A throng of stars from stage and screen gathered last night at New York’s Lyceum Theatre to celebrate the Broadway premiere of , the play written by and starring Cole Escola as Mary Todd Lincoln, reimagined now as an alcoholic wannabe cabaret performer. The sweltering 91-degree heat did not keep the play’s legion of boldface fans from paying homage to this deliciously ahistorical (and ) first-lady farce. With the tumult of Times Square as a backdrop, Ruth Negga braved the temperatures in a knit dress, with Escola’s friend and frequent collaborator Amy Sedaris just behind her.
Rebecca Hall and Morgan Spector gamely posed with an frame while Spector’s costar Ben Ahlers walked the carpet (no season-three spoilers from either). Kaia Gerber continued to rep as she and Austin Butler ducked in just before curtain. (Among the other guests were Patti LuPone, Molly Ringwald, Maude Apatow, Kara Young, and Matthew Broderick.
) ’s star and creator opted for a slinky, black corset gown by CFDA/ Fashion Fund finalist Jackson Wiederhoeft, channeling so much John Singer Sargent’s . “I feel crazy,” Escola said before heading into the theater to transform into Mary, dodging fans lined up for selfies. “It’s like a birthday and Christmas and first date all together.
” Inside the Lyceum, preshow music appropriately alternated between Ethel Merman’s disco album and Liza Minnelli’s 1980s collaboration with the Pet Shop Boys. As the curtain came up, there was little doubt that.
