Headliner Chicago
  • Video of the Day
    • Superman - Editor's Review
    • Jurassic World: Rebirth - Editor's Review
    • Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning - - Editor's Review
    • Mother's Day suggestions in chicagoland
    • how to celebrate st. Patrick's day the chicago way
    • Paddington in Peru - Editor's Review
    • An interview with Benjamin Ingrosso
    • Queer - Editor's Review
    • Wicked - Editor's Review
    • ARC music festival 2024
    • Beetlejuice Beetlejuice - Editor's Review
    • Labor Day Fun - the unofficial end of BRAT summer
    • Lollapalooza 2024 Recap
    • Pride events in chicagoland
    • Star Wars Celebrations for May the 4th
    • Mother's Day shows in Chicagoland
    • How to best experience Monday's solar eclipse
    • It's time to visit Rosemont this Spring & Summer
    • Possible surprise guests at Lollapalooza 2024
    • Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire - Editor's Review
    • The editor's predictions for lollapalooza 2024
    • A Preview of Chicago's Concert Festivals
    • Spring & Summer shows in Las Vegas
  • The Weekender
  • Theatre Reviews
    • & Juliet
    • Network
    • Little Bear Ridge Road
    • Death Becomes Her
    • The Thanksgiving Play
    • Mrs. Doubtfire - A Musical Comedy
    • Boop! The Musical
    • La Cage Aux Folles
  • Archives
    • Last Minute Valentine's Day Gifts
    • where to celebrate "the Big Game" in chicago
    • A trip to Delightful Pastries - A paczki paradise in Chicago.
    • Chicago celebrates Madonna's Tour Stop
    • Wonka - Editor's Review
    • Mean Girls - Editor's Review
    • Chicagoland's Winter Holiday Pop-Ups
    • Saltburn - Editor's Review
    • A First Look at the 59th Chicago Film Festival
    • Unique movie experiences in Chicagoland
    • Trolls Band Together - Editor's Review
    • Family fun activities in Chicagoland
    • Moulin Rouge! The Musical!
    • Barbie - Editor's Review
    • Halloween Celebrations in the Chicagoland Area
    • Moulin Rouge! The Musical!
    • Hocus Pocus 2 - Editor's Review
    • Top Gun: Maverick - Editor's Review
    • The Lost City - Editor's Review
    • I Want You Back - Editor's Review
    • Top 10 Headliner Chicago Videos of 2023
    • how to celebrate st. Patrick's day the chicago way
    • POTUS
    • Marry Me - Editor's Review
    • A sneak preview of the reeling film fest
    • Subsurface - Editor's Review
    • King James
    • Haunted Mansion - Editor's Review
    • Scream - Editor's Review
    • Encanto - Editor's Review
    • Scream 6 - Editor's Review
    • Good Night, Oscar
    • A Recipe for Disaster
    • MJ: the Musical
    • Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!
    • Hamilton
    • Spooky Weekend Guide for Kids and Families
    • how to celebrate galentine's day in Chicagoland
    • Tiffany - interview
    • Time Out Market
    • A Sneak Preview of the 17th Annual Chicago Restaurant Week
    • Chicagoland celebrates Elvis Presley's 89th Birthday
    • Top 10 Headliner Chicago Videos of 2022
    • Holiday Shows in Chicagoland
    • Thema Houston - Interview
    • Let's Celebrate Taylor Swift the Chicago way!
    • The Beatrix Potter Holiday Tea Party
    • Museum of Illusions
    • Love Actually? An Unauthorized Musical Parody
    • Jay Sethi - Diageo Beer Company (Guinness Tap Room)
    • Movie picks for National Cinema Day
    • FREE TICKETS - I Want You Back - SNEEK PREVIEW
    • 57th Annual Chicago International Film Festival
    • Halloween Films Set in Illinois
    • Dear Evan Hansen - Editor's Review
    • Summer theatre performances for kids
    • Disney's Frozen
    • The Green Knight - Editor's Review
    • ARC Music Festival - Editor's Review
    • The Tomorrow War - Editor's Review
    • Wolfgang - Editor's Review
    • A Christmas Story Christmas - Editor's Review
    • Museum of Illusions
    • Swissotel's Santa Suite
    • Explore magical fun in Chicago this summer
    • To-Go Valentine's Day menu from Chicagoland hot spots
    • Top 10 Headliner Chicago Videos of 2021
    • 10 Acts to See at Lollapalooza
    • New Year's Eve Outfit - A trip to Primark
    • No Hard Feelings - Editor's Review
    • Family Shows & Musicals Coming to Chicagoland
    • Elton John at Lollapalooza?
    • Theatre Camp - Editor's Review
    • St. Patrick's Day Events in Chicago
    • Cinco De Mayo in Chicago
    • Mafia Mamma - Editor's Review
    • Disney's The Little Mermaid - Editor's Review
    • Chicago is the home for great comedy this February
    • Santa Suite, breakfast with Santa & more at Swissotel this holiday season
    • Chevy Chase coming to suburban Raising Cane's for holiday lighting
    • Chicago is about to become "Harry's House"
    • Park Ridge's Pickwick Theatre is closing
    • Chicagoland Pride Celebrations
    • SPOILER ALERT: Gaga's Chromatica Ball preview & setlist
    • Chicagoland's Winter Holiday Pop-Ups
    • Lollapalooza - Surprise Guests & Backstage Celebs
    • Etty Farrell on favorite Lollapalooza performance & special memory with Dua Lipa
    • A sneak preview of the Reeling Film Festival
    • Kick off the weekend with these Chicago holiday traditions
    • Concert Review - The Smashing Pumpkins at the Metro
    • CONCERT REVIEW: Dua Lipa
    • Revisiting Lady Gaga's Favorite Chicago Spots
  • About Dad Time
    • Despicable Me 4 - Editor's Review
    • chicagoland summer activities for kids
    • Kung Fu Panda 4 - Editor's Review
    • Chicagoland Kid-Friendly Events in March
    • Spring break ideas for a chicago staycation
    • Visit St. Charles this February

