As Cole Escola’s ‘Oh, Mary!’ Sidekick, Bianca Leigh Is Smashing Boundaries And Getting Her Due – The Boston Courier

As one of many stars of “Oh, Mary!” on Broadway, Bianca Leigh is thrilled to be performing to sold-out crowds and garnering among the greatest critiques of her profession. Nonetheless, she’s conscious it may very effectively be a “once-in-a-lifetime” expertise that by no means occurs once more.

“It’s a funny feeling, saying that this is as good as it gets,” the actor, who’s transgender, instructed HuffPost. “It’s odd when it’s happening in real time. I’m not a spring chicken, as my grandmother would say, so I’m very lucky this has happened, and I get to do what I want to do for the foreseeable future.”

Directed by Sam Pinkleton, “Oh, Mary!” broke field workplace information when it opened at New York’s Lyceum Theatre in July following an off-Broadway engagement earlier this yr. On Thursday, the present ― initially set to shut this month ― formally prolonged its run via January.

The historic farce depicts first girl Mary Todd Lincoln (performed by actor-writer Cole Escola, who makes use of they/them pronouns) as a booze-swilling, lovesick lady who yearns to be a cabaret performer, and President Abraham Lincoln (Conrad Ricamora) as a closeted homosexual man with a predilection for trysts within the Oval Workplace.

Leigh’s character, Louise, is Mary’s chaperone and sole confidante within the White Home. Because it seems, Louise is hiding a number of secrets and techniques of her personal beneath her demure, buttoned-up look.

Not like many “Oh, Mary!” characters, Louise has no real-life counterpart. As an alternative, Leigh mentioned, she represents “the model of 19th-century womanhood” that Mary Todd Lincoln was believed to have rejected throughout her lifetime.

“I sometimes think Louise is like Glinda the Good Witch or Olivia de Havilland in ‘Gone with the Wind’ because she’s just goodness and light and love,” she defined. “The more she wants to be close to Mary, the funnier it is when high jinks ensue.”

Although Escola has mentioned they performed “less than no research” earlier than they sat down to jot down, some components of “Oh, Mary!” seem to have a foundation in historic truth. Launched earlier this month, the documentary “Lover of Men” presents substantial proof that Abraham Lincoln could have had relationships with males on the time of his presidency, although such claims have lengthy been disputed.

Leigh, nevertheless, has some ideas as to why the inherent queerness and camp humor of “Oh, Mary!” is resonating so deeply with audiences in America’s present political local weather.

“It’s a bold, honest, wacky, silly act of defiance at a time when a lot of people are toning things down,” she mentioned. “Cole has written something without fear in a climate that is extremely fearful. I’m thrilled to be the Ethel to their Lucy.”

Tickets for “Oh, Mary!” stay in excessive demand greater than two months after it opened on Broadway. These lucky to have caught a efficiency thus far embrace Robert Downey Jr. and Madonna, amongst different A-list stars.

One among Leigh’s favourite celeb encounters, she mentioned, was none aside from Lea Michele.

“She was so warm and generous and delightful,” she mentioned, shrugging off the long-standing claims in regards to the “Glee” actor’s diva habits behind the scenes. “I know phony. I don’t know what lessons were learned, but this is a lovely young woman with no pretension or attitude.”

A New Jersey native, Leigh has been a fixture on New York’s cabaret and stand-up comedy circuit for years. “Oh, Mary!” marks her return to Broadway after serving as Alexandra Billings’ understudy within the 2018 play, “The Nap.” In 2017, she additionally appeared in a one-night-only live performance staging of the musical adaptation of “Tales of the City” on Broadway.

Like many LGBTQ performers, Leigh has grappled together with her share {of professional} disappointments. In 2005, she gave the impression to be getting ready to a Hollywood breakthrough when she landed a featured position in “Transamerica,” starring Felicity Huffman.

The movie was a important hit, receiving two Oscar nominations. Regardless of the acclaim, Leigh didn’t get the skilled increase she hoped for and remained relegated to what she described as a “specialty act” by casting brokers.

So when Leigh was invited to take part in an early studying of “Oh, Mary!” forward of its off-Broadway premiere, she mentioned she was shocked when Escola mentioned her “Transamerica” efficiency helped persuade them she was proper for the a part of Louise.

“My response, of course, was: ‘What took you so long?’” she quipped.

Although dedicated to “Oh, Mary!” to the conclusion of its run, Leigh mentioned she has been concerned in various developmental readings of latest musicals. She’s additionally on a quest for a tv position that can ultimately present residuals, or “fuck you money,” as she places it.

“A lot of projects involving trans people are sad and tragic, and I’m a comic. I tend to play characters with bite,” she mentioned. “So I’m going to keep plugging away, and if I don’t hit with something, I’ll be the old lady in the 2045 remake of ‘Titanic.’ That’s what I’ll do.”