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Regional Reviews: Connecticut and the Berkshires Oh, Mary! Also see Fred's review of The Snow Goose and Zander's review of Come from Away
Mary Todd Lincoln (Alaska Thunderfuck) is addicted to booze. It is April 1865, a period before the Lincoln assassination, and Mary's Husband (John-Andrew Morrison) hides her whiskey bottle as he ponders the end of the Civil War. Mary used to be a cabaret singer, she couldn't care less about the war, and hopes to revisit the cabaret. Further, she is resourceful and not the type to be easily denied. Abraham Lincoln, however, coerces her to learn to paint through her chaperone, also named Louise (Pooya Mohseni). Unfortunately, Mary drinks up a pail of paint thinner. Hence, the two women are urged to master cross-stitching instead. Alaska's Mary is a visual hoot. Costume designer Holly Pierson has outfitted her with an uncomfortable-looking black hoop skirt/dress. Leah J. Loukas's black wig for Mary bounces with every move she makes. By now, this in-your-face type live theatre happening has probably nabbed the attention of even cynical theatre patrons. Louise spills some ice cream in her lap and is happily excited when it lands on a certain anatomical spot. Abe walks in and declares the Civil War to be over. A Teacher (Wesley Taylor) comes along to acquaint Mary with Shakespeare's sonnets. The instructor and Mary are in love and he spurs her on to audition at the Ford's Theatre for a new show. That is the reader's final spoiler for a presentation that leaps at observers and is astonishing. Alaska Thunderfuck is a flabbergasting, wondrous Mary, one who is uncommonly expressive and unique. She won "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (season 2)" and starred in award-winning Drag: The Musical. Her appearance in the touring production showcases a versatile performer who is skilled with dialogue and demonstrates impressive timing scene after scene. She is spectacularly audacious and spontaneous, too. Alaska will be with the tour into January. John-Andrew Morrison, who took the role of Lincoln on Broadway for a while, is a great fit for the touring version. He and Alaska Thunderfuck complement one another as actors even if their characters are hardly a matched pair. Wesley Taylor, as Teacher, has a great feel for both his character and his role in Mary's life. Let's put it this way: there's a great gap in height between Mary and her Teacher, and actor Taylor finds every inch of comic potential therein. Pooya Mohseni's Louise is compatible with Mary as Louise grabs the spotlight each time she is on stage. Actor Michael Lepore plays Simon who is, at first, Abraham's assistant and thereafter more than just a platonic, casual friend. Their relationship is undeniably lustful. All the actors are both individually and collectively strikingly effective. The supremely creative Cole Escola was nominated for two Tony Awards for Oh, Mary! and he received one for his performance in the title role. Escola is a comedian, actor, and writer. He is able to draw upon multiple talents and his play was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. This is a blaring, glaring presentation which sometimes feels like a bombardment upon the senses. Lighting designer Cha See and sound designers Daniel Kluger and Drew Levy sometimes dominate with production elements. Attending the show proves to be a prodigious, stupefying experience, one which might very well grow upon someone who is more accustomed to viewing more conventional fare. While the production might not please everyone, it is difficult, indeed, not to admire the clever, original result. No moments are wasted and Pinkleton's direction ensures attention to specifics. Sure, this is spectacle, but nothing is haphazard. The various comic moments are often uproariously funny, inspired, and productive. Oh, Mary! runs through September 23, 2026, at The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford CT. For tickets and information, please call 860-987-5900 or visit Bushnell.org. For information on the tour, visit www.ohmaryplay.com |
