Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon is extending her incredible run on Broadway.
On 17 June, it was announced that beloved drag talent would be joining the cast of the critically acclaimed play Oh, Mary!
Written and originally performed by comedian Cole Escola, the show follows “a miserable, suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.”
The synopsis adds: “Unrequited yearning, alcoholism, and suppressed desires abound in this 80-minute one-act play that finally examines the forgotten life and dreams of Mrs. Lincoln, through the lens of an idiot (playwright Cole Escola).”
Jinkx has signed on to portray the titular character in an eight-week limited engagement starting on 4 August. She’ll be taking over the role from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star Titus Burgess.
In a statement, the Doctor Who winner said: “Now – I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Cole Escola is the funniest person alive. Oh, Mary! is one of the best, funniest, most energising things I’ve seen in my life.
“To be invited to live in this playground for a time is not only an honour and a privilege but a lovely chance to showcase the writing talents of one friend, the directorial talents of another and everything else that comes with this singular production.”
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Jinkx gave further insight into her excitement for the role and the impact she hopes to make during an interview with TODAY.
“I feel very honoured and privileged to be in this position right now because as a trans feminine actress, I was convinced this wasn’t possible,” she said.
“I thought I had to choose to be an actor or choose to be a trans person, but I didn’t think the world was going to let me be both. I want the door to stay open behind me, and it’s only because of trans actresses and drag performers on Broadway before me… these people paved the way for me to be here. And I want to do the same for others.”
Jinkx’s upcoming Oh, Mary! run won’t be the first time she slays the Broadway stage. In 2023, The Ginger Snapped singer broke new ground when she played Mama Morton in Chicago, becoming the first-ever drag queen to perform in a major Broadway musical.
After becoming the first trans woman to play Audrey in the off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors in 2024, Jinks returned to ‘The Great White Way’ in April 2025 to star in Pirates! The Penzance Musical –which is concluding a week before she steps into Mary Todd Lincoln’s shoes.
The recent Oh, Mary! news comes a few weeks after Cole and the show’s director, Sam Pinkleton, took home Tony Awards for Best Direction of a Play and Best Leading Actor, respectively.
For more information about tickets, click here.
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