Good Night, Oscar; Hello, Sean
A stellar performance by TV's Hayes makes this Goodman production
​the must-see show of the spring

Good Night, Oscar
THEATRE REVIEW
​
By Andy Sinclair
Headliner Chicago


Picture
There is an old showbiz adage that says that no publicity is bad publicity. 

​Celebrities, politicians and pundits alike know that if the public is buzzing over a comment heard on TV, more eyes will go to that show.  These “water cooler moments” have been a significant part of television history and have outlasted the term that defined the conversations.  The water cooler may have replaced Twitter trends and viral moments, but the desire for controversy to inspire ratings is as vibrant as ever.  


It is also the perfect fodder for the newest - and best play - currently on the boards in Chicago.
Picture
The plot is perfect for a tight ninety-minute play: It is 1958 and Tonight Show host Jack Parr has come to Los Angeles to test his fledgling late night show in a setting outside of New York.  On his premiere night of this experimental tour, Parr has booked his friend Oscar Levant as his first guest.  Levat is notorious for his caustic humor, his controversial stands, and his brilliance on the piano.  For Parr, he is the perfect guest to create buzz for a show in need of more eyes; for Levant, this booking is his four hour pass from the mental institution he has been in for the last month.  Over the next hour and half, audiences are able to laugh, gasp, cringe, and cry over the words said and decisions made in this controversial appearance.  We are also able to evaluate the evolution of mental illness and television’s undying need to exploit the struggles of the most vulnerable.  

Good Night, Oscar is a stellar addition to the remarkable works of playwright Doug Wright, who has dazzled Chicago audiences with his previous scripts like I Am My Own Wife, Grey Gardens and Quills.  It is also the perfect star vehicle for Sean Hayes, who will attract an audience excited to see “Just Jack” on stage, but will leave them in awe of the range of this amazing performer.  Hayes embodies Levant’s voice, physicality, and emotional shifts with an ease and skill rarely seen.  He deftly volleys the comedic jabs with authenticity and an underscored sense that this is a man both in his glory and in extreme pain.  This play is built for an actor with his talents.  I fear any performer who takes on this role after Hayes - the enormous shoes have already been formed.
Picture
The rest of the whip smart cast is equal to the star’s talents.  This is an ensemble who understands the world of the play and its relevance to modern audiences.  Lisa Peterson’s direction is simple and powerful; she creates spacious boundaries for these dynamic performers to battle and is a master at harnessing tension until the dams must break free.  The set design by Rachel Hauck is equally impressive in its simplicity. The daunting starkness of the NBC studio is the perfect metaphor for Levant’s mind: the sterile padded walls suggest that television may be as confining for Oscar as the institution he finds himself living in.

There are not enough words to commend this amazing new work at the Goodman Theatre.  There are surprises galore in this production; resist the urge to read spoilers before you attend.  This play is on the fast track to Broadway and I cannot suggest enough to catch this train before it leaves Chicago.

​
4 stars (out of four)

