01/14/2025
Oh, Carlee: Briglia Takes Broadway
By Suzanne Marino
Her name is still on the Mainland record books as a 1075-point basketball player, and Carlee Briglia earned distinction as the recipient of the scholar-athlete award in both soccer and basketball. She earned eight varsity letters before graduating in 2006 and heading to Georgetown. This former Linwood resident has added many accolades and is currently the producer of the smash Broadway comedy, Oh Mary. The show's run was just extended through June 28, 2025.
Carlee and her business partner, Mike Lavoie of Mike and Carlee Productions, were the recent subject of a New York Magazine article, “The Most Powerful New Yorkers You’ve Never Heard Of.” But, of course, Carlee did not start off producing Broadway shows.
As an American Studies major, she took a screenwriting course that rekindled her passion for writing. What followed were more screenwriting classes and the direction of her future. Carlee admits she did not have a traditional background in theater. She enjoyed movies, plays, and writing. She thought she would be a screenwriter in college, and her friends were other writers, actors, and directors. Along the way, she saw a lot of plays and realized the many different approaches to storytelling. After graduation, she landed an intern position with comedian, actor, and producer Mike Birbiglia. She did whatever was asked, from fetching coffee to learning how to create a stage production. She was hired as a full-time member of Birbiglia’s team, and the first show Carlee was involved with was My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend, which ran off-Broadway for three months. Other shows followed, and she worked with Lavoie.
While remaining friends with Birbiglia, Carlee decided to go out on her own and freelance. Working with Lavoie, the duo was very successful in producing shows featuring talent like comedian Colin Quinn. “We had two shows in the works for March of 2020 that did not happen because of the pandemic. There was no theater anywhere, and it was a strange time,” said Carlee.
She kept writing, and when the theaters opened up again, Mike and Carlee Productions picked up and were very busy. “There was a real appetite for comedy after the pandemic, and we had a pretty good track record of being able to bring a comedy show together, so we have been fortunate,” added Carlee. “Early in my career, I would work on a show and wonder what comes next, but now I know what I am doing through the middle of next year.” The duo has 15 shows under their belt.
Oh, Mary has been unique. The hilarious and somewhat irreverent spin on Mary Todd Lincoln and her time in the White House with Abraham Lincoln is written by and stars Cole Escola. The show began off-Broadway for a 12-week run at the Lucile Lortel Theater, but Oh, Mary gained a groundswell of interest. Carlee explained, “The theater was packed, and people like Steven Spielberg and Sally Field came backstage early on to congratulate us even before there was any press or reviews. We quickly realized Oh, Mary was reaching the audience. There are not a lot of original comedies, and this is all unfiltered and straight from Cole Escola’s brain. They wrote a tightly constructed play that I think is fast-paced and genuinely funny.”
For the complete article, check out the January issue of Mainland Living—arriving in mailboxes NOW.
We hope you , and also get a chance to enjoy the show!
