Cole Escola Wins Tony For 'Oh, Mary'
Cole Escola's first shot on Broadway has earned them one of the most coveted prizes in the theater world.
At Sunday night's Tony Awards, the star of 'Oh, Mary!' scored the Tony for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for their delightfully daffy depiction of Civil War-era first lady Mary Todd Lincoln.
Escola accepted the award in a gown inspired by a look worn by Broadway legend Bernadette Peters wore to the 1999 ceremony. In their speech, they cheekily thanked a Grindr match as well as actor-comedian Amy Sedaris, who 'always reminds me how important she is to me, and she is.'
'Oh, Mary!', a campy revisionist one-act play set in the days leading up to President Abraham Lincoln's assassination, paints the first lady as a petulant, puckish troublemaker who tries to drink her woes away. She yearns to leave the White House to become a cabaret star.
Last month, Escola, who was not only the lead of 'Oh, Mary!' but also penned the crowd-pleaser, told NPR how they related to the first lady and her offbeat ambitions.
'This play is about a woman with a dream that no one around her understands. A dream that the whole world is telling her is stupid and doesn't make any sense. And I feel that way.'
Escola also told NPR how they began imagining the concept over a decade ago during their early days in New York's cabaret and alt comedy scenes.
'I had the thought: What if Abraham Lincoln's assassination wasn't such a bad thing for Mary Todd?' they recalled. 'And it was just an idea that tickled me so much.'
'Oh, Mary!' officially came to life when it debuted off-Broadway in January 2024. After rave reviews extended its run several times, the show made its way to the theater world's main drag in Manhattan that June.
Escola took a break from playing Mary Todd in January, handing off the role to Betty Gilpin ('GLOW') and Tituss Burgess.
The 'Difficult People' actor stepped back into the first lady's shoes for a brief run in early April before passing the torch back to Burgess for a limited six-week engagement, which will begin June 23.
With their win, Escola becomes the first openly nonbinary performer to earn a Tony Award in their category, and for a role they authored themselves.
In 2022, British composer Toby Marlow and producer JJ Maley became the first-ever nonbinary people to earn Tony Awards.
Marlow won for their work on the musical 'Six,' while Maley was one of the producers of 'A Strange Loop,' the 2023 winner for best musical.
Performers Sara Ramírez and KO both won Tonys in the best actress in a musical category before coming out as nonbinary.
As Cole Escola's 'Oh, Mary!' Sidekick, Bianca Leigh Is Smashing Barriers And Getting Her Due
Abe Lincoln Wax Statue's Head Melts Off, And Of Course There Are Jokes
The 2025 Tony Award Nominations Are Here
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
25 minutes ago
- Fox News
Hailey Bieber Enjoys Summer Vibes as Justin Bieber Shares Cryptic Posts
Broadway met Hollywood in a dazzling collision of star power at the 2025 Tony Awards. Romeo Beckham is turning heads in Paris after his recent split. Plus, Hailey Bieber is soaking up the sun in bikini bliss while Justin raises eyebrows with cryptic posts about love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit FOX News Radio
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Once Upon a Time, They Considered Giving Up. Now They're 2025 Tony Nominees (Exclusive)
Five years ago on March 12, 2020, the show did not go on. As COVID-19 spread like wildfire throughout the United States, Broadway was ultimately forced to go dark. It was a devastating blow to New York City's vibrant and beloved theater community, putting thousands of performers and creative artists out of work for 18 months — the industry's longest shutdown in history. Thespians, however, pushed forward, and the creation of new art never ceased. 'There were so many works that were cooking,' Gypsy's Tony-nominated featured actressJoy Woods exclusively tells Parade, 'and now they're finally out of the oven.' In fact, 'this is like a post-pandemic Golden Era,' LaTanya Richardson Jackson says as she proudly dons her Tony Awards nominee pin at the annual meet and greet with this year's star-studded honorees. 'I am grateful to be a part of a season that is extraordinary.' 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 Extraordinary it is, with a little something for everyone. Cuban culture comes alive in the critically acclaimed musical Buena Vista Social Club. The Pulitzer Prize-winning play Purpose, starring Jackson (wife of Samuel L. Jackson), explores Black culture and politics under the direction of Phylicia Rashad. Comedian Cole Escola's unapologetically queer take on Mary Todd Lincoln in their 80-minute Oh, Mary! has audiences begging for more. And fans of the Netflix hit Stranger Things are rushing to the Marquis Theatre to fully immerse themselves in the Upside Down courtesy of Stranger Things: The First Shadow's already Tony Award-winning illusions and technical effects. Related: Plus, this year's lineup of plays and musicals is jam-packed with star power, from George Clooney's Broadway debut in Good Night, and Good Luck to Pussycat Dolls alum Nicole Scherzinger's triumphant turn as Norma Desmond in the much-talked-about revival of Sunset Boulevard. But the road to Broadway — even for the brightest of stars — is not always easy. 