Jinkx Monsoon announces she’ll star in fellow Oregonian Cole Escola’s ‘Oh, Mary!’

Another Oregonian is climbing aboard the “Oh, Mary!” bandwagon, as

Jinkx Monsoon

has announced that she’ll be playing the role originated by

Clatskanie-raised

Cole Escola

, who

recently won a Tony Award

in the category of best lead actor in a play for “Oh, Mary!,” which Escola also wrote.

Monsoon, who

grew up in Portland

before going on to achieve fame as the “Queen of All Queens” on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” a star turn in the Broadway production of “Chicago,” and more, broke the news of joining “Oh, Mary!” on

“Today With Jenna & Friends”

Wednesday morning.

Before announcing that she’ll be starring in “Oh, Mary!” Aug. 4-Sept. 27, Monsoon spoke with show host Jenna Bush Hager and actress and comedian Michelle Buteau, who was a guest co-host.

An introductory segment showed clips of Monsoon performing in such productions as “Little Shop of Horrors” and the current Broadway musical, “Pirates! The Penzance Musical,” along with complimentary remarks from Variety and such co-stars as David Hyde Pierce.

Bush Hager asked Monsoon how it felt to watch the package of clips and quotes praising her talent.

“I feel very honored and privileged to be in this position right now,” Monsoon said. “Because, as a trans-feminine actress, I was convinced this wasn’t possible, you know? I thought I had to choose to be an actor, or choose to be a trans person, but I didn’t think the world was going to let me be both.”

Buteau said that Monsoon was creating a space not just for herself, but for trans actors and trans people.

“That’s the hope definitely, because you know, I want the door to stay open behind me,” Monsoon said. She praised trans actresses and drag performers on Broadway who helped pave the way for her.

“I want to do the same for others, and it’s really nice to be a queer icon, who’s queer, knowing that young queer people get to look up to me.”

Monsoon led up to what Bush Hager called a “huge announcement,” saying, “’Oh, Mary!’ has been the show on everyone’s lips, thanks to my friends, Sam Pinkleton and Cole Escola, who created one of the best shows of all time, and I will be taking over the role of Mary Todd Lincoln through Sept. 27.”

“Oh, Mary!” which also received a Tony nomination as best play and won a Tony for Pinkleton, is Escola’s outrageous version of Mary Todd Lincoln as an alcoholic who’s obsessed with cabaret and not all that concerned with her husband, Abraham Lincoln, or the Civil War. The play has been a huge hit on Broadway.

Monsoon said she’ll be moving pretty much directly from her role in “Pirates! The Penzance Musical” to “Oh, Mary!,” but doesn’t mind taking on that amount of work.

“I love my life,” Monsoon said. “And I fought so hard to get here, that I don’t like to take any moment for granted.”

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Kristi Turnquist

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