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Emmy winner and Tony nominee Sean Hayes will play pianist, actor, and comedian Oscar Levant in Doug Wright's new play Good Night, Oscar. Check back for information on Good Night, Oscar tickets on New York Theatre Guide.
The Good Night, Oscar play is set in 1958, when Levant made his first appearance on The Tonight Show with Jack Paar. That guest spot would be the first of many, but that one cemented Levant's legacy as a notorious wit. He worked uproarious jokes into a frank discussion of his own mental illness and addiction, which shocked, enlightened, and enthralled audiences in equal measure.
The TV censors may have been working overtime, but Levant still managed to change the face of American television, albeit at his own expense. Indeed, once Levant stopped appearing as a guest on his show, Paar would regularly sign off with, "Good night, Oscar Levant, wherever you are" — hence the play's title.
Levant amassed a storied career before his death at age 65. He was primarily a musician known for playing George Gershwin's compositions and composing music for more than 20 Hollywood films. It's fitting that he has a Broadway show about him, as Levant himself performed, composed, and conducted on Broadway.
Prior to Good Night, Oscar on Broadway, the show had its world premiere at Chicago's Goodman Theatre in spring 2022, where it received rave reviews. Hayes, who is best known for his Emmy-nominated performance as Jack McFarland on Will & Grace, also starred as Levant in that iteration. He now makes his third Broadway appearance with Good Night, Oscar, following An Act of God in 2016 and Promises, Promises in 2010.
Good Night, Oscar is based on a true story. It is based on Levant's real-life television appearances, career, and personal life.
Good Night, Oscar runs 100 minutes with no intermission.
Check back for information on tickets to Good Night, Oscar in New York.
Top image credit: Liz Lauren
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April 7th, 2023
August 27th, 2023
Broadway, Plays
Belasco Theatre
By: Doug Wright
Director: Lisa Peterson
Cast list: Sean Hayes (as Oscar Levant), Emily Bergl (as June Levant), Peter Grosz (as Bob Sarnoff), Ben Rappaport (as Jack Paar), John Zdrojeski (as George Gershwin), Marchánt Davis (as Alvin Finney), Alex Wyse (as Max Weinbaum)
Design: Rachel Hauck
Costumes: Emilio Sosa
Lighting: Ben Stanton and Carolina Ortiz Herrera
Sound: Andre Pleuss
Other info: Music supervision by Chris Fenwick; wig, hair, and makeup design by J. Jared Janas; dramaturgy by Jacqueline E. Lawton
UPDATE: Thomas Michael Hammond and Stephanie Janssen have joined the Good Night, Oscar Broadway cast as understudies. Good day, Broadway! The main cast for the new play Good Night, Oscar is complete, with five newly announced members joining. Doug Wright's show about TV personality Oscar Levant runs from April 7 to August 27, with opening night on April 24. New cast members include Marchánt Davis as Alvin Finney and Alex Wyse as Max Weinbaum, along with Sam Bell-Gurwitz, Postell Pringle, and...
Good day, Broadway! A new play by Doug Wright, Good Night, Oscar, will come to Broadway this spring, starring Will & Grace's Sean Hayes. The limited engagement runs from April 7 to August 27, 2023, with an opening night on April 24.In Good Night, Oscar, Hayes plays the title character of Oscar Levant, a pianist, composer, and Hollywood actor known as much for his unpredictability as for his performance work. The play begins in 1958, when Levant shows off his signature wit on an episode of...