Both Cole Escola and Sam Pinkleton took home top honors for their work on Oh, Mary! at the Tony Awards June 8, for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play, and Best Director of a Play, respectively.
In the press room following their wins, the dynamic duo reflected on Oh, Mary!'s immense success, responding to those who automatically considered them a commercial risk due to the show's undeniably queer perspective.
When asked to respond to such naysayers, Escola was charmingly brief, saying, "Fuck off!" Escola is the first non-binary actor to win a Tony Award for a play performance.
Pinkleton, however, chose to elaborate, referring to his next Broadway bow, directing a revival of The Rocky Horror Show for Roundabout Theatre Company, set to play Studio 54 next spring. As Oh, Mary! is a shining example of new, unabashedly queer art positively thriving in the commercial space, Rocky Horror is one of the most commercially visible pieces of queer art in musical theatre history. For Pinkleton, commercial fears around producing queer theatre does nothing but rob theatre makers of true joy.
Pinkleton's message to those who wish to force queer artists out of the mainstream is unflinching. "This is your worst nightmare? Look at how fun it is! Queer art is just so much more fun. We only get one life. Have fun," said Pinkleton.
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Cole Escola in Oh, Mary!
Cole Escola and Bianca Leigh in Oh, Mary!
Conrad Ricamora and Cole Escola in Oh, Mary!
Conrad Ricamora and Tony Macht in Oh, Mary!
Cole Escola and Conrad Ricamora in Oh, Mary!
Cole Escola and James Scully in Oh, Mary!
Conrad Ricamora, Cole Escola, and Bianca Leigh in Oh, Mary!
Tony Macht, Cole Escola, Conrad Ricamora, and Bianca Leigh in Oh, Mary!
