it for yourself.

Oh, Mary!

At the Lyceum Theatre, 149 W. 45^th Street, Midtown Manhattan.

For more information, visit www.ohmaryplay.com

Running time:  80 minutes with no intermission

Through November 10^th