OH, MARY! Understudy Details Going on as Mary for a Disappointed Audience — and Winning Them Over

Being an understudy at Broadway’s Oh, Mary! comes with its own set of challenges, according to actress Hannah Solow. 

During Solow’s appearance on the Wednesday, August 5, episode of the That’s A Gay Ass Podcast, the actress discussed what it’s like understudying the roles of Mary Todd Lincoln and Mary’s Chaperone/Bill in the hit comedic play by Cole Escola. 

Because the Tony Award-nominated Best Play keeps welcoming A-list actors and comedians to the cast, podcast host Eric Williams asked Solow if she’s faced any “soul-crushing reactions” when it was her time to go on. 

“I try to avoid it as much as possible,” Solow explained. “I went on Reddit one single time and then immediately emailed my therapist at the time and was like, ‘I need a session now!’ And I’m not allowed on Reddit anymore.”

However, she explained that “generally” the reception to her performances has been nice and that the “stage managers are so kind.” 

Solow revealed that, when she is scheduled to go on, there is no pre-show announcement — and joked that, if there was one, you may hear things like, “No! Kill her! Burn the witch!”

Solow praised the Oh, Mary! production team. She explained that if there is enough notice, they’ll get audience members refunded if they don’t want to see the show and get other people to fill those seats, so that Solow has a full house by the time the curtain rises. 

“I will say, there are shows when I go out for the first scene, and I feel that the energy in the audience is arms crossed. ‘Prove it, honey,’” Solow explained. 

That behavior, she said, could be “subconscious” for some audience members who “see the slip in the program and think, ‘Oh no, it’s an understudy.’”  

Still, Solow said, “My job is to just do the show.” And she is determined to win the audience over. 

In fact, Solow said that the cast will often be able to pinpoint the exact moment those in the audience begin to really enjoy themselves. 

“It’s funny because after the show, we’ll be like, ‘Oh, they really switched in scene four.’ Or, ‘Oh, we really got ‘em in scene seven,’” she said. “It takes longer for some audiences, but the first scene is [me] testing the waters, and then by the time I come maybe in scene four, people are like, ‘Okay, she’s funny. Fine. Fine.’” 

Since the show began performances at the Lyceum Theatre, Oh, Mary! has had icons in Mary Todd Lincoln’s shoes — including Tony winner Escola, Betty Gilpin, Tituss Burgess, Jinkx Monsoon, Jane Krakowski, John Cameron Mitchell and Maya Rudolph. 

“Everyone wants to do it,” Solow explained. 

Oh, Mary! currently stars Meg Stalter in the title role through September 12. Bowen Yang will make his Broadway debut as Mary Todd Lincoln beginning September 15. 

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