Video: Conrad Ricamora Shares Pre-Show Ritual with OH, MARY Co-Star Cole Escola

Like everybody in the audience, Conrad Ricamora is having a blast with Oh, Mary! The performer, who plays President Abraham Lincoln in Cole Escola's hit comedy, visited The Tonight Show on Wednesday and shared some of the backstage—and onstage—antics between him and his co-stars.

The performer shared that he "had to come up with the most horrific images in [his] head" to keep from breaking character during some of the play's funniest moments. As for theater superstitions, Ricamora and Escola have developed an endearing (and crass) way to kick off every performance. 

"Before the show in the first week downtown, I was just standing there and I saw Cole in those stupid curls," Ricamora recalled. "And I went up to Cole and I said, 'Hey, have a great show f*ckface. And, without missing a beat, Cole says 'You too, f*cker.' And now we do it before every single show." Watch the full interview with Conrad Ricamora now!

The record-breaking Broadway production of Oh, Mary! is the first show in the 121-year history of the Lyceum Theatre to gross more than $1,000,000 in a single week, and surpassed its own record for four consecutive weeks. The show's highest weekly gross to date was $1,105,634.50 for the week ending September 8, 2024. The production continues to play to sold-out audiences, with recent attendees including Anna Wintour, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Aniston, Austin Butler, Kerry Washington, Patti LuPone, Robert Downey Jr., Zoë Kravitz, Madonna and many more.

Oh, Mary! stars Cole Escola (in their Broadway debut) as a miserable, suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln's assassination. The production also features Conrad Ricamora as Mary's Husband, James Scully as Mary's Teacher, Bianca Leigh as Mary's Chaperone, and Tony Macht as Mary's Husband's Assistant, with Peter Smith, Hannah Solow, and Martin Landry completing the cast. The entire production is directed by Sam Pinkleton. Oh, Mary! is produced on Broadway by Kevin McCollum & Lucas McMahon and Mike Lavoie & Carlee Briglia with Bob Boyett, The Council, Jean Doumanian Productions, Nicole Eisenberg, Jay Marcus & George Strus, Irony Point, Richard Batchelder/Bradley Reynolds, Tyler Mount/Tommy Doyle, Nelson & Tao, Palomares & Rosenberg, and ShowTown Productions. 

Photo credit: Todd Owyoung/NBC