“RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Jinkx Monsoon is set to be the next theater icon to take on the role of Mary Todd Lincoln in the hit Broadway play “Oh, Mary!”
Monsoon made the exclusive announcement June 18 on TODAY, sharing the news with Jenna Bush Hager and her Jenna & Friends guest co-host Michelle Buteau.
Monsoon couldn’t be more grateful for where she is at during this point in her career.
“I feel very honored and privileged to be in this position right now because as a trans feminine actress, I was convinced this wasn’t possible,” she said on TODAY. “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.”
Monsoon explained it felt like there was a space already waiting for her when she joined the Broadway world, most recently performing at the Tony Awards.
“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,” she said, citing Angelica Ross, Laverne Cox and Peppermint.
Monsoon described “Oh, Mary!” as “one of the best, funniest, most energizing things” she’s ever seen in a statement.
“To be invited to live in this playground for a time is not only an honor 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,” Monsoon said.
Monsoon will portray the title role for eight weeks, starting on Aug. 4 and ending on Sept. 27, after starring in “Pirates! The Penzance Musical” through its final performance on July 27.
When asked on TODAY how she will balance finishing one role while preparing for another, Monsoon joked, “I’m a witch, baby! I find ways.”
“When you love the work that you’re doing, it’s easy to work really, really hard,” she said.
“I fought so hard to get here that I don’t like to take any moment for granted,” she added.
Monsoon said it’s “really nice to be a queer icon who’s queer, knowing that young queer people get to look up to me.”
“I was looking up to Bette Midler,” she said.
Monsoon is the only competitor to have won “RuPaul’s Drag Race” twice and has become a breakout star in theater through her roles in “Chicago” and “Little Shop of Horrors.”
“Oh, Mary!” is a dark comedy written by Cole Escola, who also originally starred as Mary Todd Lincoln, and imagines what life was really like for the wife of former President Abraham Lincoln in the weeks leading up to his assassination.
“Now — I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Cole Escola is the funniest person alive,” Monsoon said in a statement.
Escola won the Tony Award for best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play earlier this month, and the play’s director, Sam Pinkleton, also won the Tony for best direction of a play.
Escola is set to play their final performance as Mary Todd Lincoln on June 21, and Tituss Burgess will return to the role for an encore performance from June 23 to Aug. 2. Burgess previously played Mary Todd Lincoln from March 18 to April 6, following Betty Gilpin’s portrayal.
Original cast members Conrad Ricamora, James Scully, Bianca Leigh and Tony Macht will stay with the show through Aug. 2.
“Oh, Mary!” opened on Broadway on July 11, 2024, at the Lyceum Theatre, where it became the first show in the theater’s 121-year history to gross more than $1 million in a single week. It has since broken its own box-office record 12 times.
The play has also been extended again, with tickets on sale for performances through Jan. 4, 2026.
About The Author
