Good Night, Oscar
{{Short description|2023 play by Doug Wright}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{italic title}}{{Infobox play|name=Good Night, Oscar|writer=Doug Wright|premiere=March 12, 2022|genre=Comedy-Drama|place=Goodman Theatre|based_on=A 1958 episode of The Tonight Show}}
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.
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.{{Cite web |last=Wild |first=Stephi |title=Full Cast Announced For GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR as Rehearsals Begin |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Full-Cast-Announced-For-GOOD-NIGHT-OSCAR-as-Rehearsals-Begin-20230314 |date=March 14, 2023 |access-date=March 18, 2023 |website=Broadway World |language=en}}
Synopsis
The show follows a 1958 episode of The Tonight Show, where host Jack Paar has as a guest comedian Oscar Levant.
Production history
The play first premiered in 2022 at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, with Sean Hayes as Oscar Levant and directed by Lisa Peterson.{{Cite news |last=Hall |first=Margaret |date=March 14, 2023 |title=Emily Bergl, Alex Wyse, Marchánt Davis, More Join Good Night, Oscar |work=Playbill |url=https://playbill.com/article/emily-bergl-alex-wyse-marchant-davis-more-join-good-night-oscar |access-date=18 March 2023}} The production ran from March 12 until April 24, 2022.{{Cite web |title=Good Night, Oscar |url=https://www.goodmantheatre.org/show/good-night-oscar/ |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=Goodman Theatre |language=en-US}}
Following the Chicago run, the Broadway production rehearsals began on March 13, 2023. The production opened April 24, 2023. It also featured 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. At the 76th Tony Awards, the show received three nominations and Hayes was awarded Best Leading Actor in a Play.
The production will transfer to the Barbican Centre, London from 31 July to 21 September with Hayes reprising his role as Levant.
Notable casts
| class="wikitable"
|+ ! rowspan="2" |Characters |
| 2022
!2023 !2025 |
|---|
| Oscar Levant
| colspan="3" align="center" |Sean Hayes |
| June Levant
| colspan="2" align="center" |Emily Bergl |
| Alvin Finner
| align="center" |Tramell Tillman |align=center|Marchánt Davis |Daniel Adeosun |
| Bob Sarnoff
| colspan="2" align="center" |Peter Grosz |Richard Katz |
| Jack Paar
| colspan="3" align="center" |Ben Rappaport |
| Max Weinbaum
| align="center" |Ethan Slater |align=center|Alex Wyse | Eric Sirakian |
| George Gershwin
| colspan="2" align="center" |John Zdrojeski |David Burnett |
Reception
= Critical response =
The Chicago production received positive reviews from the Chicago Tribune,{{Cite web |first=Chris|last=Jones|title=Review: Sean Hayes is a revelation in 'Good Night, Oscar' at Goodman Theatre. Broadway is surely next. |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/reviews/ct-ent-goodnight-oscar-goodman-theatre-review-20220322-fwpqlamppnchhaxymm6hvvwfdm-story.html |date=March 22, 2022 |access-date=March 18, 2023 |website=Chicago Tribune}} Chicago Sun-Times,{{Cite web |first=Steven |last=Oxman |date=March 22, 2022 |title=In 'Good Night, Oscar' Sean Hayes captures the wit, wisdom and anguish of Levant |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/3/22/22991258/good-night-oscar-review-goodman-theatre-sean-hayes |access-date=March 18, 2023 |website=Chicago Sun-Times |language=en}} Hyde Park Herald,{{Cite web |last=Spiselman |first=Anne |date=April 11, 2022 |title='Good Night, Oscar': A symphony for a troubled genius |url=https://www.hpherald.com/arts_and_entertainment/theater/good-night-oscar-a-symphony-for-a-troubled-genius/article_17093bda-b9bd-11ec-97a4-db79457d2256.html |access-date=March 18, 2023 |website=Hyde Park Herald |language=en}} and WTTW, among others, with Hayes' performance being especially noted.{{Cite web |last=Sinclair |first=Andy |title=Good Night, Oscar |url=https://www.headlinerchicago.com/good-night-oscar.html |date=March 22, 2022 |access-date=March 18, 2023 |website=Headliner Chicago |language=en}} 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."{{cite web|url= https://variety.com/2023/legit/reviews/good-night-oscar-review-sean-hayes-broadway-1235592711/|title= 'Good Night, Oscar' Review: Sean Hayes Gives a Bravura Performance as Late-Night TV Virtuoso|website= Variety|date= 25 April 2023|accessdate= February 25, 2024}} The New York Daily News, on the other hand, lauded Hayes' "spectacularly intense and unstinting performance".{{Cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/broadway/ny-broadway-review-sean-hayes-good-night-oscar-20230425-csx5naabkzbixeedmv5diqpq5y-story.html|title='BROADWAY REVIEW: Sean Hayes offers up a stunning star turn in daring 'Good Night, Oscar'|first=Chris|last=Jones|date=25 April 2023|access-date=4 May 2023|website=The New York Daily News}} 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."{{cite magazine|url= https://ew.com/theater/theater-reviews/good-night-oscar-sean-hayes-review-broadway/|title= Good Night, Oscar review: More like 'Hello, Tony' — Sean Hayes strikes gold on Broadway|magazine= Entertainment Weekly|accessdate= February 25, 2024}}