'I remember several years ago when no one would give me a chance and take me seriously in the space that I'm at now, and I put on a [cabaret] show at Django at the Roxy [Hotel],' Scherzinger tells Parade of the 2019 solo act she staged herself to perform musical theater classics. 'You have to keep your mind and your heart open, because you never know when that unexpected dream opportunity is going to come. I didn't know that playing Norma Desmond was going to be my unexpected dream role and change my life. I kept an open mind and heart, and I trusted, and I was brave.' PERSEVERING THROUGH IT ALL It takes courage to work in live theater. Rejection is part of the gig, and even when an artist is lucky enough to land a job, they must bare their soul for all to see — and be prepared if the reviews are not in their favor. Long before Conrad Ricamora starred on the ABC series How to Get Away with Murder and was Tony-nominated for playing Abraham Lincoln in Oh, Mary!, he was just another up-and-coming actor taking a stab at Shakespeare. 'I was doing Romeo and Juliet in Philadelphia, and I was in my early 20s,' he explains. 'I was playing Romeo. I got this scathing review in the Philadelphia Inquirer. And it was the first time I'd ever been reviewed, and I made the mistake of looking at the review, and I then was in a depression for, like, two months. And I [thought], 'Well, if everyone hates you, do you still want to do this?' … And I told myself, 'Yeah.' The answer was yes.' Jonathan Groff, famous for hit projects like Glee, Frozenand Hamilton, had a similar experience when he was just starting out. As an aspiring actor who moved to the Big Apple from Lancaster, Pa., with big dreams and a big heart, Groff wanted nothing more than to be on Broadway. At that point, he was also still learning more about himself and his sexuality. 'The first month that I moved to New York, I was waiting tables at the [now closed] Chelsea Grill of Hell's Kitchen on 9th between 46th and 47th,' Broadway's Just in Time star recalls. 'Lots of rejection. Lots of like really failed dance calls — going to dance calls and getting cut and feeling like, 'What am I doing here?' And I remember going back to my apartment and taking down the Bible that my Mennonite grandmother had given me upon moving to New York and being like, 'This isn't making me feel better.' Putting the Bible back up on the shelf and running to Central Park and standing in front of the Bethesda Fountain and looking up at that angel and being like, 'I got this.' 'I was feeling the magic of New York City, the magic of Central Park, the magic of the Angels in America HBO special that had just come out. And feeling like I was also about to step into my gay self for the first time. That was the moment — looking at that statue — that I was like, 'Everything's going to be OK. This is a magical place. I want to be here.' And now here we are.' The theater does, in fact, have a funny way of letting you know you're right where you ought to be. At least that was the case for Jasmine Amy Rogers, Tony-nominated in her Broadway debut as the iconic cartoon character Betty Boop. Before the theater community suddenly lost beloved actor Gavin Creel last year at age 48 following a brief but aggressive battle with cancer, he encouraged Rogers to keep following her dreams. 'It was August of 2023, and I was just auditioning for everything that I could, and I wasn't getting anything,' she remembers. 'And I actually had an audition for Gavin Creel's [musical] Walk on Through, and I didn't get it, but he sent me the most beautiful email, and it lit a fire underneath me. A couple weeks later, I went and booked this. So honestly, I feel like in a way, I have him to thank.' Though Rogers didn't know Creel as well as some of her peers (he and Groff dated around 2009, and Groff credits Creel for helping him embrace his sexuality), 'In those brief auditions, he was so kind and giving,' she says. 'And he went out of his way to make sure he introduced himself and hugged me at the end, and he just cared so much. It means the world. And I hope that I can be that person to somebody one day.' But even when an artist feels like they've made it on Broadway, the hustle never ends. 'There was one time I was working for a Tasker app,' explains , who is nominated for his first Tony Award for his performance as real-life robber Elmer McCurdy in the musical Dead Outlaw. 