Broadway

Welcome to the Russian countryside! Here's your first look at [*Uncle Vanya*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/33211-uncle-vanya) on Broadway, with [Steve Carell](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/steve-carell) making his Broadway debut in the title role. The starry cast, directed by Lila Neugebauer, also includes [Anika Noni Rose](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/anika-noni-rose) (*Caroline, or Change*), [Alfred...

See photos of Steve Carell and the cast of 'Uncle Vanya' on Broadway

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The star of *The Office* makes his Broadway debut in the latest revival of the classic play, which also stars Anika Noni Rose, Alfred Molina, and more.

You're gonna hear her roar! Maya Boyd will be the next Juliet in [*& Juliet*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25598-and-juliet-tickets) on Broadway, beginning performances on May 14 at the [Stephen Sondheim Theatre](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/stephen-sondheim-theatre).

Boyd made her Broadway debut earlier this year in the cast of *Merrily We Roll Along*. In *& Juliet*, she will now replace [Lorna...

Maya Boyd to join '& Juliet' Broadway cast

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After making her Broadway debut earlier this year, the actor will now replace Tony Award nominee Lorna Courtney in the title role of the acclaimed musical.

See two stars, alike in dignity! [Rachel Zegler](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/rachel-zegler) and [Kit Connor](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/kit-connor) will lead a new revival of [*Romeo + Juliet*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/40696-romeo-and-juliet-on-broadway) on Broadway. The Shakespeare production, directed by Sam Gold, will run this fall, with a theatre and dates to be announced.

Zegler is best known for starring as Maria in Steven...

Rachel Zegler, Kit Connor to star in ‘Romeo + Juliet’ on Broadway

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The *West Side Story* and *Heartstopper* stars will play Shakespeare’s tragic young lovers in the production, which features music by Jack Antonoff.

As the star of *The Office*, [Steve Carell](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/steve-carell) may be known for his comedic chops, but the roles he's played since that show’s Emmy Award-winning run have shown he can do so much more. He earned an Oscar nomination for playing a maniacal wrestling coach in *Foxcatcher*, played the father of a drug addict (played by Timothée Chalamet) in *Beautiful Boy*, and now makes his Broadway debut in the title role in Anton Chekhov’s [*Uncle...

All the celebrities who have starred in 'Uncle Vanya,' including Steve Carell

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The award-winning actor, best known for starring in *The Office*, is the latest person to tackle the coveted title role of Chekhov's classic family drama.

Family trees are in bloom on Broadway this spring. Beginning with Joshua Harmon’s *Prayer for the French Republic* at the top of the year, numerous family dramas have proved the staying power of the fertile, timeless genre. Not to mention, these shows' families include the likes of actors Steve Carell, Jessica Lange, and Sarah Paulson.

Playing right now are Paula Vogel’s [*Mother Play*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/31354-mother-play-on-broadway) at the [Hayes...

Learn about all the family dramas on Broadway this season

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Each play in the genre is just as unique as any given family, as evidenced by this spring's star-studded shows *Mother Play*, *Appropriate*, and *Uncle Vanya*.

Great news for Huey Lewis fans: You can hear his music live again. For the first time since Meniere's disease impaired the '80s rock star's ability to hear music, forcing him to stop performing with his band The News, his songs are back on not one stage, but two.

Lewis isn't singing them, but those familiar with the Huey Lewis and The News hits "The Power of Love" and "Back in Time" will thrill to hear them nonetheless. Both those songs appear in this season's Broadway musical adaptation of...

How Huey Lewis shaped 'The Heart of Rock and Roll' on Broadway

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The new musical is set to nearly 30 hits by Huey Lewis and The News, and the band's frontman was a crucial and active collaborator throughout its journey.

And they were roommates! Per an April 11 [report from the New York Post](https://nypost.com/2024/04/11/entertainment/patti-lupone-mia-farrow-to-star-in-broadways-the-roommate/), three-time Tony Award winner [Patti LuPone](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/patti-lupone) and seven-time Golden Globe nominee Mia Farrow will co-star in the new Broadway play *The Roommate* this fall. According to the report, performances will run at the [Booth...

Patti LuPone, Mia Farrow reported to star in 'The Roommate' on Broadway

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According to a report in the New York Post, the actresses will perform in the 2015 play by Jen Silverman for a limited engagement beginning in August.

Photos have been released of [*Patriots*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/38891-patriots) on Broadway, starring *Boardwalk Empire* and *Dopesick*'s [Michael Stuhlbarg](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/michael-stuhlbarg). Russia meets New York at the [Barrymore Theatre](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/barrymore-theatre), where this new play by Peter Morgan is in performances through June 23.

The playwright, who created Netflix's Emmy Award-winning show...

