Sean Hayes plays pianist Oscar Levant in 'Goodnight, Oscar' at GoodmanTheatre HedyWeissCritic says the performance is a 'remarkable star turn ... that is so riveting, and so real, that you might begin to wonder if Levant has been fully reincarnated.'
Oscar Levant was a virtuosic pianist, conflicted champion of George Gershwin, conductor, film actor, author, proudly uncensored comic and commentator, television personality and self-confessed victim of mental illness. And all this is brilliantly encapsulated in this widely circulated observation that “There is a thin line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line.
Wright’s play hones in on one nearly calamitous night in 1958 that marked the first time “The Tonight Show,” the immensely popular late night talk show hosted by Jack Paar , would be broadcast from Hollywood. And while Levant’s razor-like, taboo-breaking wit and musical talent made him a favorite of Paar, his often scandalous humor and self-revealing, off-the-cuff remarks triggered immense fear in Bob Sarnoff , the president of NBC, who believed the network’s future might be imperiled by the performer’s unfiltered conversation with Paar.
Much of this is captured in the time before Levant finally arrives on “The Tonight Show” set, with Hayes’ breathtaking, near melt-down, pill-popping, OCD-driven behavior conjured to chilling effect. But it is only the beginning of Levant’s tour de force performance — and uncannily matched by Hayes — that is full of scandalous yet laugh-inducing wisecracks as well as an unvarnished openness about mental illness that was far ahead of its time.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The Oscar Race is Extremely Loud, and Incredibly Too Close to CallThis past weekend proved to be a wild ride on the awards circuit. The Producers Guild of America Awards bestowed their top honors upon Apple Original Film’s “CODA” on Saturday nig…
Read more »
Oscar Best Actress winner from the year you were bornStacker looked back at all the Best Actress winners since the first Academy Awards ceremony to highlight major achievements in film history.
Read more »
Oscar Best Actor winner from the year you were bornTo commemorate actors who have gained this accolade while readying for this year’s winner, Stacker found the Best Actor winner from every year since 1928.
Read more »
The 2022 Oscar Nominated Scores, Ranked, from ‘Dune’ to ‘Encanto’From a spice planet to the end of our planet, this year's Oscar-nominated scores show a wide range of talents from some of the world's best composers.
Read more »