‘Oh, Mary!’ National Tour Comes to California

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Mina Kim (0:43)

Welcome to Forum. I'm Mina Kim.

What if Mary Todd Lincoln was forbidden from being a cabaret star by her husband who was so busy with the Civil War? That question, not based on any historical account whatsoever, animates the smash hit Broadway comedy, Oh, Mary! which has come to San Francisco and later heads to Los Angeles. Featuring RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars winner Alaska in the title role, the Tony Award-winning play written by Cole Escola was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in drama, with the board describing its outrageous humor as an empathetic celebration of anyone who's been marginalized or misunderstood. Listeners, have you seen Oh, Mary! or Can't Wait To? We've got the director and stars with us this hour. Sam Pinkleton is its Tony Award-winning director. Sam, it's so great to have you on our world.

Sam Pinkleton (1:32)

I'm really happy to be here.

Mina Kim (1:33)

Also with us is John Andrew Morrison, who plays Mary's husband.

SPEAKER_7 (1:37)

Hi.

SPEAKER_3 (1:38)

Welcome, John Andrew.

Mina Kim (1:39)

Of course, Alaska, whose full name I am not allowed to say on the air, plays Mary Todd Lincoln in Oh, Mary! Welcome.

SPEAKER_7 (1:49)

Hi.

Alaska (1:50)

Thank you so much.

Mina Kim (1:51)

I'm so sorry to hear that you've been sick, so tonight will be your San Francisco debut.

Alaska (1:55)

I know.

SPEAKER_7 (1:56)

How suspenseful. Yeah.

Mina Kim (1:58)

I'm glad you're feeling better.

Alaska (2:00)

I am.

Mina Kim (2:01)

And John Andrew, you have been performing for the San Francisco crowd. How's that been?

John Andrew Morrison (2:06)

They're wild. They love it, and we're enjoying doing the show for them. They're all miscreants and terrible people.

Mina Kim (2:14)

We love them.

John Andrew Morrison (2:15)

We love them.

Mina Kim (2:16)

Yeah.

So this will be a spoiler-free conversation. I got the list of all the things that I cannot say, and I want that to be a warning for you, our Forum listeners, if you've seen it, please don't mention any of the surprises of the show. So given that, Sam, given the fact that there's a whole list of things we cannot say, you describe the plot. Tell us what it's about.

Sam Pinkleton (2:39)

Sure. So Oh, Mary! is a wildly, historically inaccurate depiction of Mary Todd Lincoln in the days leading up to the death of Abraham Lincoln. In the play, she is an alcoholic, aspiring cabaret singer who will do absolutely anything to get what she wants during the most stressful time in the American Civil War, which to be clear is a period of time that Cole Escola and myself know nothing about.

SPEAKER_10 (3:09)

Alaska, what is it meant for you to play Mary in this show then?

Mina Kim (3:14)

I've heard you say that it would be a fantasy to play Mary.

Alaska (3:18)

Well, indeed it is. I mean, it's the best role in the best play ever.

It just is. And so to get a chance to do it is really amazing.

Mina Kim (3:28)

People say that every Mary sort of approaches it differently. What have you thought about with regard to your own approach to it?

Alaska (3:38)

I don't know.

Mina Kim (3:40)

It just sort of happens when you're out there.

Alaska (3:42)

I just, I really see the script as like really serious and like her story is really serious in this. And so that's how I'm approaching it.

Mina Kim (3:52)

What do you mean by serious?

Alaska (3:53)

I mean, her struggle is absolutely real.

And like you said in your description, which was so beautiful, it is sort of like the story of anyone who has felt like pushed to the side or not believed in. And she has to push through that and she does.

Mina Kim (4:12)

And she does it like nothing's going to stop her, right? Yeah. So you, John Andrew, have played Mary's husband now with four different Marys on it, or five?

John Andrew Morrison (4:23)

Actually, six.

SPEAKER_1 (4:26)

Six? Wow.

Alaska (4:27)

So I'm not your first and only?

John Andrew Morrison (4:29)

I'm so sorry. Oh, this is. But you're the sweetest.