Betty Gilpin is currently starring in certified hit Broadway play Oh, Mary! at the Lyceum Theatre. But as she shared on a February 10 visit to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the rapturous audience response to Oh, Mary! made her realize she'd done "a lot of bad plays" before. Find out her tale of woe—which includes a savage roasting from a front-row audience member—in the full interview above.
Gilpin succeeded the play's original star and writer, Cole Escola, in the title role January 21, alongside fellow new cast members Phillip James Brannon as Mary's Husband and Chris Renfro as Mary's Teacher. The current cast also includes original company members Bianca Leigh as Mary's Chaperone and Tony Macht as Mary's Husband's Assistant. Gilpin is performing in the show through through March 16, and Tituss Burgess will take over the role beginning March 18.
The already-multi-extended run was most recently extended through June 28, no doubt with producers setting their sights on this season's Tony Awards. Casting for after Burgess' engagement has not yet been revealed.
WATCH: Oh, Mary!'s New Leading Lady Betty Gilpin 'Was Raised in a Stage Manager's Booth'
The show officially opened on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre July 11, 2024, after beginning previews June 26. Read the reviews here.
Written by and originally starring Escola, Oh, Mary! centers on famous First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. In Escola's demented take (or as press notes put it, "through the lens of an idiot"), Mary Todd becomes a madcap, cabaret-obsessed alcoholic.
The piece premiered at Off-Broadway's Lucille Lortel Theatre in 2024 in a run that was extended three times. The production earned two 2024 Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Outstanding New American Play and Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway play, both for Escola. The show also won the 2024 Off Broadway Alliance Award for Best New Play.
READ: Camp and the Art of Being Cole Escola
Rounding out the company are understudies Hannah Solow, Martin Landry, and Julian Manjerico.
Sam Pinkleton directs the Broadway run after staging the Off-Broadway premiere. His creative team includes scenic designer dots, costume designer Holly Pierson, lighting designer Cha See, composer and co-sound designer Daniel Kluger, co-sound designer Drew Levy, wig designer Leah J. Loukas, and music arranger David Dabbon. Casting is by Henry Russell Bergstein. Bryan Bauer and Ryan Patrick Kane are production stage manager and assistant stage manager, respectively.
Visit OhMaryPlay.com.