'I was building a cabinet for someone in their house, and they were like, 'Did I see you in War Horse on Broadway?' And I was like, 'Yes… Where would you like this cabinet?' So yeah, highs and lows — that's what it's all about. But I'm grateful to be an actor. I used to resent that, but now I love it because I appreciate the highs so much. And the lows are just the time to sort of gather yourself and look forward to what's next.' See more photos of the Tony Award-nominated performers below: View the 13 images of this gallery on the original article A SPACE FOR EVERYONE As the world continues to evolve, so do the stories theater artists put forth. Broadway's diverse landscape 'feels correct,' Branden Jacobs Jenkins, who wrote the Pulitzer-winning play Purpose, says of this season's offering. 'It feels accurate. It's the world I moved through. It's our professional world. And I see these people everywhere. They're incredible.' In a time when representation matters more than ever, Broadway's current class of Tony nominees come from all different races and cultural backgrounds, a fact they're especially proud of. 'This has been a historic season for Asian-Americans in particular,' says Francis Jue, a featured actor nominee for the play Yellow Face, which explores the issue of yellowface casting (or using a non-Asian actor for a race-specific role). Jue points out, 'It's the very first time in 78 years of Tony history that an Asian-American actor, Daniel Dae Kim, has been nominated as lead actor in a Broadway play. It's the first time in 78 years of Tony history that two Asian-American actors, Conrad Ricamora and myself, are nominated in the same category for a play on Broadway.' Gypsy's Woods, who plays Louise opposite Audra McDonald's Momma Rose, never thought she had a chance to play the woman who would become Gypsy Rose Lee, a real-life burlesque entertainer in the 1920s and 30s who was white. 'When we're taught [the musical] in school, you are shown clips, and you don't see anybody in those clips that looks like you,' Woods explains. 'So, no, I didn't think [I'd play this role]. And when I saw the day that they announced that they were doing Audra [in] Gypsy, I remember leaving a matinee of The Notebook [in which she previously starred] and seeing the sign and saying, 'Oh my God, I can't wait to see that. That's going to be so good. Whoever plays Louise, they're going to kill it.' I did not think it was going to be me.' The stories themselves are varied as well. Big, splashy musicals like the comedy Death Becomes Her play alongside works with more serious subject matter such as John Proctor Is the Villain, the play starring Stranger Things actress Sadie Sink that is set during a time when survivors of sexual assault felt empowered to come forward. 'We start right in the wake of the #MeToo movement in 2018, which is seven years ago now,' explains the show's Tony-nominated featured actress Fina Strazza. 'But the play feels more relevant than ever. I think there's a lot going on in our world with some pretty powerful men that probably shouldn't be so powerful. So it's nice to sit in the theater for an hour or two and experience that — and hopefully be motivated to make change in small communities.' Overall, as the calendar inches closer to the June 8 Tony Awards ceremony at Radio City Music Hall with Wicked star Cynthia Erivo as its host, the vibe is nothing but celebratory. Darren Criss, Tony-nominated for his performance as a robot named Oliver in the endearing new musical Maybe Happy Ending, reveals to Parade that he has a group chat with his former Glee pals, which includes Groff — whom he is up against for best lead actor in a musical. 'We got a whole group thread going, man,' Criss says. 'It's the nice thing about working on Broadway. We're all on the same campus. We're all within several blocks of each other. We all know each other. We all know each other's work. We've all, you know, been in rooms together before. We're not all separated. There's a real fraternity there, and that's not just some canned line. It's true. We're all working [in the] same village. It's such a fun, amazing thing. We all grew up loving this so much. The fact that we get to do it is already such a huge 'W,' so getting to be in a category together for a fancy party is just a fun little bonus.' ParadeParade With additional reporting by Garid Garcia. See photos of the Tony Award-nominated creative team members below: View the 41 images of this gallery on the original article
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Brian Tyree Henry on how ‘Dope Thief' let him ‘reclaim' his name: ‘I was just Paper Boi to people,' and now ‘I became Brian again'
