Get an Insider's Look at the Unveiling of Oh, Mary! Star Cole Escola's Portrait at Sardi's

Oh, Mary! playwright and original star Cole Escola was honored with a Sardi's caricature May 21, earning a spot on the wall at the famed Midtown restaurant.

Escola was joined by past collaborators, friends, family, and the company of Oh, Mary! to celebrate the milestone. Among the attendees were Charles Busch, Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, 2025 Tony-nominated director Sam Pinkleton, and the entire company of Oh, Mary!, including Conrad Ricamora, James Scully, Bianca Leigh, and Tony Macht.

Oh, Mary! centers on famous First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. In Escola's demented take (or as press notes put it, "through the lens of an idiot"), Mary Todd becomes a madcap, cabaret-obsessed alcoholic.

The piece premiered at Off-Broadway's Lucille Lortel Theatre in 2024 in a run that was extended three times. The production earned five Tony nominations earlier this month; it also won two 2024 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Outstanding New American Play and Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway play, both for Escola. The show is also the winner of the 2024 Off Broadway Alliance Award for Best New Play.

Check out photos from the celebration in the gallery below.