Jinkx Monsoon and Michael Urie Make Their Grand Entrance in Oh, Mary!
It’s official: Broadway just got even queerer, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. A few weeks ago, we shared the exciting news that award-winning actress and drag icon Jinkx Monsoon would be joining the Tony-winning comedy Oh, Mary! in the role of Mary Todd Lincoln. Well, the moment has finally arrived, and she’s not alone. Joining her onstage at the historic Lyceum Theatre is none other than Emmy nominee Michael Urie, now taking on the role of Mary’s Teacher. With Kumail Nanjiani and Jenn Harris rounding out the top billing, this new company of Oh, Mary! is positively stacked.
Timed with the cast’s debut last night, new production photos have dropped, and trust us when we say: the wigs are tall, the glances are pointed, and Jinkx’s presence is commanding in every frame. She brings a delicious theatricality to Mary Todd Lincoln that feels tailor-made for her brand of camp and craft. It’s exactly the kind of chaotic brilliance we’ve come to expect from Oh, Mary!, the queer fever dream of a play written by Cole Escola (who won a Tony for their original turn as Mary) and directed by Sam Pinkleton (who also took home a Tony for their work here). This is a show that’s already broken records—twelve of them to be exact—including becoming the first production in the Lyceum’s 121-year history to gross over $1 million in a single week. And now with a refreshed cast? We’re expecting even more chaos and even more queer excellence.
Let’s talk about Jinkx. In just two years, she’s gone from Drag Race royalty to full-blown Broadway phenom, and she’s doing it all in heels. After making her Broadway debut as Matron “Mama” Morton in Chicago, Jinkx quickly established herself as a force to be reckoned with onstage. She broke box office records during that run, then took on Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors Off-Broadway, and most recently earned her first Drama League nomination as Ruth in the Tony-nominated revival of Pirates! The Penzance Musical. And if Broadway wasn’t already gagged enough, she went ahead and haunted our screens last year as the villainous Maestro in Doctor Who, cementing her status as an international queer icon.
But Jinkx isn’t just a stage star, she’s a multi-hyphenate powerhouse. She’s toured the world with her longtime cabaret partner Major Scales, starred in the hit holiday series The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show with BenDeLaCreme, and sold out Carnegie Hall earlier this year with her Everything at Stake concert tour. She’s also voiced beloved characters in Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake, Steven Universe, and Helluva Boss, just to name a few. Oh, and let’s not forget: she’s still the only queen to win RuPaul’s Drag Race not once, but twice. First on Season 5, and then again on All Stars 7, where she was crowned “Queen of All Queens.” Legendary behavior, honestly.
And then there’s Michael Urie. Whether you first fell for him as Marc St. James on Ugly Betty or swooned over him in Single All the Way, Urie has always brought a unique blend of wit, warmth, and theatrical flair to everything he does. His work spans television, film, and theatre, from leading roles in Shrinking, Torch Song, and Hamlet, to a Drama Desk-winning turn in the one-man show Buyer & Cellar. A Juilliard alum with Shakespearean chops and impeccable comedic timing, Urie brings a grounded charm to every project, and we’re so excited to see how he tackles the chaos of Oh, Mary!’s world.
This latest Broadway turn is yet another exciting chapter in a career that has always celebrated theatricality, bold choices, and unapologetic queerness. It’s fitting, then, that he now finds himself sharing the stage with Jinkx in a show as irreverent and fabulous as Oh, Mary!.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Oh, Mary! is one of the wildest, most unhinged comedies we’ve seen on Broadway in ages, and we mean that as the highest compliment. With a new cast this fierce, we’re already eyeing our calendars and planning our next trip to NYC this fall. You’ll find us at the Lyceum, cheering for Jinkx, swooning over Michael Urie, and basking in the messy, high-camp glory that is Oh, Mary!
Get tickets to Oh, Mary! At the historic Lyceum Theatre here. Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Photo by Evan Zimmerman
