Cole Escola Makes Tony History with Hilarious, Groundbreaking Performance inOh, Mary!
I’ve got to talk about something that made history—and honestly, made my whole day—at this year’s Tony Awards: Cole Escola’s unforgettable win for Best Leading Actor in a Play for Oh, Mary! This moment wasn’t just about winning a prestigious award. It was about changing the game entirely.
So, picture this: a five-person play about Mary Todd Lincoln reimagined as a cabaret dreamer? Yeah, that’s Oh, Mary! , and it’s as wild and brilliant as it sounds. Cole not only starred in it—they wrote it too. And their portrayal of a boozy, unhinged, hilariously delusional Mary Todd Lincoln had audiences howling. We’re talking standing ovations, box office records, and now, a Tony Award win that shattered boundaries.
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What’s really incredible is that Cole Escola became the first openly nonbinary performer to win Best Lead Actor in a Play. That alone makes this moment legendary. They beat out acting heavyweights like George Clooney and Daniel Dae Kim, proving that originality and fearless comedy can outshine even the most traditional theater royalty.
In interviews, Cole’s charm and humility were on full display. They said they started with a silly "what if"—what if Mary Todd Lincoln actually wanted Lincoln out of the picture so she could chase a cabaret career? It’s that kind of absurdist genius that only someone like Cole could turn into a Broadway smash.
And let’s not forget the rest of the team. Sam Pinkleton took home the Tony for Best Direction of a Play, and he thanked Cole for reminding him to follow his heart—“Do what you love, not what you think people want to see.” That mindset is exactly what made this production stand out. It wasn’t trying to follow Broadway rules. It broke them, danced on them, and then belted a show tune from the ruins.
Conrad Ricamora, who played Abraham Lincoln, was also nominated and said performing alongside Cole made it easy to feel brave. And honestly, that tracks. Cole brings a kind of courage to their comedy that’s rare. They’re not afraid to be weird, loud, emotional, and deeply human—all at once.
This wasn’t just a win for Cole. It was a win for weird theater, for nonbinary representation, and for anyone who’s ever dared to take a big, messy, hilarious creative swing. Oh, Mary! wasn’t supposed to be a Broadway hit—it was just supposed to be “great downtown for a few weeks,” as Ricamora put it. But it became a cultural moment.
And now, with a Tony in hand and history made, Cole Escola has officially taken their place among Broadway’s greats—while rewriting the script entirely.
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