Overview
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. Famous for his witty one-liners, Oscar has a favorite: “There’s a fine line between genius and insanity; I have erased this line.” Tonight, Oscar will prove just that when he appears live on national TV in an episode that Paar’s audience—and the rest of America—won’t soon forget. 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.
Casting & Production
Casting
BOB SARNOFF – Expensively dressed in a dark suit, 40s or 50s. The reigning president of NBC during television’s Golden Age.
JACK PAAR – Bob Sarnoff’s contemporary, and America’s smoothest talker. 30s or 40s.
JUNE LEVANT – Attractive and gracious under pressure, mid-40s. Seemingly put-upon, she actually has a core of steel.
ALVIN FINNEY – A young medical orderly working in the mental ward at Mt. Sinai, with a droll sense of humor and serious ambition. 20s or 30s. African-American.
MAX WEINBAUM – Jack Paar’s new production assistant. 20s. A young man whose ingratiating enthusiasm is matched only by his comic ineptitude.
OSCAR LEVANT – Just over 50, he’s got the face of a movie gangster, the posture of a sad sack, and enough scabrous wit for the whole Algonquin Round Table.
GEORGE GERSHWIN – Charming and rakish. 30s. He’s got the tapered physique of an athlete, a winning grin, and the most celebrated career in American popular music.
Setting
1958.
The play takes place at NBC Television Studios in Burbank in Jack Paar’s dressing room, Oscar Levant’s dressing room, and on the set of The Tonight Show with Jack Paar.
Reviews
“A GOLD MINE! GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR is a play ostensibly about pianist, composer, and noted wit Oscar Levant—through whom the show offers
“commentaries on the nature and burden of genius, exploitation of mental illness, and the polarizing roles of comedy and the media in our society.”
—Entertainment Weekly
“A tour de force! Searing and complex. It’s not to be missed.”
—The Chicago Tribune
“Incredible! GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR is a captivating work, as hysterically funny as it is heartbreaking.”
—New York Stage Review
“Glorious! A show that truly, honestly, and unimpeachably deserves its tumultuous standing ovation. I have seen nothing on the New York stage to match it.”
—The Observer
Media
