From Fringe Fest to Broadway, Winnipegger ‘blown away' by Tony nomination
Less than 10 years ago, Rafaella Rosenberg was producing her first plays at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival.
Sunday, she traded black box theatres for Radio City Music Hall as a Tony nominee for her first Broadway production.
'It was crazy,' the Winnipeg-born Rosenberg told CTV News Winnipeg from her home in New York. 'I don't even know if I've fully processed. I was pretty blown away.'
Rosenberg is a co-producer of the smash Broadway play 'Oh, Mary!'
Tony Awards
Cole Escola appears during a Broadway performance of "Oh, Mary!" in New York. (Emilio Madrid via AP)
(Emilio Madrid)
Written and performed by Cole Escola, the dark comedy re-imagines First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln as an unhappy, alcoholic, aspiring cabaret performer in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln's assassination.
It was short-listed for the Pulitzer Prize and up for Best Play at Sunday's 78th annual Tony Awards, making Rosenberg a Tony nominee at just 32 years old.
While the play 'Purpose' ultimately took home the top award, Sunday's glitzy awards show was just the latest stop in Rosenberg's tenacious career - one with roots firmly planted in her hometown's bustling theatre scene.
Rafaella Rosenberg
'Oh, Mary!' co-producers and Tony nominees Rafaella Rosenberg, Christian Palomares, and Duncan Miller pose for a selfie at the June 8, 2025 awards show at Radio City Music Hall. (Rafaella Rosenberg)
A theatre dream born in Winnipeg
Ironically, the phenom producer's love of theatre began not behind the curtain, but on the stage.
'I don't remember a time in my life where I wasn't dancing,' she said.
'I think I started in a Twos and You class when I was a very young kid, and it was the only thing I cared about and the only thing I wanted to do.'
The first live musical she saw, a touring production of 'Les Misérables' at the Centennial Concert Hall, wasn't exactly formative.
'I don't actually remember Les Mis, because I was both five and probably, definitely sleeping,' she laughed, noting she's since seen it about four times when she was both older and conscious.
Twice-daily viewings of 'Mary Poppins' and 'The Sound of Music,' on the other hand, turned Rosenberg into a self-described 'movie musical kid.'
Rafaella Rosenberg
(Kristen Sawatsky)
She went on to study theatre at the University of Miami but decided her passions might ultimately lie elsewhere, transferring to the Ivey Business School at Western University.
That's where she first conceived of a theatre career on the production side, realizing the thrills that could be found in the behind-the-scenes, often unnoticed work that brings a production to life.
'Taking something from nothing to an end product is what I really enjoy doing,' she explained.
Rosenberg went on to produce her first plays at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, learning the unique combination of leadership, team building, artistry, and fundraising skills the job ultimately entails.
'This is the funniest thing I've ever seen'
In 2018, she set her sights on theatre's mecca – New York City.
She moved to the Big Apple to study theatre producing at Columbia University, picking up post-grad gigs with Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart.
Her big break would ultimately come through a chance invitation to see a new off-Broadway comedy – 'Oh, Mary!'
'I thought, 'This is the funniest thing I've ever seen. I hope it doesn't end here.''
When the production was set to transfer to Broadway for a limited run, a colleague from her days at 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' told her there was a chance he could get her on as a co-producer.
'I said, 'How soon? What do you need? Let's do it. I love the show,'' she recalled.
Oh, Mary!
Conrad Ricamora and Cole Escola perform in "Oh, Marry!" (Oh, Mary!/Instagram)
As much as she believed in the piece, Rosenberg's best hope for the play on opening night was to break even. As conventional Broadway wisdom goes, tourists are less inclined to see plays, and Rosenberg worried it had maxed out its local audience after its very popular off-Broadway run.
Turns out, conventional wisdom need not apply to a play that was neither conventional nor wise; (Escola literally describes the piece as stupid).
The run extended time and time again, picking up rave reviews and numerous accolades.
Its latest came Sunday, with Tony wins for Escola for male actor, making them the first known non-binary person to win the award, and director Sam Pinkleton.
2025 Tony Awards - Press Room
Sam Pinkleton, left, winner of the award for best direction of a play, and Cole Escola, winner of the award for best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play for "Oh, Mary!" pose in the press room during the 78th Tony Awards on Sunday, June 8, 2025, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
(Evan Agostini)
'It has become more successful, commercially, publicly, and kind of blown up in a way that I never expected,' Rosenberg said.
'I'm absolutely blown away by it all.'
What's next for Rosenberg?
She hopes to continue to work on projects she is passionate about and to land her first lead producer credit.
Still, she hasn't forgotten her roots.
'Winnipeg is such a strong theatre community,' she said.
'Everyone in it is so kind and generous with their time, and it's just one of the best places to incubate young artists, so I'm just very grateful for my time in Winnipeg.'
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