“Don’t trust my show at all to teach you anything about Mary Todd Lincoln,” Cole Escola tells The Run-Through with Vogue this week. Oh, Mary!, the off-Broadway sensation that opens on Broadway tonight, was written by Escola, stars Escola, and is based largely on Escola’s third-grade knowledge of President Lincoln’s first lady.
So, no fact-checking allowed as you watch the play, please, which follows Mary Todd Lincoln—characterized here as an alcoholic would-be cabaret star—in the weeks leading up to her husband’s assisination. “I just wanted to make the stupidest, funniest thing possible. My version of Mary Todd Lincoln is basically just me,” Escola says. In the interview, you’ll also hear what’s making Cole laugh these days, the story behind their fabulous Met Gala look, and which of Oh, Mary!’s celebrity attendees kvelled the most backstage.
Also on the show this week, Chioma tells us what it was like to attend Wimbledon, and how she interpreted the dress code—wearing bedazzled Ralph Lauren denim with pearls on her shirt. Chioma also talks about seeing Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda presentation in Sardinia, which included big baubles, jewel-toned gowns, and crystalline waters. Meraviglioso!