Video: To Play Abe Lincoln in Oh, Mary!, Conrad Ricamora Watched Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

“I never, in my wildest dreams, thought I’d be playing Abraham Lincoln," says actor Conrad Ricamora. But not only has Ricamora been getting laughs and wild applause every night in Cole Escola's Oh, Mary! on Broadway, he's also been Tony-nominated for it. Lincoln isn't an easy figure to play—after all, he's been portrayed numerous times before on-screen. But the version in Oh, Mary! is different: boisterous, campy, sexually frustrated. So how did Ricamora figure out his Honest Abe? By watching Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, and other films, as he explains in the exclusive video above.

Oh, Mary!, currently running at the Lyceum Theatre, is up for five Tony Awards—including Best Play. Last year, when Ricamora signed up to do Escola's play about Mary Todd Lincoln and her dreams of becoming a cabaret star, he thought it would only be for a few months. After all, it was an Off-Broadway show, and Escola wasn't well-known in the theatre industry. Fast forward to a sold-out Off-Broadway run and then a transfer to Broadway, where it has extended numerous times and is still strong.

Marvels Ricamora: "We thought it was just going to be this downtown weird show that we're gonna do for a couple of months, and it's become so massive in a way that I don't think any of us expected."

But this career triumph has allowed the first-time Tony nominee to assess how far he's come, from playing Lun Tha in the 2015 King and I revival to now. "Just gratitude and community," he answers when asked how he's feeling—listing off fellow Tony nominees Darren Criss, David Henry Hwang, Daniel Dae Kim, Francis Jue, and Joy Woods: "All of these people, it just feels like the celebration of a community that I feel deeply a part of now, compared to 13 years ago, when I was just scared and bright-eyed."

After playing the title role earlier this year, Tituss Burgess will play Mary Todd Lincoln in Oh, Mary! for a six-week engagement beginning June 23, with writer and original star Escola to play their final performance June 21. The production has also extended yet again, with performances now set to continue through September 28.

Oh, Mary also stars James Scully as Mary's Teacher, Bianca Leigh as Mary's Chaperone, and Tony Macht as Mary's Husband's Assistant. Rounding out the company are understudies Hannah Solow, Martin Landry, and Julian Manjerico.

Sam Pinkleton directs the Broadway run after staging the Off-Broadway premiere. His creative team includes scenic designer dots, costume designer Holly Pierson, lighting designer Cha See, composer and co-sound designer Daniel Kluger, co-sound designer Drew Levy, wig designer Leah J. Loukas, and music arranger David Dabbon. Casting is by Henry Russell Bergstein. Bryan Bauer and Ryan Patrick Kane are production stage manager and assistant stage manager, respectively.