See photos of Michael Stuhlbarg and the cast of 'Patriots' on Broadway

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The Emmy and Tony Award-nominated actor stars as the late Russian politician Boris Berezovsky in the newest play from the creator of Netflix's *The Crown*.

Home to historic rock bands like The Velvet Underground and The Ramones, New York City is a rock and roll lover’s paradise. Even though many of the popular venues that used to host rock and punk artists in the ‘60s and ‘70s have since closed, there are still plenty of ways to enjoy the history of rock and roll while visiting New York City. 

Take your own rock-and-roll tour of NYC with these classic rock attractions, with something for every rock fan. Pick up some records; pay homage to late,...

Check out these classic rock musicals and attractions in NYC

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Make a day out of seeing a rock show on Broadway, including *The Who's Tommy*, Huey Lewis's *The Heart of Rock and Roll*, or the '70s rock-inspired *Stereophonic*.

Everybody rejoice! The latest arrival of [*The Wiz*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/27115-the-wiz-tickets) on Broadway at the [Marquis Theatre](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/marquis-theatre) carries a stirring reminder that this exuberant musical has eased on down the road for 50 years. 

An all-Black retelling of L. Frank Baum’s *The Wonderful Wizard of Oz*, the show by Charlie Smalls (music and lyrics) and William F. Brown (book) blew onto Broadway in December 1974. As...

How the Broadway musical ‘The Wiz’ evolved in 50 years

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Writer Amber Ruffin, director Schele Williams, and choreographer JaQuel Knight share how they reimagined the story, steps, and stakes of this modern classic.

Good morning, Broadway! The new play [*Good Night, Oscar*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26390-good-night-oscar-tickets) has announced that it will offer digital lottery and in-person rush tickets for its limited Broadway run. Performances run at the [Belasco Theatre](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/belasco-theatre) through August 27, and opening night is April 24.

The lottery is open for entries between midnight and 3 p.m. the day before each performance. Winners are drawn at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., and they will have five hours to purchase their tickets for the next day's show. Each person can request up to two tickets at $40 each.

Rush tickets are available at the Belasco Theatre box office when it opens at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday and, beginning April 30, noon on Sunday. Each person can purchase up to two $35 tickets on a first-come, first-served basis.

[Sean Hayes](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/sean-hayes), an Emmy Award winner for playing Jack McFarland on *Will & Grace*, now stars as pianist Oscar Levant. He became best known for his wit after his subversive appearances on *Tonight Starring Jack Paar*.

*Good Night, Oscar* takes place during a 1958 taping of that show, when Levant appears as a guest for the first time. His frank and darkly comedic chat with Paar leaves audiences in stitches and censors in a tizzy, forever changing what flies on live TV.

The play, which premiered to acclaim in Chicago, is written by Doug Wright and directed by Lisa Peterson.

'Good Night, Oscar' to offer Broadway rush and lottery tickets

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Good Night, Oscar on Broadway starring Sean Hayes - NYC

Genre: Play

Good Night, Oscar on Broadway starring Sean Hayes

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Emmy winner and Tony nominee Sean Hayes is a 2023 Tony Award winner for playing pianist, actor, and comedian Oscar Levant in Doug Wright's new play *Good Night, Oscar*. Get *Good Night, Oscar* tickets on New York Theatre Guide and see his unmissable performance.

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.

## Is *Good Night, Oscar* a true story?

*Good Night, Oscar* is based on a true story. It is based on Levant's real-life television appearances, career, and personal life. [Learn more about the real history behind *Good Night, Oscar*.](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/learn-about-oscar-levant-before-seeing-good-night-oscar-on-broadway)

## How long is *Good Night, Oscar*?

*Good Night, Oscar* runs 100 minutes with no intermission.

Get tickets to three-time Tony Award nominee *Good Night, Oscar* in New York.

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Get tickets to Good Night, Oscar on Broadway from the official New York Theatre Guide. Relive the night one man changed TV at this play starring Sean Hayes.

Good Night, Oscar Broadway Tickets | Official NY Theatre Guide

Will & Grace's Sean Hayes reprises his role as infamously witty pianist Oscar Levant in the Broadway premiere of this show, fresh off a hit run in Chicago. Go back to 1958, when Levant shocked America with his unflinching, self-reflective humor on live TV. Learn more about tickets to this dark comedy that will have audiences buzzing.

Prior to the events of the play, Levant had built up a celebrated career as a concert pianist, actor, and composer in both Hollywood and New York. He wasn't necessarily trying to be an infamous wit when he appeared on Paar — he just wanted to discuss his battles with addiction and mental illness that left him hospitalized. Such public talk was practically unheard of, so audiences — and censors — tempered it by calling it comedy.

