Good Night Oscar

In the '70s, I was twelve, and television didn't have hundreds of programs to watch. After 10:30 p.m., television programs started winding down, and around midnight, you would hear the national anthem playing, signifying that the network was able to go off the air. When I was able to stay up, I loved watching Johnny Carson on the Tonight show. I loved the wit and humor from Johnny and his lovable sidekick, Ed McMahon. Johnny preceded Jack Paar, whose show was the Tonight Show franchise from 1957 to 1962.

Jack Paar, at the time, hosted the hottest late-night talk show on television, and his favorite guest was pianist turned comedian Oscar Levant. "I'm a concert pianist; that's a pretentious way of saying I'm unemployed at the moment." -- Oscar Levant

Oscar, known for his witty one-liners, and highly controversial comments, made him Jack's must-have guest. But there was one time when Oscar came on Jack's show that was so remarkable that Doug Wright wrote what only can be described as one of the best new plays written, called Goodnight Oscar.

Goodman Theatre brings to its stage Goodnight Oscar, which is sure to hit broadway. This new play was phenomenal. Featuring the life, love, and blurred lines of Oscar Levant, whose career went from fame to exploiting him as an entertainer, which seems cruel, but Oscar needed it to survive. Oscar, who stated he erased the fine line between genius and insanity, wanted us to witness his frailties and talk openly on television about his neuroses and hypochondria to offset others talking about him as he was, a lost soul unaware of his brilliance. Although Oscar loved people and being around them, he didn't mind hurting someone's feelings and was brutally honest. Oscar lived his life in public, and not only did he love an audience, having an audience was an aphrodisiac.

Goodnight Oscar starts with Jack Paar, played masterfully by Ben Rappaport, discussing his desire to bring Oscar Levant to his opening show which recently moved to another location for ratings. Unfortunately, Jack is in a war of words with the producer Bob Sarnoff (Peter Grosz), who is upset that Levant is late and doesn't want Levant as a guest, fearing he will sink to show. Sarnoff, ready to bring in another guest, doesn't know that Levant is at an insane asylum and needs permission from his wife to leave the infirmary.

Once Oscar appears at the NBC studio, Sarnoff gives him the riot act about being late and advises him about subjects he should steer away from discussing, which Oscar vehemently protests. We get another stellar performance from Emily Bergl as June Levant, known as June Gale, a vaudeville performer, one of the Gale Sisters. She is the person that had Oscar committed after hearing voices in his head that caused him to go into psychotic rages.

Jack starts off the show with his introduction of Oscar. "Oscar Levant is not only a wit; he's a wit's wit. He has truly said some of the most cleverness things of our times. But put it mildly, he is as nervous as he is clever. For every pearl that comes out of his mouth, a pill goes in." And once the curtain goes up, that brilliance of Jack and Oscar begins. Best known for Jack McFarland, Will's close friend since college on the show Will and Grace, Sean Hayes is phenomenal is Oscar Levant. I've had the pleasure to see some of the Jack Paar Shows with Levant, and Hayes nailed this role, playing it to perfection. He captured his mannerism, sharp and stinging wit, a hypochondriac addicted to prescription drugs, and Hayes had the audience mesmerized with his performance of Oscar Levant.

Tramell Tillman (Alvin), Ethan Slater (Max), and John Zdrojeski as Geroge Gershwin, who all made the Goodman Theatre debut, were outstanding and made Goodnight Oscar a complete master performance. Goodnight Oscar is one of those plays that you clamor for more once it's over and where you want to hit the rewind button and start it all over again. It's that good!

At the age of twelve, Levant was already playing the piano and fell in love with the works of George Gershwin, with which he built his orchestra platform playing his music. Levant and Gershwin become good friends; under what Oscar stated, they agree that Gershwin was a master composer, and he wasn't.

In 1952, Oscar Levant suffered a massive heart attack, which altered his confidence, causing him to fall into a deep depression. And on August 14, 1972, Levant passed away. Oscar Levant stated that he nurtured two characteristics in his life, jealousy and revenge, but he forgot to add a remarkable genius who was way ahead of his time. Regardless of if you know anything about Oscar Levant, Goodnight Oscar is a play you do not want to miss.

Let's Play Highly Recommend Goodnight Oscar at Goodman Theater.

Goodman Theatre

Good Night Oscar

Written by Doug Wright

Directed by Lisa Peterson

Playing Now until April 24, 2022