Good Night, Oscar at North Coast Repertory

He was the funniest man in the room. And the most unfiltered. North Coast Repertory Theatre presents the West Coast Premiere of Good Night, Oscar, Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright's compassionate and wickedly funny portrait of Oscar Levant — pianist, actor, composer, and legendary wit whose sharp tongue was matched only by his profound musical genius. Set during a fateful 1958 appearance on The Jack Paar Show, this electrifying play captures one unforgettable night in the life of Hollywood's most neurotic and uncensored personality: a tortured artist wrestling with mental illness, addiction, and the price of fame, yet never losing his capacity for devastating honesty and breathtaking artistry. On Broadway, Sean Hayes won the 2023 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance as Levant. Equal parts comedy and tragedy, Good Night, Oscar is a love letter to the golden age of television and a showcase for theatrical virtuosity — the story of a man performing himself for an audience, decades before the internet made everyone do it.

"A play that is as funny as it is tragic." — Jack The Lad Magazine

"Perennially relevant... provides a deeply thoughtful take on how social hypocrisies drive popular culture." — Chicago Sun-Times

"Blisteringly funny, razor-sharp and deeply moving." – NY Times

"A waspish, compulsive, meticulously well-crafted piece of theatre" - WhatsOnStage

Tom Frey directs David Corlew* (Oscar Levant), Megan Carmitchel (June Levant), Jay DeYonker* (George Gershwin), Isaiah Frazilus (Alvin Finney), Brian Mackey* (Jack Paar), Jason Maddy* (Bob Sarnoff), and Wyatt VanHazel (Max Weinbaum). Shannon Humiston* is Stage Manager & Kinzey Eastin Production Assistant.The Design Team includes. Michael Wogulus (Set Design), Matthew Novotny (Light Design), Elisa Benzoni (Costume Design), Tristan King (Sound Design) and Chrisopher Williams (Props Design). Crew includes Clarence Lightfoot.

*The actor or stage manager appears through the courtesy of Actors' Equity Association.

For photos, go to www.northcoastrep.org/press.

GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR previews begin Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at 8:00 pm, with a Friday preview matinee at 2:00 pm. Opening Night September 19. Closing Night is Sunday, October 18, 2026. The show runs Wednesdays, Thursdays, Friday and Sundays at 7:00 pm, a Saturday evenings at 8:00 pm, and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00 pm. Additional matinees are added September 18 and October 2 at 2:00 pm.

North Coast Rep is located at 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach, CA 92075. For complete performance schedule and ticket information, call 858-481-1055, or visit www.northcoastrep.org.

One night. One man. Absolutely no filter. Come discover Hollywood's brightest, most unfiltered mind — before the world decided everyone had to perform themselves.