Good Night, Oscar
Written byDoug Wright
Based onA 1958 episode of The Tonight Show
Date premieredMarch 12, 2022
Place premieredGoodman Theatre
GenreComedy-Drama

Good Night, Oscar is a comedy-drama play written by Doug Wright. The story revolves around Oscar Levant portrayed by Sean Hayes who appears on the The Tonight Show with Jack Paar.

It began previews at the Belasco Theatre on April 7, 2023, and premiered on April 24 with a planned closing date of August 27, 2023.[1]

Premise

The show follows a 1958 episode of The Tonight Show, where host Jack Paar has as a guest comedian Oscar Levant.[1]

Production

The show first premiered in 2022 at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, with Sean Hayes as Oscar Levant.[2] The production ran from March 12 until April 24, 2022.[3]

The Broadway production is directed by Lisa Peterson. Rehearsals began on March 13, 2023.[1] The production opened April 24, 2023. It also features set design by Rachel Hauck, costume design by Emilio Sosa, lighting design by Carolina Ortiz Herrera and Ben Stanton, sound design by Andre Pluess, music supervision by Chris Fenwick, and wig, hair, and make-up design by J. Jared Janas.[1] At the 76th Tony Awards, the show received three nominations and Hayes was awarded Best Leading Actor in a Play.

Those who attended opening night included Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Matthew Broderick, Steven Spielberg, Tony Kushner, Matt Damon, Bradley Cooper, Michael Douglas, Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Aniston, John Krasinski, Victor Garber, Graham Norton, and Cherry Jones.[4]

Cast

Characters Goodman Theatre (2022)[5] Broadway (2023)[1]
Oscar Levant Sean Hayes
June Levant Emily Bergl
Alvin Finner Tramell Tillman Marchánt Davis
Bob Sarnoff Peter Grosz
Jack Paar Ben Rappaport
Max Weinbaum Ethan Slater Alex Wyse
George Gershwin John Zdrojeski

Reception

The Chicago production received positive reviews from the Chicago Tribune,[6] Chicago Sun-Times,[7] Hyde Park Herald,[8] and WTTW,[5] among others, with Hayes' performance being especially noted.[9] The Broadway production received mixed notices. The New York Times's Jesse Green called the play an "unconvincing biographical fantasia" and Hayes's performance "less an inhabitation of character than a nonstop loop of perfectly rendered facial tics, trembling hands and compulsive gestures."[10] The New York Daily News called Hayes's "a spectacularly intense and unstinting performance... "[11] The New York Post gave the play two out of four stars and called the play "off-key" and "mostly unsatisfying."[12]

Conception debate

The announcement of the play’s Broadway transfer drew a rebuke from playwright David Adjmi, who claimed in a Facebook post that he had persuaded Hayes to take on Levant and was commissioned by producer Beth Williams to write a play for the actor. When Adjmi refused to "lighten the material," he said, Williams and Hayes held their option "in bad faith" to prevent him from further developing his play, while hiring Doug Wright to write a new play based on Adjmi's idea. The production team of Good Night, Oscar rebutted Adjmi's claim in a press release which alleged Hayes and Williams had themselves gotten the idea to make Levant the center of a play in 2010, and culled Adjmi from a list of playwrights to write it.[13] Adjmi then published an email exchange on BroadwayWorld.com between himself and Hayes, in which he attempted to convince a reluctant Hayes to portray Levant.[14]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominee Result Ref.
2023 Tony Awards Best Leading Actor in a Play Sean Hayes Won [15]
Best Costume Design in a Play Emilio Sosa Nominated
Best Scenic Design in a Play Rachel Hauck Nominated

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Wild, Stephi. "Full Cast Announced For GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR as Rehearsals Begin". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  2. ↑ Hall, Margaret (March 14, 2023). "Emily Bergl, Alex Wyse, Marchánt Davis, More Join Good Night, Oscar". Playbill. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  3. ↑ "Good Night, Oscar". Goodman Theatre. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  4. ↑ "Photos: See Matt Damon, Bradley Cooper & More at GOODNIGHT, OSCAR Opening Night". Broadwayworld. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  5. 1 2 "In 'Good Night, Oscar,' Music and Madness Conjoin While Sean Hayes Soars". WTTW News. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  6. ↑ "Review: Sean Hayes is a revelation in 'Good Night, Oscar' at Goodman Theatre. Broadway is surely next". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  7. ↑ "In 'Good Night, Oscar' Sean Hayes captures the wit, wisdom and anguish of Levant". Chicago Sun-Times. 2022-03-22. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  8. ↑ Spiselman, Anne (April 11, 2022). "'Good Night, Oscar': A symphony for a troubled genius". Hyde Park Herald. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  9. ↑ Sinclair, Andy. "Good Night, Oscar". Headliner Chicago. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  10. ↑ Green, Jesse (25 April 2023). "'Good Night, Oscar' Review: Sean Hayes With Demerol and Cadenzas". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  11. ↑ Jones, Chris (25 April 2023). "'BROADWAY REVIEW: Sean Hayes offers up a stunning star turn in daring 'Good Night, Oscar'". Nypost.com. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  12. ↑ "'Good Night, Oscar' review: Sean Hayes stars in off-key play". 2023-04-25. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  13. ↑ Culwell-Block, Logan (7 October 2022). "Broadway's Upcoming Good Night, Oscar Responds to Allegations of Artistic Stifling by Playwright David Adjmi". Playbill. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  14. ↑ David, Cara Joy. "GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR, The Behind-the-Scenes Battle Splayed Out In Public". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
  15. ↑ Rubin, Rebecca; Lang, Brent; Lang, Brent (2023-05-02). "Tony Award Nominations 2023: 'Some Like It Hot' Dominates, Followed by '& Juliet,' 'Shucked,' 'New York, New York'". Variety. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
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