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."{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/24/theater/good-night-oscar-review-sean-hayes.html|title='Good Night, Oscar' Review: Sean Hayes With Demerol and Cadenzas|first=Jesse|last=Green|date=25 April 2023|access-date=1 May 2023|website=The New York Times}} Johnny Oleksinski of The New York Post gave the play two out of four stars and called it "off-key" and "mostly unsatisfying."{{Cite web |last=Oleksinski |first=Johnny |date=April 25, 2023 |title='Good Night, Oscar' review: Sean Hayes stars in off-key play |url=https://nypost.com/2023/04/24/good-night-oscar-review-sean-hayes-stars-in-off-key-play/ |access-date=June 13, 2023 |language=en-US}}
Awards and nominations
= Chicago production =
| class="wikitable" width="95%" |
| width="5%"| Year
! width="25%"| Award ! width="40%"| Category ! width="20%"| Nominee ! width="10%"| Result ! Ref. |
|---|
| rowspan=7 | {{center|2022}}
| rowspan=7 | Jeff Award | Outstanding Production of a Play | Good Night, Oscar | {{won}} |
| Outstanding New Work
| Doug Wright | {{Won}} |
| Director of a Play
| Lisa Peterson | {{nom}} |
| Performer in a Principal Role in a Play
| Sean Hayes | {{won}} |
| Performer in a Supporting Role in a Play
| Emily Bergl | {{nom}} |
| Scenic Design - Large
| Rachel Hauck | {{won}} |
| Sound Design - Large
| André Pluess | {{won}} |
= Broadway production =
| class="wikitable" width="95%" |
| width="5%"| Year
! width="25%"| Award ! width="40%"| Category ! width="20%"| Nominee ! width="10%"| Result ! Ref. |
|---|
| rowspan="10" |{{center|2023}}
| rowspan="3" |Tony Awards |{{Won}} |
| Best Costume Design in a Play
|{{Nominated}} |
| Best Scenic Design in a Play
|{{Nominated}} |
| rowspan=2|Drama Desk Awards
| Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play | Sean Hayes | {{won}} |
| Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Play
| Emily Bergl | {{nom}} |
| rowspan=2|Drama League Awards
| Outstanding Production of a Play | Good Night, Oscar | {{nom}} |
| Distinguished Performance Award
| Sean Hayes | {{nom}} |
| rowspan=3|Outer Critics Circle Award
| Outstanding New Broadway Play | Good Night, Oscar | {{nom}} |
| Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play
| Sean Hayes | {{won}} |
| Outstanding Sound Design (Play or Musical)
| André Pluess | {{nom}} |
Conception dispute
The conception of the origins of the play has been up for debate with playwright David Adjmi, claiming in a [https://www.facebook.com/david.adjmi/posts/pfbid0AWsBqrMB7ZbrxxzuSvNSLmo4GmGcKcVhFFjGyWaf2qVYJvmUeXcf5NKuzidNCrQal 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.{{Cite news |last=Culwell-Block |first=Logan |date=7 October 2022 |title=Broadway's Upcoming Good Night, Oscar Responds to Allegations of Artistic Stifling by Playwright David Adjmi |work=Playbill |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/broadways-upcoming-good-night-oscar-responds-to-allegations-of-artistic-stifling-by-playwright-david-adjmi?_gl=1*w7grdc*_ga*MjE0MzgyNDA4Ny4xNTU5ODgwMjE5*_ga_DNG0Q044X6*MTY4MTI0MDY0NC4yOC4wLjE2ODEyNDA2NDQuMC4wLjA.*_ga_WXGC9EXCCR*MTY4MTI0MDY0NC4zMi4wLjE2ODEyNDA2NDQuMC4wLjA. |access-date=11 April 2023}} 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.{{Cite web |last=David |first=Cara Joy |title=GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR, The Behind-the-Scenes Battle Splayed Out In Public |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/GOOD-NIGHT-OSCAR-The-Behind-the-Scenes-Battle-Splayed-Out-In-Public-20221009 |access-date=2023-04-11 |website=BroadwayWorld.com |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://goodnightoscar.com Official website]
- [https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/good-night-oscar-535325 Good Night, Oscar at the IBDB]
Category:Cultural depictions of comedians
Category:Plays based on actual events
Category:Plays set in the 1950s