Cole Escola's 'Oh, Mary!' Stage Play Filmed for HBO
A filmed version of the Broadway and West End smash 'Oh, Mary!' is headed to HBO in 2027, per Variety.
The news arrived via a teaser starring the play's creator Cole Escola alongside Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon. In the clip, Escola, in character as Mary Todd Lincoln, bursts into HBO offices asking to perform the play. After an unseen receptionist gives directions, the scene reveals Parker as the receptionist offering water, with Nixon appearing as a server. Escola's Mary quickly scampers off.
The HBO special was captured during a London performance on July 28, 2026. Escola leads the cast, which includes Giles Terera playing Mary's husband, Bianca Leigh as her chaperone, Tony Macht as her husband's aide, and Michael Urie portraying her teacher.
According to an official logline reported by the outlet, the dark comedy chronicles a miserable Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks before Abraham Lincoln's assassination, exploring unrequited yearning, alcoholism, and suppressed desires.
Original Broadway director Sam Pinkleton also directed this special. He stated he was honored to bring the play to HBO, calling Escola's work 'genius' and saying he was 'giddy' it would be preserved for television.
