Wikipedia

Good Night, Oscar

Good Night, Oscar is a comedy-drama play written by American playwright Doug Wright. The story revolves around a fictional event in which pianist and humorist Oscar Levant portrayed by Sean Hayes appears on The Tonight Show with Jack Paar. The production received critical acclaim with Hayes winning the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.

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

The original production began previews at the Belasco Theatre on April 7, 2023, and premiered on April 24, closing on August 27, 2023, after 126 performances.[1]

Synopsis

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

Production history

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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 was 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.

Notable casts

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Characters Goodman Theatre (2022)[4] 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

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Critical response

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The Chicago production received positive reviews from the Chicago Tribune,[5] Chicago Sun-Times,[6] Hyde Park Herald,[7] and WTTW,[4] among others, with Hayes' performance being especially noted.[8] The Broadway production received mostly positive reviews. Christian Lewis of Variety praised Wright's dialogue writing, "In some ways, "Good Night, Oscar" even feels like an episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel — zany, fast-paced and smartly humorous, with references flying a mile a minute, some battle-of-the-sexes content, sumptuous dresses, well-tailored suits and occasional moments of sincere emotion."[9] The New York Daily News, on the other hand, lauded Hayes' "spectacularly intense and unstinting performance".[10] Entertainment Weekly gave the production an A writing, "Aside from a few lulls in the early stages of exposition...the entire play is delightful, buoyed by its leading man's performance."[11]

Some critics were more mixed with Jesse Green of The New York Times called the play an "unconvincing biographical fantasia" and Hayes' performance "less an inhabitation of character than a nonstop loop of perfectly rendered facial tics, trembling hands and compulsive gestures."[12] Johnny Oleksinski of The New York Post gave the play two out of four stars and called it "off-key" and "mostly unsatisfying."[13]

Awards and nominations

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Chicago production

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Year Award Category Nominee Result Ref.
2022
 Jeff Award Outstanding Production of a Play Good Night, Oscar Won [14]
Outstanding New Work Doug Wright Won
Director of a Play Lisa Peterson Nominated
Performer in a Principal Role in a Play Sean Hayes Won
Performer in a Supporting Role in a Play Emily Bergl Nominated
Scenic Design - Large Rachel Hauck Won
Sound Design - Large André Pluess Won

Broadway production

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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
Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play Sean Hayes Won [16]
Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Play Emily Bergl Nominated
Drama League Awards Outstanding Production of a Play Good Night, Oscar Nominated [17]
Distinguished Performance Award Sean Hayes Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding New Broadway Play Good Night, Oscar Nominated [18]
Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play Sean Hayes Won
Outstanding Sound Design (Play or Musical) André Pluess Nominated

Conception dispute

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The conception of the origins of the play has been up for debate with playwright David Adjmi, claiming in a Facebook post that he had persuaded Hayes to portray 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 strongly 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.[19] Adjmi then published an unverified email exchange on BroadwayWorld.com between himself and Hayes, in which he attempted to convince a reluctant Hayes to portray Levant.[20]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Wild, Stephi (March 14, 2023). "Full Cast Announced For GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR as Rehearsals Begin". Broadway World. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  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. ^ a b "In 'Good Night, Oscar,' Music and Madness Conjoin While Sean Hayes Soars". WTTW News. March 22, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  5. ^ Jones, Chris (March 22, 2022). "Review: Sean Hayes is a revelation in 'Good Night, Oscar' at Goodman Theatre. Broadway is surely next". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  6. ^ Oxman, Steven (March 22, 2022). "In 'Good Night, Oscar' Sean Hayes captures the wit, wisdom and anguish of Levant". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  7. ^ Spiselman, Anne (April 11, 2022). "'Good Night, Oscar': A symphony for a troubled genius". Hyde Park Herald. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  8. ^ Sinclair, Andy (March 22, 2022). "Good Night, Oscar". Headliner Chicago. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  9. ^ "'Good Night, Oscar' Review: Sean Hayes Gives a Bravura Performance as Late-Night TV Virtuoso". Variety. 25 April 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  10. ^ Jones, Chris (25 April 2023). "'BROADWAY REVIEW: Sean Hayes offers up a stunning star turn in daring 'Good Night, Oscar'". The New York Daily News. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  11. ^ "Good Night, Oscar review: More like 'Hello, Tony' — Sean Hayes strikes gold on Broadway". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  12. ^ Green, Jesse (25 April 2023). "'Good Night, Oscar' Review: Sean Hayes With Demerol and Cadenzas". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  13. ^ Oleksinski, Johnny (April 25, 2023). "'Good Night, Oscar' review: Sean Hayes stars in off-key play". Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  14. ^ "2022 JEFF EQUITY AWARDS NOMINEES/Winners". Chicagocritic. 19 September 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  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.
  16. ^ "2023 Drama Desk Award winners announced". New York Theatre Guide. 31 May 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  17. ^ "See the Full List of 2023 Drama League Award Nominations". Playbill. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  18. ^ "Some Like It Hot Dominates 2023 Outer Critics Circle Awards; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ David, Cara Joy. "GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR, The Behind-the-Scenes Battle Splayed Out In Public". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
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