*Good Night, Oscar* is Wright's first play on Broadway in nearly 20 years, since his 2004 debut with *I Am My Own Wife*. That one-man show won Best Play at the Tony Awards, along with the Pulitzer Prize. In between that show and *Good Night, Oscar*, he wrote the books for four Broadway musicals: *Grey Gardens*, *The Little Mermaid*, *Hands on a Hardbody*, and *War Paint*.

Hayes has played two previous Broadway roles: God in *An Act of God* and Chuck Baxter in *Promises, Promises*. He first played the role of Levant when *Good Night, Oscar* premiered in Chicago in 2022. The production received critical acclaim under the direction of Lisa Peterson, who now makes her Broadway debut after a 30-plus year Off-Broadway career. 

## What to Watch For

- After Levant stopped appearing on *Jack Paar*, Paar would often end his shows by saying, "Good night, Oscar Levant, wherever you are." That's where Wright's play gets its title!
- Levant soon became a regular on Paar’s show and reportedly began to make $10,000 per episode. The average salary for a guest at the time was $320!
- As a pianist, Levant was known for his recordings of George Gershwin's compositions. Gershwin appears as a character in *Good Night, Oscar* on Broadway.
- During the 1940s, Levant became the highest-paid concert pianist in the U.S. for a time.
- Did you know Levant was on Broadway? He was involved with five Broadway shows: one as a performer, two as a conductor, and three as a songwriter. (He conducted one of the shows he composed.) Plus, he starred in the movie musical *An American in Paris*, which was adapted for Broadway in 2014.
- Levant inspired the fictional title pianist, played by Peter Sellers, in the 1964 film *The World of Henry Orient*.

Good Night, Oscar - NYC - TT

The star of Douglas Wright’s play [*Good Night, Oscar*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26390-good-night-oscar-tickets), now running on Broadway at the [Belasco Theatre](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/belasco-theatre), is [Sean Hayes](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/sean-hayes), who receives above-the-title billing and will no doubt receive numerous accolades. But the second star is Jacqueline E. Lawton, the production’s dramaturg on Broadway and at the Goodman Theatre, where it premiered last year. Lawton ensures that the show balances its dips into the fantastical with historical truths, a difficult tone deftly achieved in Lisa Peterson’s adroit production. If only Broadway would embrace the lobby display to immerse audiences even more in Oscar Levant’s world.

Set on one turbulent night of Levant’s life, *Good Night, Oscar* sees Hayes not at the heyday of Levant’s career as a composer, pianist, and radio star, but as an ailing man struggling to control his addiction to the drugs his doctors have prescribed. The play tries to tackle the whole of Levant’s life in a few short scenes; a one-man show, like Wright’s Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning *I Am My Own Wife*, may have better suited the veneration of Levant’s talents and idiosyncrasies, channeling his alleged schizophrenia into different characters contained in one body.

But Hayes works best sparring with other actors, even if their characters aren’t fully developed. At one point, NBC president Bob Sarnoff (Peter Grosz) tries to cool Levant down: “The network feels —” to which Levant immediately interrupts, in a perfect distillation of the contemporary politics of corporate brands, “The network *feels*?”

Many characters exist only as devices: Fast-talking TV host Jack Paar (Ben Rappaport) upholds the play’s frame of *The Tonight Show* and delineates entertainment and exploitation. June (Emily Bergl), Levant’s wife, though granted no interiority, grounds the piece in historicity, as she had Levant committed to psychiatric institutions multiple times over their marriage. Sarnoff is stiff and corny, mostly speaking in platitudes and warnings and dwarfed by Levant’s boisterousness.

Alvin Finney (Marchánt Davis), an orderly from the hospital where Levant is staying (and from which June has concocted an ill-advised escape so he may appear on TV), serves only as a reminder of Levant’s condition; his note that Levant’s old pal George Gershwin (John Zdrojeski) stole musical inspiration from Black New Yorkers is a too-brief insight that, absent any other political or social commentary, feels out of place in the script. Only Alex Wyse delights as the nervous Max Weinbaum, a nepotism-hire page desperate to win the approval of those in charge and move up the movie-making ladder.

Gershwin himself appears as a figment of Levant’s imagination, the boldest choice in the play that suffers from a lack of direction. He enters in smoke effects, whipping his coattails behind him like Dracula, a haunting manifestation of Levant's survivor’s guilt (over Gershwin’s early death at 38) and supreme performance anxiety. He would rather discuss Levant’s psychoses than modern music, which makes sense only because of his boxed existence in Levant’s mind, a reminder of all Levant has yet to achieve. The character could be a game-changer in *Good Night, Oscar*, more a guide than a ghost, but Zdrojeski plays him like a haunted house attraction.

