“RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” winner Alaska Thunderf— will step into the spotlight this fall as the newest star to take on the title role of Mary in Cole Escola’s Tony Award-winning comedy “Oh, Mary!”“You know how when in the ’90s in the Olympics, they would ask the winner ‘What are you gonna do now that you won the gold medal?’ and they’d say ‘I’m going to Disneyland.’” Alaska said in a recent interview. “I literally feel like that.”Even after being cast, Alaska said it didn’t fully sink in until she began doing press for the production. Now, she’d celebrate with a flip if she could do one. “It’s really happening, it’s just the best role, in the best play ever and I’m honored and I’m excited and I’m thrilled and I can’t wait,” she said.The dark comedy follows a miserable Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading to the assassination of her husband, who will be played by the Tony Award-winning actor J. Harrison Ghee. The one-act play reimagines the forgotten life of Mrs. Lincoln with absurdist comedy.Since its 2024 premiere, the play written by comedian Escola — who also originated the title role — has become a Broadway sensation, earning $1 million in a single week and breaking its own box office record 13 times. “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Alaska will play Mary Todd Lincoln in “Oh, Mary!” at the Ahmanson Theatre this fall. (Shaun Vadella) The stage production received critical acclaim and earned multiple Tony Awards including best direction of a play for Sam Pinkleton and best actor in a play for Escola. Alaska is joining a list of famed comedic actors who have played Mary Todd Lincoln, including Maya Rudolph, Meg Stalter, Tituss Burgess and Jane Krakowski. She isn’t letting the hype surrounding the show make her nervous, and said she remains focused on embracing the role.“I’m really excited to wear the sacred bratty curls and the hallowed hoop skirt,” Alaska said.The actor, who was also a finalist in “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” earned an Outer Critics Circle Award for her Off-Broadway play “Drag: The Musical,” which she co-wrote alongside Tomas Costanza and Ash Gordon. Alaska is thrilled to play opposite Ghee, who won the 2023 Tony Award for best leading actor in a musical for their role in “Some Like It Hot.” Ghee said in a statement that they are excited to “set the road on fire with this electrifyingly hilarious play” alongside Alaska.“I have seen Oh, Mary! three times and relished the beauty of this show — how different people shine so brightly in these roles, and yet you see the influence of Cole all over the production,” Ghee said. “The opportunity to get a crack at Mary’s Husband is beyond a dream come true.”“Oh, Mary!” runs Nov. 10 through Dec. 6 at the Ahmanson Theatre. Additional casting will be announced in the coming months.
