The Monsoon Administration officially began August 4, and Jinkx Monsoon isn't pulling any punches.
The Broadway darling, who took over the role of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln in Oh, Mary! for a limited run through September 28, doesn't bother mincing words when describing the political platform of her regime. "Fire all the straight cis men... You really screwed the pooch on this one, and we're taking over. And you have no one to blame but yourselves!"
Monsoon is all smiles (and trademark giggle) as she steps into the role, fulfilling the dreams of countless theatre lovers who have clamored for her in the role since it first bowed on Broadway. 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: not too far from Monsoon's drag persona, which brought home wins in both RuPaul's Drag Race and RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars: All Winners.
"I am actually exactly where I want to be," Monsoon shared with Playbill during her inaugural press conference, which you can watch above. While Monsoon is fresh off their run as Ruth in Pirates! The Penzance Musical, which closed a week before she started performances for Oh, Mary!, she is still full of energy. "You know, taking time off is something that people tell me I should do. It's not necessarily something I want to do. I love working, especially when the work is as good as this. You know, Pirates! was a dream job, that cast and crew and the whole production was just the highlight of my day every day. And now, rehearsals have been the highlight of my day every day, because I'm stepping into another production with nothing but the best of the best. And furthermore, it's the masterpiece of my friend Cole Escola! I not only feel excited and honored and trusted and respected, but I also feel this sense of responsibility that comes with being the First Lady."
Throughout the process, Monsoon has truly fallen head over heels in love with Escola's masterwork. "The script of Oh, Mary! is very fun and silly, but there's heart and there's truth and there's just non-stop honesty, right? There's so many characters with so many desires and trappings and and they all find time to just let it all out, you know. And in that, you see the truth behind every crazy thing that they're doing. When you can ride that fine line between madcap comedy and brutal honesty, it's really something special."
To see Monsoon spill her secrets, including how Meryl Streep, Bette Davis, and Madeline Kahn factor into her Mary, check out the video interview with Playbill's Managing News Editor Logan Culwell-Block.
Jinkx Monsoon
Jinkx Monsoon
Jinkx Monsoon
Jinkx Monsoon
Jinkx Monsoon
Jinkx Monsoon
