Anything can happen on live TV. And one night, it did. Sean Hayes stars as the irrepressible Oscar Levant. It’s 1958, and Jack Paar hosts the hottest late-night talk-show on television. His favorite guest? Character actor, pianist and wild card Oscar Levant. Good Night, Oscar explores the nexus of humor and heartbreak, the ever-dwindling distinction between exploitation and entertainment, and the high cost of baring one’s soul for public consumption.
There is a perhaps overused but most apt phrase to describe what is happening on stage at the Belasco, and that is 'tour de force.' Garlands all around for playwright Doug Wright, the wonderful cast, director Lisa Peterson, and, especially, for Sean Hayes, for whom this is a career-crowning achievement.
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.
General Rush
Price: $35
Where: Belasco Theatre box office
When: Tickets are available day-of when the box office opens. The Belasco Theatre box office is open Monday through Saturday at 10am, and will open Sundays at 12pm beginning April 30.
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Determined at the discretion of the box office. Subject to daily availability.
Digital Lottery
Price: $40
Where: rush.telecharge.com.
When: Entries for the digital lottery open at 12 AM one day before the performance. Winners are drawn the same day at 10 AM and 3 PM.
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Subject to availability.
2021 | Regional (US) |
Goodman Theatre's Premiere Production Regional (US) |
2023 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play | Emily Bergl |
2023 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play | Sean Hayes |
2023 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Sean Hayes |
2023 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Play | Good Night, Oscar |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play | Sean Hayes |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Play | Good Night, Oscar |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Sound Design (Play or Musical) | Andre Pluess |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Sean Hayes |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Play | Emilio Sosa |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Play | Rachel Hauck |
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