OH, MARY! Reviews- Page 22

[KrupYou]

Posted: 8/4/25 at 4:52pm

pix of new cast look great. 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 8/4/25 at 8:35pm

added note when buying tickets:

Kumail Nanjiani will not perform September 11 through September 18.

[quizking101]

Posted: 8/4/25 at 9:35pm

Just got out. Full review later.

Surprising nobody, Jinkx BODIED this role and then some. Get tickets now or forever wish you had.

[Bwaygurl2]

Posted: 8/4/25 at 9:55pm

quizking101 said: "Just got out. Full review later.

Surprising nobody, Jinkx BODIED this role and then some. Get tickets now or forever wish you had."

I. WANT. THE. REVIEW. NOW!!!

[Strange Lupone]

Posted: 8/4/25 at 10:20pm

I’m apoplectic in anticipation. Of the reviews!!!!! Let alone the show!

[quizking101]

Posted: 8/4/25 at 11:49pm

Okay, here’s the tea.

The show ran closer to 90 minutes tonight, compounded by heavy applause, but also because Jinkx went IN on every single bit she could get her hands on. Comparatively, Betty got better over time and Tituss (for me) was never good. Jinkx came out swinging with a Mary that was madcap, bipolar, sassy, and you truly never knew where she was going at any given point, and you were happy to strap in and take the ride. In a matter of a week, she has made the material her own and I couldn’t envision anyone making a debut like she did tonight. The entire first scene with the whiskey had her and Kumail channeling an episode/cadence like a good episode of “I Love Lucy”. She also had crackling chemistry with everyone who, while good,  are not quite on her level yet (Tony being the exception, as he always calibrates to a new Mary very well). For her big cabaret finale, she also interpolated some of her drag character into it, especially adding some Judy Garland riffing throughout.

Kumail was indeed an inspired casting choice for this role and I could see why. I go back to the Lucy reference earlier and he is basically the foil for every one of Jinkx’s antics, and you could see him come close to breaking quite a few times. The downside to this was that sometimes his cadence was a bit monotone and some of the jokes and lines that Conrad or Phillip dug into, he delivered more matter-of-factly. He was not terrible by any means - quite the opposite. He understands the assignment and has room to grow from there. No doubt by the end of his term, he will have found his groove and will easily be on the same playing field as Jinkx.

Michael Urie played Mary’s Teacher with a bit more of the puppy dog earnestness of Chris Renfro, and him and Jinkx hit it right off the bat. What makes Urie different from Renfro is that you can see he keeps a cool and suave facade the whole time (a mellower version of his “camp gay” personality), but then by the time he reaches the ending, he’s become completely unhinged and is almost as crazy as Mary. He also really gays up the relationship between him and Abe that Scully and Renfro drew a line at.

Admittedly, Jenn Harris didn’t make much of an impression on me. I’m used to seeing Bianca Leigh - this being the first show I’ve seen without her over 27 visits to the show. She has a slightly nasal, Long Island-ish voice, and doesn’t do any sort of prim and proper affectation, which was sorely missed as that very prissy personality Louise has is what makes her personal indiscretions even funnier.

Overall, get your damn tickets NOW because Jinkx is a performance you CANNOT miss. This is her moment - go bask in it.

Playbill Sale!: https://www.ebay.com/usr/missvirginiahamm

Updated On: 8/5/25 at 11:49 PM

[quizking101]

Posted: 8/5/25 at 12:01am

Also, the stage door was a bit of a poo show tonight, but I think the staff could not have possibly prepared for what was coming. They had the little barricade by the door since very few people were stagedooring the show for the longest time, but then the crowd grew…and grew…and grew until the line extended almost to 6th Ave (I wish I was kidding). 

They then repositioned the barricades to have the crowd come to Jinkx and she signed and took pics and we all (security included) got the impression it was just her (which we - a bunch of us people - were fine with)…but then Kumail came out and was signing and taking pics with Jinkx…and then Michael came out and was in the “stagedoor cage”, then Tony and Jen came out later, but were signing along the long line. 

Most people were very polite and well behaved and everyone was quite nice and seemed touched by the large outpouring of support. There was this one lady there though who didn’t see the show, but got an extra Playbill from someone and was asking questions about when she could walk up and get her autographs and she was just being generally annoying (notwithstanding the fact she also appeared disheveled and smelled of stale urine).

Playbill Sale!: https://www.ebay.com/usr/missvirginiahamm

Updated On: 8/5/25 at 12:01 AM