“Oh, Mary!” Live Capture Starring Cole Escola Set for HBO and HBO Max in 2027
Photo Credit: Oh Mary Broadway
by Chris Tremblay Sep 10
3 MIN READ
HBO has announced that a filmed live capture of “Oh, Mary!” will premiere on the network in 2027, bringing Cole Escola’s stage comedy to a wider television and streaming audience.
The presentation will also be available to stream on HBO Max, although the companies have not announced a specific premiere date beyond the 2027 release window.
The special was recorded during the July 28, 2026, performance of the West End production at London’s Trafalgar Theatre.
Escola, who wrote the play and originated the title role, returned as Mary Todd Lincoln for the filmed performance.
The recorded cast includes Giles Terera as Mary’s Husband, Bianca Leigh as Mary’s Chaperone, Tony Macht as Mary’s Husband’s Assistant and Michael Urie as Mary’s Teacher.
Sam Pinkleton, who directed the stage production, directed the filmed performance.
The production was executive produced by Escola, Alex Bach and Daniel Powell for Irony Point; Carlee Briglia and Mike Lavoie for Mike & Carlee Productions; and Kevin McCollum and Lucas McMahon for Alchemation.
HBO released a teaser announcing the television adaptation, featuring Escola in costume as Mary Todd Lincoln visiting HBO Max’s offices and asking to bring the play there.
The teaser also includes surprise appearances by Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon.
In a statement reported by Deadline, Escola said the television release would allow the show to reach a wider audience.
Nina Rosenstein, HBO’s executive vice president of programming, late night and specials, described the production as an original comedy built around highly choreographed performance.
Pinkleton said the filmed presentation would preserve the production’s theatrical history while introducing it to viewers who may not have seen it in New York or London.
“ Oh, Mary!” is presented as a dark comedy about Mary Todd Lincoln during the weeks before Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
The play reimagines the former first lady as a frustrated performer who drinks heavily and dreams of becoming a cabaret star, while her marriage to the president forms part of the story’s central conflict.
The production uses an intentionally comic and historically irreverent perspective rather than presenting a conventional account of Mary Todd Lincoln’s life.
The stage comedy runs for approximately 80 minutes.
“ Oh, Mary!” opened Off Broadway in January 2024 before transferring to Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre in July of that year.
The Broadway production became the first show in the Lyceum Theatre’s history to gross more than $1 million in a single week, according to Deadline.
The production also broke its own box-office record 15 times and became the first show of the 2024–25 Broadway season to recoup its investment.
The West End staging opened in December 2025, and Escola later reprised their performance in London for the filmed presentation.
The London recording was previously reported as a planned filmed performance before HBO confirmed its 2027 television and streaming release.
That earlier production announcement identified Escola as the performer playing Mary Todd Lincoln and listed Terera, Leigh, Macht and Urie among the performers appearing in the filmed staging.
The HBO presentation will preserve a performance led by the writer and original star rather than replacing Escola with another actor for the screen version.
It will give audiences access to the West End staging recorded in the same theatre where the London production was presented.
The release also extends the play’s existing path across theatrical markets, from Off Broadway and Broadway to the West End and now television and streaming.
As of September 10, HBO has confirmed the year of release but has not provided a month, day or detailed rollout schedule.
The special was recorded during the July 28, 2026, performance of the West End production at London’s Trafalgar Theatre.
Escola, who wrote the play and originated the title role, returned as Mary Todd Lincoln for the filmed performance.
Cast and Creative Team
The recorded cast includes Giles Terera as Mary’s Husband, Bianca Leigh as Mary’s Chaperone, Tony Macht as Mary’s Husband’s Assistant and Michael Urie as Mary’s Teacher.
Sam Pinkleton, who directed the stage production, directed the filmed performance.
The production was executive produced by Escola, Alex Bach and Daniel Powell for Irony Point; Carlee Briglia and Mike Lavoie for Mike & Carlee Productions; and Kevin McCollum and Lucas McMahon for Alchemation.
HBO released a teaser announcing the television adaptation, featuring Escola in costume as Mary Todd Lincoln visiting HBO Max’s offices and asking to bring the play there.
The teaser also includes surprise appearances by Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon.
In a statement reported by Deadline, Escola said the television release would allow the show to reach a wider audience.
Nina Rosenstein, HBO’s executive vice president of programming, late night and specials, described the production as an original comedy built around highly choreographed performance.
Pinkleton said the filmed presentation would preserve the production’s theatrical history while introducing it to viewers who may not have seen it in New York or London.
The Play’s Premise
“ Oh, Mary!” is presented as a dark comedy about Mary Todd Lincoln during the weeks before Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
The play reimagines the former first lady as a frustrated performer who drinks heavily and dreams of becoming a cabaret star, while her marriage to the president forms part of the story’s central conflict.
The production uses an intentionally comic and historically irreverent perspective rather than presenting a conventional account of Mary Todd Lincoln’s life.
The stage comedy runs for approximately 80 minutes.
From Off Broadway to International Release
“ Oh, Mary!” opened Off Broadway in January 2024 before transferring to Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre in July of that year.
The Broadway production became the first show in the Lyceum Theatre’s history to gross more than $1 million in a single week, according to Deadline.
The production also broke its own box-office record 15 times and became the first show of the 2024–25 Broadway season to recoup its investment.
The West End staging opened in December 2025, and Escola later reprised their performance in London for the filmed presentation.
The London recording was previously reported as a planned filmed performance before HBO confirmed its 2027 television and streaming release.
That earlier production announcement identified Escola as the performer playing Mary Todd Lincoln and listed Terera, Leigh, Macht and Urie among the performers appearing in the filmed staging.
What Viewers Can Expect
The HBO presentation will preserve a performance led by the writer and original star rather than replacing Escola with another actor for the screen version.
It will give audiences access to the West End staging recorded in the same theatre where the London production was presented.
The release also extends the play’s existing path across theatrical markets, from Off Broadway and Broadway to the West End and now television and streaming.
As of September 10, HBO has confirmed the year of release but has not provided a month, day or detailed rollout schedule.
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