Between its runs Off-Broadway and Broadway, Oh, Mary! has been delighting audiences for over a year, and Bianca Leigh has been along for the whole journey. In the Cole Escola comedy, Leigh made her Broadway principal debut as Mary’s Chaperone opposite Escola’s Mary Todd Lincoln.
Leigh took the time out of her busy eight-show-a-week schedule at the Lyceum Theatre to answer 5 Questions with Broadway Direct. Find out how her artistic career began with Gypsy, the former costar who inspires her, and her favorite spot in NYC!
1. What inspired you to become an actor?
When I was five, I was pulled out of tap class to be in a local production of Gypsy. That curtain went up, and a tiny ham was born. It’s not easy to chew scenery with baby teeth, but I managed.
2. Who in your field inspires you?
There are so many, but today I’ll name my friend Betty Gilpin, a savage talent who can do anything she sets her mind to.
3. What should audiences be most excited about seeing in Oh, Mary!?
The daredevil hoop-skirt choreography, for sure. Mary is a wonderful blend of brilliance and stupidity with a poetic heart. Audiences have been wanting a good belly laugh for a while, and Mary delivers plenty of them. Cole’s writing and performance are wonderful.
4. If you didn’t need to sleep at night, what would you spend your time doing?
I’d watch my boyfriend Joe Apollonio continue his attempts to win over my fervently anti-social cat Alani, make crazy video content for my friends, and play my tenor guitar. I’d call my mother more often, too.
5. What is your favorite NYC spot?
Tompkins Square Park.
Catch Leigh in Oh, Mary!, now playing at the Lyceum Theatre.