Jinkx Monsoon to take over lead role on Broadway's ‘Oh, Mary!'; says she's ‘lucky to be alive at same time as' Cole Escola
Monsoon, best known for her winning runs on both 'RuPaul's Drag Race' and 'Drag Race All Stars,' announced on Wednesday that she is set to take over the lead role in the wild, Tony-winning historical spoof 'Oh, Mary!' on Broadway this summer.
Current star Cole Escola won the Tony Award for best lead actor in a play for the role earlier this month, and is also credited with writing the play.
In Monsoon's announcement, she called Escola a 'genius' and said the play was 'one of the best things I've ever seen.'
'Cole is easily the funniest person alive and I'm just lucky to be alive at the same time,' she added.
'Oh, Mary!' is a revisionist farce that looks at American history during the administration of Abraham Lincoln, exploring the curious dynamic between the president – who many posit was in the closet – and his unruly, alcoholic wife Mary Todd leading up to their fateful night out to the theater.
Monsoon is set to perform in 'Oh, Mary!' from August 4 to September 27, following a run by Tituss Burgess.
Escola originated the role when the show opened last summer and continued until January. Escola returned for a limited run in April, which concludes this weekend.
In her time in the 'Drag Race' orbit, Monsoon was a popular figure whose theatrics, impeccable comic timing and biting humor often shined through, especially in the Snatch Game segments when she impersonated legends such as Edie Beale.
Monsoon has also amassed an impressive theater resume, both on the Great White Way and off. She appeared in 'Chicago' and can currently be seen in 'Pirates! The Penzance Musical.' She also enjoyed a run as Audrey in 'Little Shop of Horrors' off-Broadway and regularly tours. She performs a beloved holiday show with her fellow 'Drag Race' alum BenDeLaCreme.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Mom Works on Gift in Secret—16 Years Later She Finally Gives It to Daughter
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A South Carolina teenager was brought to tears on her graduation day when her mom surprised her with a gift she had been working on for 16 years. In a touching video with more than 1.1 million views on TikTok, Andrea Earl shared the thoughtful gift with her 16-year-old daughter Sofia. It was a copy of Dr. Seuss's book Oh, the Places You'll Go!—but this was no ordinary book. Since Sofia was 2 years old, Earl has been collecting handwritten notes from each of her daughter's teachers and carefully compiling them inside the book's pages. The tradition began when Sofia's speech therapist first gave her the book, along with a heartfelt note. Earl then quietly continued the tradition, asking each of Sofia's teachers—year after year—to write a message for her daughter. "When she began nursery school, her teachers were so enamored with her that I decided to have them sign that book. I had no idea that it was an actual thing that people did back then," Earl told Newsweek. "I hardly believe I started a trend, but I loved the tradition of getting each teacher from the time she was 2 to the time she graduated high school to put a special message to her." Each year, Earl continued to collect notes from people in Sofia's life, something that was emotional for her, too: "I would cry every year; she would bring it home, and I would read the message and would hate that I had to wait in anticipation for the one day that she will open and read all these beautiful messages." Now aged 18 and graduating from high school, it was time for Sofia to open the book, and in the heartwarming video, she received the gift that was crammed with notes of love, encouragement, and admiration. Pictures of Sofia opening the heartwarming gift including notes from teachers, family and therapists. Pictures of Sofia opening the heartwarming gift including notes from teachers, family and therapists. @tiesgirl521/TikTok via Storyful Sofia became understandably emotional in the moment, and it has delighted viewers. "Sofia is autistic, low on the spectrum, but it has been quite the journey through her school years," Earl said. "What isn't shown on the video was her getting a special message from her favorite English teacher and Dungeon Master from Dungeons & Dragons. He added extra adventures that she needs to complete." In comments on TikTok, people shared their reactions and thoughts on the thoughtful gift. "As a teacher, I was so honored to be able to write in books like this," said viewer TXAG90. Fellow parent TK posted: "I started this with my daughter in Pre-K. Her first grade teacher just signed it. This is so sweet." Similarly, Jessie wrote: "I started this for my son when he entered kindergarten, he is only going into 4th but I am excited!" Earl said: "I have had a TikTok account for a few years, but finally decided to upload this video, so a lot of my friends and family could see it, not knowing it would go viral and reach the hearts of so many people. "I am very honored that this gift to my daughter is getting the recognition that it has been," Earl added. Last year, another woman shared a similar gift to Sofia's when her mom gave her a book for her 18th birthday that she had all of her teachers write in since she was in kindergarten. In a viral TikTok video sharing the moment, she said the gesture left her "crying so bad."
Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Boston Globe
A surprise from ‘demon of screamin' Steven Tyler, plus James Taylor's Tanglewood guests
An estimated 40,000 metalheads were on hand to watch the original lineup of Black Sabbath — singer Ozzy Osbourne, bassist (and lyricist) Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward, and guitarist Tony Iommi — do their thing, as only they can do it, one final time. (Osbourne, 76, is in failing health.) The band performed four songs: ' Advertisement A seeming cast of thousands took the stage throughout the day, including Axl Rose and Slash of Guns n' Roses, the entirety of Metallica; Tool singer Maynard James Keenan and drummer Danny Carey; Smashing Pumpkins frontman Bill Corgan; Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker; Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid; Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt; Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, and Sammy Hagar. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Tyler performed three songs, beginning with 'Train Kept A-Rollin',' which featured Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones on guitar. He then led the band through Aerosmith's 'Walk This Way' before closing the set with the Led Zeppelin classic 'Whole Lotta Love.' Tyler's voice held up for three songs, but it's hard to imagine he could sustain such a howl for a full show. Related : Advertisement Closer to home, meanwhile, the creative team that's working on a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tracy Letts, who's writing the musical — to be titled 'Fire and Rain' — attended the show with his wife, the 'White Lotus' actress Carrie Coon, and also Tony Award-winning director David Cromer, who's set to direct the JT musical. (It was Letts's 60th birthday.) From left: "White Lotus" actress Carrie Coon, playwright Tracy Letts ("August: Osage County"), Kim and James Taylor and Broadway director David Cromer ("Goodnight and Good Luck") Kathleen Drohan The musical is bound for Broadway, but it's not clear when. The 77-year-old Taylor, who lives in the Berkshires, wrote ' Related : Mark Shanahan can be reached at
Buzz Feed
3 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
Taskmaster Season 20 Cast: 5 Celebrities On The New Line-Up Announced
The five celebrities taking part in the next season of the hit comedy competition series Taskmaster have been unveiled. On Thursday evening, Channel 4 revealed the line-up for the Bafta-winning show's 20th run, which will air later this year. Joining the cast this time around will be The League Of Gentlemen and Inside No. 9 creator Reece Shearsmith and the comedian and actor Sanjeev Bhaskar, best known for his roles in shows like Goodness Gracious Me, The Kumars At No. 42 and Unforgotten. They'll be joined by stand-up comedians Maisie Adam, Ania Magliano, and Phil Ellis. A Channel 4 press release teased: 'The almighty Taskmaster Greg Davies and his faithful admin keeper Alex Horne have gathered some of the most brilliant and eclectic comedy minds and assigned them one mission: to become a Taskmaster Champion.' No release date for the 20th series of Taskmaster has been given, but Channel 4 has insisted that more information will be 'revealed in due course'. The last season of Taskmaster aired over several weeks earlier in the year, featuring appearances from the likes of Rosie Ramsey, Jason Mantzoukas, Fatiha El-Ghorri, Stevie Martin, and Matthew Baynton. It's now been almost 10 years since Taskmaster first aired on Dave in 2015, before making the move to Channel 4 four years later, quickly going on to become one of the broadcaster's most popular shows. Back in 2020, it won a Bafta in the Best Comedy Entertainment Programme, beating competition from The Graham Norton Show, The Last Leg and The Ranganation, and was nominated in the same category once again earlier this year. Taskmaster has also spawned several international remakes in territories like Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Canada, with varying levels of success, while a live experience inspired by the show launched in London last year, before closing in February.