"Dope Thief allowed me to reclaim my name," says Brian Tyree Henry, the star and executive producer of the Apple TV+ limited series. The Oscar, Emmy, and Tony nominee tells Gold Derby, "I was just Paper Boi [from Atlanta] to people for quite a few years. And so with this one, I think that I became Brian again, and that is very special to me." Watch our full interview above. Henry plays Ray Driscoll on Dope Thief, a con artist who, along with his lifelong friend Manny Carvalho (Wagner Moura), robs from drug dealers by posing as DEA agents. Unfortunately, they steal from the wrong people, and mayhem ensues. The program is written by Peter Craig and based on the 2009 novel by Dennis Tafoya. "Everything that happens is absolutely terrible, but in the end, it's a fun ride," the actor recalls. More from GoldDerby Emmy experts debate Comedy Series race: 'Hacks' will compete against 'a bunch of new kids on the block' 2025 Tony Awards highlights: The best, the worst, and the 'Hamilton' mixtape Tonys 2025: Best prediction scores by Gold Derby experts, editors, and users "Wagner Moura is truly one of the best that's ever done it," Henry says of his costar. "Being able to do this show with him was the greatest gift I've ever been given, honestly." On their first day on set, he recalls Moura pulling him aside and revealing that he was "really scared," to which Henry responded, "'Regardless of what goes on, I promise you I won't leave your side. We've got each other.' And from then on, we were just connected and locked in." Henry calls Dope Thief a "love story between these two friends who are more than friends. I don't even think the word 'friend' is appropriate. They've been through so much together. It's very easy to see series where it's a Black and Brown man paired together — violence, drugs, all the yahooey — but you never really get to the core of who they are. But these two men are afraid and vulnerable, and there is grief, there is regret." Apple TV+ Henry sees a connection between his roles as the lead actor and executive producer, and takes both positions seriously. "What I realized by being the star of the show and also the EP, is that there's this phrase that floats around on sets that says, 'It starts from the top.' Whoever is considered the top of the show, their tone dictates the rest of how the show goes and is felt. And so, in this particular project, I felt like being No. 1 on the call sheet meant that I set the tone, and I didn't want anything but joy." The tone of Dope Thief shifts between incredibly dramatic and hilariously light-hearted. "Even if I'm on the ground covered in blood with a hole in my leg, in between takes, we're going to get up, I'm going to play music, we're going to talk," says Henry. "Peter would let us improv all the time, which is my juice. I love it. I just always want to be truthful in where the characters are." Regardless of what happens at upcoming awards shows, Henry is happy that Dope Thief gave him room "to show people my range and that I'm not just one thing." He's already been nominated at the Gotham TV Awards for this project, and the Emmy nominations will be unveiled on July 15. "I don't ever win sh-t," he laughs. "It's cool, but I'm always so wrong about what I think people will recognize. Let me tell you something: I'm honored." Henry opens up about how the sixth episode, in which Ray was in a "delirium" after being shot, came on the heels "of a major loss in my life, when my father died." He explains, "This episode also dealt with Ray and his father [played by Ving Rhames] and all these different things, and I was like, you have got to be kidding. There is no way that you can make this up. It was incredibly cathartic. It is an episode that I truly, truly, truly love. It was incredibly hard to make, but at the end of the day, it was so rewarding." The actor is proud of all of his collaborations and has nothing but thanks for Craig. "I tell Peter all the time, thank you for putting dialogue like this in my mouth," he says, "and for allowing space for me to actually show all these different emotions that they normally just don't let us as Black actors play." What does Henry think his character will be up to five or 10 years in the future? "I hope that Ray is on a farm in a garden that he has procured somewhere in New Hope, Pa.," he says with a smile. "I hope that he makes candles, is in love with his mother [played by Kate Mulgrew], that they're running a shop. I really want him to wear cardigans, but I want him to really feel like he's free," Henry continues. "I think that freedom is the thing that he needs." Dope Thief is now streaming on Apple TV+. SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby 'Say Nothing' star Anthony Boyle on playing IRA activist Brendan Hughes: We 'get to the humanity as opposed to the mythology' The Making of 'The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day': PBS variety special 'comes from the heart' From 'Hot Rod' to 'Eastbound' to 'Gemstones,' Danny McBride breaks down his most righteous roles: 'It's been an absolute blast' Click here to read the full article.
