Maya Rudolph enjoys humor so simple that it borders on brilliance. When she calls ‘Oh, Mary!’ — her Broadway debut play — ‘so dumb,’ it’s the highest compliment. The play features her as a wildly reimagined Mary Todd Lincoln. She portrays an absorptive, hard-drinking cabaret singer, suffocated by her strict husband, Abraham.
Rudolph, known for her work on ‘Saturday Night Live’ and in improv comedy, embraces the play’s chaotic humor. Her energetic slapstick and expressive face often deliver bigger laughs than the written jokes. Sam Pinkleton, the play’s director, said, ‘She is, at her core, a stage beast. Live interaction and responding live is in her nature.’
Maya Rudolph stepped into the challenging role in late April, armed with just 10 days of preparation. Joining big performers like Cole Escola, Betty Gilpin, and others, Rudolph has extended her role through July 5. Her versatility and skill make her a standout performer in a wildly inaccurate yet entertaining historical farce.
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