Cole Escola To Leave Broadway Smash ‘Oh, Mary!’ But Show Will Go On With Betty Gilpin

deadline.com:

Oh, Mary! without Cole Escola? As it turns out, yes. The Broadway hit comedy, which recently became the first production of the season to recoup its production cost, will have a new Mary Todd Lincoln beginning January 21 when Glow actor Betty Gilpin will take over the role for a limited 8-week engagement.

Gilpin’s engagement runs from Tuesday, January 21, 2025, through Sunday, March 16, 2025. Interestingly, Oh, Mary! also announced today that a new block of tickets for the play are on sale through Saturday, June 28, 2025.

So who will play Mary from late March through June? Stay tuned. While no mention was made in today’s announcement of Escola’s plans, in previous interviews they have expressed interest in writing new work that they would not necessary act in.

That said, with a recent Tony eligibility ruling that Escola, who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronounces, would be eligible in the Best Leading Actor/Play category were they to be nominated – a gendered category choice typically made by the performer – the possibility of Escola returning for a pre-Tony run in the show is likely to prompt some theater speculation in the coming months.