THEATRE REVIEW – Oh, Mary! Starring Tituss Burgess

A Triumph of Silliness

My 5th grade Social Studies teacher was an American Civil War re-enactor. Feeling stuck on where to start this review, I thought of her. She was a wonderful teacher who provided great excitement re: the Civil War. She brought in authentic artifacts, showed us the film Glory, and took us to Gettysburg for our field trip. I ponder what she would think of Oh, Mary! It is scary to think about, to be quite honest. That is because what happens at the Lyceum Theatre is probably the wildest 80 minutes of historical fan fiction (coughsmutcough) I have ever witnessed. Walking out of the theatre felt like I either just took drugs or the threat of getting caught with drugs even though I did not have drugs was catching up with me. Either way, it was a high.

Mary Todd Lincoln: Wannabe Cabaret Star. That is the plot. Honestly, going further might make people lose interest in the show. I WILL STOP THERE. Where I will NOT stop is Tituss Burgess. Holy f***. Stepping out in full stage blush, Tituss just simply does not stop. I am not familiar with how Cole Escola (who also wrote the play) and/or Betty Gilpin performed the character, but Burgess’ Mary Todd is searing, clearing, and slightly endearing. This is his world to play in, and we are just there to witness.

standing behind a photo booth option for Oh, Mary

I would like to point out that is not because of Tituss that the show works. In fact, the most impressive thing is how restrained it all feels. Like the barrel of a gun (RIP Abe), always cocked and loaded for the next joke. It is the writing that makes this piece soar. Many know Tituss as his over-the-top roles on Broadway and in TV, so Mary Todd is not a stretch to the imagination for him. We see his true craft come out though by his restraint. This is not Oh, Tituss! He understands that the writing is top-notch and anything he adds will make it even better. That is very difficult for an actor to understand, and it is done masterfully here.

Do not get me wrong, it is stupid. Like, legit stupid. But it is specifically stupid. We, the audience, fall in love with the stupid almost immediately. It is well-written stupidity, allowing every performer on the stage to play in the sandbox that is Mary Todd’s Journey to Cabaret Stardom. From her husband Abraham (an awesome Phillip James Brannon) to her ice cream-loving Chaperone (Bianca Leigh), everyone takes the stupidity so seriously. That is why the piece works.

It is a “who actually cares” attitude that allows a safe space for any type of performer to be themselves and feel liberated. It is because of the stupidity that their unabashed joy can run rampant across the theatre. That feeling flies and takes this play to heights I did not know even existed. I am hesitantly-confident my 5th grade Social Studies teacher would also feel some sort of way. Or maybe she would just be disappointed in me for laughing along. I guess we may never know.