With a less compelling performance from its lead, *Good Night, Oscar* would fall flat. Its first half suffers from a lack of urgency; its second is burdened by hacky late-night antics. Almost everyone but Hayes’s Levant is forgettable in both performance and characterizations. Hayes is a marvel, embodying Levant in voice, spirit, physicality, and, eventually, music. He shakes like he’s davening prayer, fidgets like he's inebriated, and yells like his mind has left him without a choice.

Carolina Ortiz Herrera and Ben Stanton’s lighting design closes in on Levant as he hallucinates, fantasizes, and opines; these shifts, some subtle and some overt, call to mind the Brian Wilson biopic *Love & Mercy*, another exploration of both songwriting and schizophrenia. Rachel Hauck’s set serves as both recording studio and padded cell, further insulating Levant. Though the supporting personae fall flat, these design elements fuse with Hayes’s performance for a powerful and cohesive character study.

[*Good Night, Oscar* is at the Belasco Theatre through August 27. Get *Good Night, Oscar* tickets on New York Theatre Guide.](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26390-good-night-oscar-tickets)

*Correction: A previous version of this review incorrectly named Neena Arndt as dramaturg of Good Night, Oscar at the Goodman Theatre, not Jacqueline E. Lawton.*

*Photo credit: Sean Hayes in Good Night, Oscar. (Photo by Joan Marcus)*

'Good Night, Oscar' review — Sean Hayes delivers a virtuosic character study

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Read our review of *Good Night, Oscar*, a new Broadway play written by Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright and starring Emmy Award winner Sean Hayes.

Sean Hayes is an Emmy Award-winning actor who is best known for playing Jack McFarland on the hit NBC sitcom *Will & Grace*. He has also appeared in several stage productions, including *Damn Yankees* off Broadway and *An Act of God* on Broadway.

Born June 26, 1970, Hayes was raised in the suburbs of Chicago, where he eventually went on to study piano performance at Illinois State University. He left college early and worked as a music director, classical pianist, and composer before moving to Los Angeles and taking up acting.

His first major role was in the indie movie Billy’s *Hollywood Screen Kiss*, and he was cast soon after in *Will & Grace*, which brought him mainstream success. Over the show’s seven seasons, Hayes earned numerous award nominations and won an Emmy.

Throughout his career, Hayes has also acted and provided voice work for many films, most notably *The Cat in the Hat*, *Pieces of April*, and *The Bucket List*. He’s also starred in many television shows, playing the lead in the NBC sitcom *Sean Saves the World* from 2013 to 2014 and Steve Maryweather in the 2021 Netflix animated series *Q-Force*.

On stage, Hayes played Mr. Applegate in the 2008 Off-Broadway revival of *Damn Yankees* and made his Broadway debut in the 2010 revival of *Promises, Promises* as Chuck Baxter. He returned to the stage as God for a limited engagement in *An Act of God* in 2016.

In 2023, Hayes returned to Broadway to star as pianist Oscar Levant in the new play *Good Night, Oscar* on Broadway at the [Belasco Theatre](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/belasco-theatre).

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The Belasco Theatre originally opened as the Stuyvesant Theatre on October 16, 1907 with a production of *A Grand Army Man*. The Belasco Theatre was designed by George Keister for impresario David Belasco, who renamed the theatre for himself in 1910.

The first production to be staged under the theatre's new name was *The Lily*, an adaptation by Belasco of Leroux's *Le Lys*. In 1931, the theatre was leased to Katherine Cornell, and the Shubert Organization purchased it in 1948. From 1949 to 1953, the building was leased to NBC for broadcasting, before it was once again used as a traditional theatre.

The Belasco, located on 44th St. near the corner of Sixth Avenue, is the easternmost Broadway theatre.

## How to get to the Belasco Theatre on Broadway

The Belasco Theatre is nearest to the 42nd Street - Bryant Park subway stop on the B, D, F, M, and 7 lines. There are also two bus stops near the theatre, accessible by multiple bus lines: 6th Ave/W 44th St. on the M55, QM2, QM3, QM4, QM15, QM16, QM17, QM18, and QM20 lines; and 6th Ave/West 45th St. on the QM1, QM5, QM6, M5, and M7 lines.

## Restaurants near the Belasco Theatre

Popular restaurants near the Belasco Theatre include Junior's (American), Carmine's (Italian), Havana Central (Cuban), and Connolly's Irish pub. [Learn more about popular pre- and post-show restaurants in the Theatre District.](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/where-to-eat-before-and-after-a-broadway-show)

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*Will & Grace*'s Sean Hayes stars in this new play by Doug Wright about pianist and infamous wit Oscar Levant, now in performances at the Belasco Theatre.

'Good Night, Oscar' to offer Broadway rush and lottery tickets

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