Bowen Yang to make Broadway debut in 'Oh, Mary!' this fall

The casting

Former Saturday Night Live cast member Bowen Yang will make his Broadway debut in Cole Escola's comedy "Oh, Mary!," taking on the title role of Mary Todd Lincoln for a 12-week engagement beginning September 15. The casting was announced through the show's official Instagram earlier in the week, with Yang succeeding Meg Stalter, whose final performance is scheduled for September 12. With Yang's arrival, the production at the Lyceum Theatre has been extended through July 10, 2027.

How the role came together

Yang said he was first offered the part last summer but initially turned it down because of his Saturday Night Live schedule, when he was committed to half the season. After his final SNL episode in December 2025, he saw understudy Hannah Solow perform the role and his view of the show shifted; he described Mary as "trapped by her own decisions" before realizing "other people's decisions" had kept her in place. Director Sam Pinkleton predicted that Yang's Mary "might be a real viper" and "particularly intense," while Yang himself said he was "not afraid to be masculine in this Mary," linking Mary's self-delusion about her talent to a male perspective he relates to.

Yang's Saturday Night Live tenure

Yang joined Saturday Night Live in 2019 for Season 45 and was the show's first Chinese-American cast member. He departed mid-season after the Christmas 2025 episode, and announced his exit on Instagram that same month. His eight seasons earned him five Emmy Award nominations. During his time on the show he co-hosted the podcast Las Culturistas and its companion Culture Awards, wrote on the first season of Schmigadoon!, and co-produced Titanique on Broadway. His other screen credits include the Wicked films, Fire Island, The Wedding Banquet, and Dicks: The Musical.

Mary Todd Lincoln as an SNL alumni role

With Yang's casting, the Mary Todd Lincoln role is set to feature a third Saturday Night Live alumnus in the production. Maya Rudolph, who was on SNL from 2000 to 2007, played the part earlier this year; the prior roster also includes Broadway and television names such as Betty Gilpin, John Cameron Mitchell, Jinkx Monsoon, Tituss Burgess, Jane Krakowski, and Megan Stalter. Casting director Henry Russell Bergstein framed each Mary as distinctive but consistent with the play, citing the production's rotating-star model as key to its longevity.

Surrounding company and run details

Yang will appear alongside Phillip James Brannon as Mary's Husband, Barrett Foa as Mary's Teacher, Bianca Leigh as Mary's Chaperone, and Tony Macht as Mary's Teacher's Assistant, with Macht returning from the original cast. "Oh, Mary!" originated Off Broadway and moved to Broadway's Lyceum Theatre, where it has been running for almost three years. A West End production is currently playing, and a North American tour is scheduled to launch this fall. Escola, the play's creator, left the title role in January 2025, and the show's producers have since replaced Escola with a rotation of high-profile performers.

What remains uncertain

The sources do not specify ticket availability, expected box-office performance, or whether Yang's 12-week run may be extended beyond its initial window. It is also unclear from the reporting whether Yang's casting will directly overlap with any upcoming North American tour dates, as the production's touring schedule beyond the fall launch was not detailed.