5 Reasons to See John Cameron Mitchell in Oh, Mary!

Broadway’s Oh, Mary! run has welcomed its seventh first lady to the stage at the Lyceum Theatre. As a self-professed fan of Mary, who has seen the play 15 times, there was no way I was missing John Cameron Mitchell as he donned the infamous bratty curls. I’ve also been obsessed with Hedwig and the Angry Inch since my teens, so watching Mitchell take on Mary Todd Lincoln felt like a full-circle moment.

Written by Cole Escola and directed by Sam Pinkleton, the play reimagines the life of Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to the assassination of her husband, Abraham Lincoln. The farcical comedy poses the question: Was Abraham’s death necessarily a tragedy for Mary Todd? If you are thinking about seeing the show for the first time or returning to the Lyceum, here are 5 reasons why you should see John Cameron Mitchell in Oh, Mary!

You’re a Fan of John Cameron Mitchell’s Work

If you love Shortbus, The Secret Garden or Hedwig and the Angry Inch, that is reason enough to grab a ticket. Mitchell’s take on Mary Todd Lincoln feels like a natural extension of work he’s built his career creating: characters who are defiant, wounded, hilarious and just a little unhinged. When Mary Todd screams, “I am not a drunk!” directly in the face of her handsome acting teacher (played by Marvel’s Simu Liu), it lands with the same energy as everyone’s favorite “internationally ignored song stylist” Hedwig Schmidt.

READ: To John Cameron Mitchell, Mary Todd Lincoln Isn't All That Different From Hedwig Schmidt

Even under layers of 1860s fashion and a voluminous hoop skirt, Mitchell’s punk-rock spirit still shines through. The corset may be period-appropriate, but the attitude is pure downtown chaos.

The Supporting Cast of Characters

You can’t talk about Oh, Mary! without mentioning the chaos orbiting Mary Todd.

Like a raunchier, and slightly more unhinged version of The Muppets, the supporting players each bring a wildly distinct personality, and the chemistry is off the charts. John-Andrew Morrison’s Abraham Lincoln is a devious-yet-boyish take on the 16th president. He's a sharp foil to John Cameron Mitchell’s serpentine Mary. Meanwhile, Simu Liu in his Broadway debut turns Mary’s teacher into a scene-stealer. Dressed in tight breeches and a billowy white shirt, he looks as though he’s wandered in from the set of Bridgerton—delivering smoldering swagger, flashes of vulnerability, and an edge that makes you wonder what is going on in that handsome head of his.

Jenn Harris plays Mary’s chaperone Louise, who serves as Mary Todd's punching bag; though every jab aimed at her character lands as a massive laugh, thanks to Harris’ vulnerability, which is simultaneously hilarious and endearing. Rounding out the cast is Tony Macht as Simon, Abe’s assistant, who has an adorable rapport with Mitchell, who boops Macht’s chin or gives him a wink and air kiss when going through the Oval Office doors. When it’s time for Mary’s madcap melodies, Macht accompanies Mitchell live on piano with aplomb!

With their perfect timing, the cast throws lines and jokes back and forth like a perfectly matched tennis game.

You’ve Never Seen These Lincolns Before

Whether you’re a history buff or couldn’t name the man who assassinated Abraham Lincoln, there is a great time to be had at Oh, Mary!

We tend to imagine America’s early leaders as stagnant marble statues. But Escola’s play has no interest in that version of events (they admitted to Playbill they didn’t even do any research for it). 

It only follows the bare threads of history. Slight spoiler here: Lincoln’s “close relationship” with men—long debated by historians—becomes canon, to revealing and shocking effect. As for Mary Todd, history already paints her as eccentric who held séances in the White House. The play turns that dial to a thousand to ask: What if the First Lady wasn’t just misunderstood, but a volatile alcoholic with dreams of cabaret stardom? Oh, Mary! doesn’t aim to be historically accurate, instead it uses these historic figures to explore the universal need to be truly seen and understood.

The Madcap Writing

There’s a reason Oh, Mary! is a Tony-nominated play and a Pulitzer Prize finalist. What makes the writing so sharp is that the absurdity isn’t unintelligible. Just when the laughter feels almost relentless, the play swerves into something unexpectedly heartfelt. In the middle of the play, Mary Todd gives a speech about the "perfect day"—a moment of true happiness that when it ends, she falls apart because there's no guarantee it will come again. After 15 times, that monologue hits me like an emotional sucker punch every time.

Cole Escola has a gift for delighting and disarming an audience. The jokes are plentiful, the pratfalls are big, and the absurdity is dialed all the way up—so much so that you don’t realize your guard has slipped. There’s a scene where the Lincolns are discussing Mary’s dream of returning to the stage. Abraham tells Mary, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” She responds by screaming, “That means you’ll burn that bridge before we get to it. God, I want a drink!” Not only is this a clever response from Mary but also, underneath the top layer, it is much sadder. Those three sentences are used as a metaphor for Abraham’s pattern of making empty promises to Mary, which leads to her depression and drinking problems. Behind her hysterics, Mary Todd is crying out for deep human connection. It’s intellectual absurdism that trusts its audience to laugh hard and feel even harder.

Collecting All the Marys

If you’ve seen one Mary, have you seen them all? Not in the slightest...

As a seasoned Oh, Mary! attendee (I truly should be paying rent at the Lyceum Theatre), I can say without a doubt that every performer brings a completely different energy to the starring role. The script is so densely packed that a single joke can land a dozen different ways based on who is wearing the bratty curls.

The role of Mary is also so special in the world of theatre because it is one of the few that has been played by people of different races, genders, sexualities, and backgrounds. Whether it’s Jinkx Monsoon almost flinging herself off the Oval Office desk or John Cameron Mitchell using his snake-like tongue to sniff out a whisky bottle, each Mary brings something completely unique to their performance. 

Whether you’re making your first trip to the Lyceum Theatre or you’ve already pledged allegiance to Cole Escola’s delightfully deranged masterpiece, Mitchell’s high camp and haunted version of Mary Todd Lincoln will make you laugh, cry, and feel emotionally unstable in the best possible way.