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If a Broadway play about Mary Todd Lincoln doesn’t sound enticing to you, it’s only because you haven’t seen the character through the eyes of comedian Cole Escola in Oh, Mary! yet.
At a Glance: How to Buy Oh, Mary! Tickets Online
In the play Escola, whom you might recognize from Search Party or Difficult People, takes a fairly unknown historical figure and adds both character and context. If you’re wondering where this context originated, you should know that Escola is completely unhindered by factual evidence — and not much exists about the former First Lady to begin with.
The show opened at Broadway’s Lyceum Theater on July 11 after an Off Broadway run that got extended not once, but twice. A similar fate has fallen on the show at the Lyceum, where Oh, Mary! recently announced an extension into January 2025. Oh, Mary! runs for 80 minutes with no intermission, and during the majority of that time the audience is absolutely doubled-over in guffaws of laughter. When creating the show, Escola explained to Rolling Stone that they like to take what audiences know about stories and, as would be done in Mad Libs, fill in the blanks with hilarity. With Mary Todd Lincoln’s story, the history books left a lot of blanks.
“She’s not a big personality,” Escola told Rolling Stone. “It’s not like she’s some diva who we hear all these stories about. So it’s funny to me to be like, ‘Oh, what if she was an idiot?’ Like, ‘Abraham Lincoln’s wife was blank,’ and I get to fill in the space.”
To find tickets online to see Oh, Mary! on Broadway, here’s what you need to know.
How to Get Oh, Mary! Tickets on Broadway
The show’s site is offering tickets through Telecharge, which allows you to choose exact dates and times before seeing the available prices and seat locations. Lots of the dates are already sold out and many of these prices are much higher than the tickets that are available on reseller sites like StubHub, Vivid Seats, SeatGeek, and TodayTix.
Buy Oh, Mary! Tickets on SeatGeek
Right now, it looks like there are a few dates where tickets are going for $96 on SeatGeek, but there’s a big chance that those are located near the back of the balcony. Keep in mind that the theater is small and you’re really able to enjoy the show from any vantage point.
Buy Oh, Mary! Tickets on StubHub
StubHub also currently has Oh, Mary! tickets available to purchase on its site. If you’re worried about buying tickets from a reseller, know that we bought our tickets on StubHub, and we had no problem getting in and finding our seats with ease.
Buy Oh, Mary! Tickets on TodayTix
While TodayTix used to specialize in last-minute tickets, they’ve expanded to becoming another reseller with tickets for future dates ready and waiting. Use our promo code ROLLINGSTONE10 for $10 off minimum orders of $260 (note: promo code doesn’t apply to gift cards).
Buy Oh, Mary! Tickets on Vivid Seats
Most of the tickets on Vivid Seats appear to be going for around $150. We recommend keeping an eye on the site and look as close to the date that you want to go as possible, as they tend to get more and more discounted as the show approaches. Use the promo code RS2024 for $20 off first orders over $200 at checkout.
Buy Oh, Mary! Tickets on TicketNetwork
Another reliable place to find sold-out Oh, Mary! tickets online? Consider checking TicketNetwork. Broadway fans can use the discount code RS150 to save $150 on orders over $500, or RS300 for a $300 discount on $1,000 orders.
Oh, Mary! on Broadway: What to Expect
The Oh, Mary! plotline follows a tragically-bored Mary Todd Lincoln who is completely unencumbered by her husband’s political ambitions, and who really just wants everyone to take her seriously when she says she wants to become a cabaret star. Escola explained to W Magazine that the idea of Mary Todd wanting to be a cabaret star was not only one of the funnier things they could dream up, but a personal fantasy.
In the play, to assuage her general dismay at the state of her life, Mary Todd turns to alcoholism, which she uses not only as a means of escapism, but as a way to garner attention from her distant — and preoccupied — husband. She also busies herself with the general torment of everyone in her close circle, which really only consists of three people — two of whom are staff members whose jobs primarily revolve around keeping her entertained and out of trouble.
Oh, Mary! Review
I saw Oh, Mary! over the summer, and put simply, it’s truly incredible — the most hilarious Broadway show I’ve ever seen. As far as seating goes, there aren’t many bad seats in the Lyceum Theater. That’s because the theater itself is fairly small, which means you don’t have to worry about hearing and seeing everything that’s happening on stage — even if you’re sitting in the very back.
This is particularly true for Oh, Mary!, as the show is centrally-focused on Escola, who is the primary character on stage at all times. Even from farther back, Escola’s physical comedy is fully and clearly communicated. They’re also wearing a massive hoop skirt and hilarious wig that accentuates all of Escola’s drama and movement.
“The great thing about theater is the next night, you get to do it again,” Escola told Rolling Stone. “I’m trying to let go of some of the perfectionism, to leave room for, like, being human and having fun. But I want this to be the best it can possibly be. Just the names out front, all those queer playwright-actress crossovers. I feel like this will be a life peak for me. I definitely will look back on this as one of the most special times in my life.”
It’s definitely fair to say that it’s a peak for Broadway-lovers as well.
When Is Oh, Mary! on Broadway?
The show is currently on Broadway until Jan. 19, 2025. While there’s certainly a chance that it gets extended again, it’s definitely best not to take any risks and book your tickets to see the show now.