Cole Escola’s unconventional hit “Oh, Mary!” has recouped all of its production costs on Broadway. The $4.5 million piece is the first show of the 2024-25 season to do so.

After a sold-out, twice-extended run at the Lucille Lortel Theater in downtown Manhattan, “Oh, Mary!” transferred to Broadway’s Lyceum Theater on July 11. The zany comedy became the first show in the theater’s 121-year history to gross more than $1 million in a single week. The film has broken its own box office record nine times, most recently in the week ending November 24 with $1.225 million. Production was scheduled to end on September 15th but was extended until January 19th.

Written by and starring Escola, “Oh, Mary!” follows a miserable, suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to the 16th President’s assassination. The official logline states: “Unfulfilled longings, alcoholism and repressed desires abound in this one-act play that finally examines the forgotten life and dreams of Mrs. Lincoln through the lens of an idiot.”

As can be seen from this description, which is not entirely interested in the facts, the play is silly, deliberately stupid and difficult even for Escola to classify: “If I were to call it a farce or a screwball comedy, I feel like a real one Comedy expert.” would be like, “There’s not a single door slam, you idiot!” I’d call it… a dirty limerick,” they joked diversity Early this fall.

“Oh, Maria!” The series runs a brisk 80 minutes and has received rave reviews during its Off-Broadway and Broadway runs. Recent visitors include Tom Hanks, Anne Hathaway, Andrew Garfield, Anna Wintour, Jennifer Aniston, Madonna, Daniel Day-Lewis and Steven Spielberg.

Sam Pinkleton directed Oh, Mary! It also stars Conrad Ricamora as Mary’s husband, James Scully as Mary’s teacher, Bianca Leigh as Mary’s companion and Tony Macht as Mary’s husband’s assistant. Producers include Kevin McCollum, Lucas McMahon, Mike Lavoie and Carlee Briglia.