A new production at Farmers Alley Theatre brings a complex American artist to life as Good Night, Oscar opens Friday, Apr 16 in collaboration with the Gilmore Piano Festival.
In a conversation with Cara Lieurance, artistic director Jeremy Koch says the play continues a fruitful partnership between the two organizations. “It’s just been a wonderful collaboration,” he says, noting past productions that explored iconic musicians. This time, the focus is pianist, actor, and wit Oscar Levant, whose 1958 appearance on The Tonight Show frames the story.
Directed by Suzanne Regan, the play examines Levant’s brilliance alongside his struggles with mental health, addiction, and self-doubt. Regan describes him as “totally unmasked… and fearless when it came to what was going on in his heart and in his mind,” while also emphasizing his vulnerability.
Actor David Corlew, who portrays Levant, says discovering the figure has been a revelation. “It’s been really fun to learn about him,” Corlew says, highlighting Levant’s wide-ranging career as a concert pianist, film actor, and radio personality. He adds that Levant’s fame surged through the quiz show Information Please, where his sharp, unscripted humor stood out.
The production also explores Levant’s inner life. Corlew notes the pianist’s compulsions and anxieties, explaining how success fed a cycle of fear and ritual. “Every time that he was successful, he didn’t know how to repeat that,” he says.
Despite its historical setting, Corlew calls it “a very relatable story about how to break patterns in your life and have hope moving forward.” Corlew, who grew up in a family of musicians, will play an adaptation of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue on a 7-foot Steinway provided by the Gilmore Piano Festival during each performance. Levant was considered Gershwin's foremost interpreter after Gershwin died in 1937 at age 38.
Tickets are available at the Farmers Alley Theatre website. Many shows have sold out already.
This article was summarized by ChatGPT and edited by the author.