Good Night, Oscar
Now Playing through April 24, 2022


Goodman Theatre
170 North Dearborn
Chicago, Illinois 60601
https://www.goodmantheatre.org/Oscar​
Picture
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Video of the Day
    • Superman - Editor's Review
    • Jurassic World: Rebirth - Editor's Review
    • Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning - - Editor's Review
    • Mother's Day suggestions in chicagoland
    • how to celebrate st. Patrick's day the chicago way
    • Paddington in Peru - Editor's Review
    • An interview with Benjamin Ingrosso
    • Queer - Editor's Review
    • Wicked - Editor's Review
    • ARC music festival 2024
    • Beetlejuice Beetlejuice - Editor's Review
    • Labor Day Fun - the unofficial end of BRAT summer
    • Lollapalooza 2024 Recap
    • Pride events in chicagoland
    • Star Wars Celebrations for May the 4th
    • Mother's Day shows in Chicagoland
    • How to best experience Monday's solar eclipse
    • It's time to visit Rosemont this Spring & Summer
    • Possible surprise guests at Lollapalooza 2024
    • Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire - Editor's Review
    • The editor's predictions for lollapalooza 2024
    • A Preview of Chicago's Concert Festivals
    • Spring & Summer shows in Las Vegas
  • The Weekender
  • Theatre Reviews
    • & Juliet
    • Network
    • Little Bear Ridge Road
    • Death Becomes Her
    • The Thanksgiving Play
    • Mrs. Doubtfire - A Musical Comedy
    • Boop! The Musical
    • La Cage Aux Folles
  • Archives
    • Last Minute Valentine's Day Gifts
    • where to celebrate "the Big Game" in chicago
    • A trip to Delightful Pastries - A paczki paradise in Chicago.
    • Chicago celebrates Madonna's Tour Stop
    • Wonka - Editor's Review
    • Mean Girls - Editor's Review
    • Chicagoland's Winter Holiday Pop-Ups
    • Saltburn - Editor's Review
    • A First Look at the 59th Chicago Film Festival
    • Unique movie experiences in Chicagoland
    • Trolls Band Together - Editor's Review
    • Family fun activities in Chicagoland
    • Moulin Rouge! The Musical!
    • Barbie - Editor's Review
    • Halloween Celebrations in the Chicagoland Area
    • Moulin Rouge! The Musical!
    • Hocus Pocus 2 - Editor's Review
    • Top Gun: Maverick - Editor's Review
    • The Lost City - Editor's Review
    • I Want You Back - Editor's Review
    • Top 10 Headliner Chicago Videos of 2023
    • how to celebrate st. Patrick's day the chicago way
    • POTUS
    • Marry Me - Editor's Review
    • A sneak preview of the reeling film fest
    • Subsurface - Editor's Review
    • King James
    • Haunted Mansion - Editor's Review
    • Scream - Editor's Review
    • Encanto - Editor's Review
    • Scream 6 - Editor's Review
    • Good Night, Oscar
    • A Recipe for Disaster
    • MJ: the Musical
    • Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!
    • Hamilton
    • Spooky Weekend Guide for Kids and Families
    • how to celebrate galentine's day in Chicagoland
    • Tiffany - interview
    • Time Out Market
    • A Sneak Preview of the 17th Annual Chicago Restaurant Week
    • Chicagoland celebrates Elvis Presley's 89th Birthday
    • Top 10 Headliner Chicago Videos of 2022
    • Holiday Shows in Chicagoland
    • Thema Houston - Interview
    • Let's Celebrate Taylor Swift the Chicago way!
    • The Beatrix Potter Holiday Tea Party
    • Museum of Illusions
    • Love Actually? An Unauthorized Musical Parody
    • Jay Sethi - Diageo Beer Company (Guinness Tap Room)
    • Movie picks for National Cinema Day
    • FREE TICKETS - I Want You Back - SNEEK PREVIEW
    • 57th Annual Chicago International Film Festival
    • Halloween Films Set in Illinois
    • Dear Evan Hansen - Editor's Review
    • Summer theatre performances for kids
    • Disney's Frozen
    • The Green Knight - Editor's Review
    • ARC Music Festival - Editor's Review
    • The Tomorrow War - Editor's Review
    • Wolfgang - Editor's Review
    • A Christmas Story Christmas - Editor's Review
    • Museum of Illusions
    • Swissotel's Santa Suite
    • Explore magical fun in Chicago this summer
    • To-Go Valentine's Day menu from Chicagoland hot spots
    • Top 10 Headliner Chicago Videos of 2021
    • 10 Acts to See at Lollapalooza
    • New Year's Eve Outfit - A trip to Primark
    • No Hard Feelings - Editor's Review
    • Family Shows & Musicals Coming to Chicagoland
    • Elton John at Lollapalooza?
    • Theatre Camp - Editor's Review
    • St. Patrick's Day Events in Chicago
    • Cinco De Mayo in Chicago
    • Mafia Mamma - Editor's Review
    • Disney's The Little Mermaid - Editor's Review
    • Chicago is the home for great comedy this February
    • Santa Suite, breakfast with Santa & more at Swissotel this holiday season
    • Chevy Chase coming to suburban Raising Cane's for holiday lighting
    • Chicago is about to become "Harry's House"
    • Park Ridge's Pickwick Theatre is closing
    • Chicagoland Pride Celebrations
    • SPOILER ALERT: Gaga's Chromatica Ball preview & setlist
    • Chicagoland's Winter Holiday Pop-Ups
    • Lollapalooza - Surprise Guests & Backstage Celebs
    • Etty Farrell on favorite Lollapalooza performance & special memory with Dua Lipa
    • A sneak preview of the Reeling Film Festival
    • Kick off the weekend with these Chicago holiday traditions
    • Concert Review - The Smashing Pumpkins at the Metro
    • CONCERT REVIEW: Dua Lipa
    • Revisiting Lady Gaga's Favorite Chicago Spots
  • About Dad Time
    • Despicable Me 4 - Editor's Review
    • chicagoland summer activities for kids
    • Kung Fu Panda 4 - Editor's Review
    • Chicagoland Kid-Friendly Events in March
    • Spring break ideas for a chicago staycation
    • Visit St. Charles this February