Broadway is about to get a new first lady.
Bowen Yang, the Emmy-nominated comic actor and “Saturday Night Live” alum, will make his Broadway debut next month as Mary Todd Lincoln in “Oh, Mary!,” Cole Escola’s Tony Award-winning historical spoof.
Yang will begin a scheduled 12-week engagement on Sept. 15 at the Lyceum Theater, where “Oh, Mary!” has played since its Broadway premiere in 2024. Originally planned as a limited engagement, the production has run for more than 100 weeks on Broadway. It has also had an Olivier Award-winning stint in London’s West End, and it is set to begin a national tour in September.
Bowen’s casting was first reported by New York magazine. Representatives for Yang and Sam Pinkleton, the play’s director, did not reply to requests for comment.
The comedian will follow a slew of stars who have portrayed the former first lady — or a quirky, cabaret-loving caricature of her — including Jane Krakowski, Tituss Burgess and Yang’s fellow “S.N.L.” alum Maya Rudolph. Meg Stalter, who broke out on HBO’s “Hacks,” is currently playing the role on Broadway, where she will deliver her final performance on Sept. 12. Escola, who wrote “Oh, Mary!” and originated the role of Mary Todd Lincoln, is currently starring in the West End production.
Yang was already getting into character on Tuesday in a promo reel featuring a nod to his “Las Culturistas” podcast, which he co-hosts with Matt Rogers. In the video posted to social media, he magically transforms into Lincoln, smirking as he tousles her signature black ringlets.
Celebrities including Mindy Kaling, Whitney Leavitt and Monica Barbaro lauded the casting announcement on social media. Ariana Grande, who starred with Yang in the recent “Wicked” movies, wrote, “This is the best day of my life.”
One commenter suggested a special Tony Award for the “Oh, Mary!” casting team. (Last year, the Oscars introduced an award for casting.)
Yang told New York magazine’s Vulture blog that he had been offered the role last summer but had turned it down because of scheduling conflicts with “S.N.L.”
“I was too yoked to that time frame to give myself the proper runway,” Yang said. “I was not going to take a Broadway debut without the utmost seriousness and gravitas and respect.”
His second chance came after his midseason departure from the NBC sketch show in December. While his exit shocked many fans, Yang said in a conversation hosted by Variety that he had “felt like it was the right time.”
His screen credits continue to pile up. Yang will voice a character in an animated film version of “The Cat in the Hat,” which is set to arrive in theaters in November. He and Rogers are also collaborating on an untitled comedy for Searchlight Pictures.
The post Bowen Yang to Make Broadway Debut as Mary Todd Lincoln in ‘Oh, Mary!’ appeared first on New York Times.
