Bowen Yang will make his Broadway debut as Mary Todd Lincoln in Cole Escola’s comedy “Oh, Mary!” at Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre, joining the hit production for a 12-week engagement beginning September 15.
The former Saturday Night Live cast member and Las Culturistas
podcast host steps into the lead role following Meg Stalter, whose run concludes September 12. Hannah Solow takes over the part temporarily on September 13 before Yang assumes the role of the demented, cabaret-obsessed former first lady on Tuesday, September 15, for a limited run extending through December 6.
A Personal Milestone and a Broadway Friendship
The casting brings Yang into a long-standing creative circle anchored by the show’s creator. In a statement released to Playbill, Yang reflected on his history with Escola, which dates back far beyond their current theatrical success.
“My friendship with Cole has brought me many places over the years: late-night pizzerias, cross-borough social-distance walks, a tough production of Les Misérables sung in Dutch. But being part of their deranged and profound masterpiece, Oh, Mary!, is my favorite one by far. I will spend the rest of my life thanking them for the best Broadway debut a cis gay guy with limited singing ability could ask for.”
Bowen Yang, actor
Directed by 2025 Tony Award winner Sam Pinkleton, the 80-minute one-act play imagines a miserable, suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. The production earned critical acclaim and two 2025 Tony Awards, including Lead Actor in a Play for Escola and Director of a Play for Pinkleton.
Box Office Records and Extended Engagements
The production continues to shatter performance milestones at the Lyceum Theatre. According to Deadline, “Oh, Mary!” opened on Broadway on July 11, 2024, and quickly became the first show in the theater’s 121-year history to gross more than $1,000,000 in a single week.
The comedy has since broken its own box office record 13 times and secured the distinction of becoming the first production of the 2024-25 Broadway season to recoup its financial investment. Producers have extended ticket sales through July 10, 2027, nearly three years after the production’s opening night.
Ensemble Continuity and Upcoming Cast Changes
Yang joins a rotating roster of high-profile guest stars who have tackled the title role since Escola departed the run, including Jane Krakowski, Tituss Burgess, Betty Gilpin, Maya Rudolph, and Meg Stalter. While Yang takes center stage, several key ensemble members remain fixtures of the production.
Phillip James Brannon will continue in his role as Mary’s Husband, alongside Barrett Foa as Mary’s Teacher and Bianca Leigh as Mary’s Chaperone. Meanwhile, original cast member Tony Macht returns to the company as Mary’s Teacher’s Assistant beginning September 15, replacing Ryo Kamibayashi, who makes his final appearance on September 13.
Global Expansion Beyond Broadway
The cultural footprint of Oh, Mary! extends far beyond its New York home. Alongside its ongoing Broadway run, the production secured an Olivier Award-winning run in London’s West End, where a version of the show was filmed with Escola starring for a future television broadcast. A North American tour is also scheduled to launch this fall in Hartford, Connecticut, cementing the dark comedy as a transnational theatrical phenomenon.
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