A good look at Good Night, and Good Luck; George Clooney's timely revival of truth on trial
AP FILE - George Clooney appears at the "Good Night, and Good Luck" Broadway opening night on April 3, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File)
Amid mounting unrest over sweeping ICE raids in Los Angeles, with protests erupting in Westlake, Paramount, and downtown, some met with flashbangs, tear gas, and the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops, CNN offered a cultural counterpoint.
On Saturday, June 7, the network aired Good Night, and Good Luck live from Broadway, making television history as the first full Broadway production to be broadcast in real time on a major network.
Staged at New York's Winter Garden Theatre, the event featured George Clooney in a lead role and was introduced by CNN anchor Pamela Brown. It was followed by post-show analysis from Anderson Cooper.
Part political theatre, part media spectacle, the broadcast turned a historic play about journalistic integrity into a timely reflection of current events, unfolding against a backdrop of political tension and public protest. CNN's decision to televise the production aligns with its recent attempts to reframe prime-time programming, and many observers hailed the event as both a creative gamble and a bold political statement.
The play, co-written and headlined by Clooney, revisits legendary CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow's takedown of Senator Joseph McCarthy during the 1950s Red Scare. Premiering amid heightened debate around press freedom, media integrity, and authoritarian political trends in the U.S., the production clearly resonates with today's headlines.
Though subdued compared to David Strathairn's Oscar-nominated film portrayal, Clooney's performance conveyed Murrow's quiet steel. The actor-director also helped shape the narrative to reflect today's fractured media landscape, integrating archival imagery, authentic cable graphics, and modern references, including Elon Musk and surveillance politics. Critics noted how this juxtaposition lent fresh urgency to a familiar historical tale.
From a technical standpoint, the production took daring creative liberties. It used screens to project close-ups of Clooney and other actors as they delivered lines, emulating a newsroom in tone and format. Critics from the Los Angeles Times praised this innovation, calling the broadcast 'one of the most stirring offerings of the Broadway season', a rare crossover that made theater more accessible while still carrying artistic weight.Still, some pointed out the irony: high ticket prices and a near-Hollywood cast drew criticism when the show first opened on Broadway, with some theatergoers claiming it priced out traditional audiences. Saturday's CNN airing, free to the public, helped counter that criticism and widened access.This iconic performance sparked a wide range of reactions online. While many lauded the play's political relevance and Clooney's daring as a producer, others found the staging occasionally static and the symbolism heavy-handed. One Reddit user commented, 'Seeing Broadway on CNN was surreal, but watching Murrow fight McCarthyism in 2025 felt more relevant than ever.'Despite critiques, the project was a commercial hit. The production recently broke box office records by earning more than $4 million in a single week, boosted by five Tony nominations, including Best Leading Actor for Clooney.
Above all, Clooney's Good Night and Good Luck succeeded in its larger mission: reasserting journalism's role in safeguarding democracy. As Murrow famously warned in the play and the original film, 'This instrument can teach, it can illuminate... but it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
31 minutes ago
- Mint
Jared Leto faces sexual misconduct allegations from multiple women
Washington [US], June 8 (ANI): Jared Leto, the Oscar-winning actor and frontman of the rock band 'Thirty Seconds to Mars', is facing serious allegations of sexual misconduct from multiple women, some of whom claim they were underage when the incidents occurred. As per reports obtained by People magazine, in an interview, nine women described troubling interactions with the 53-year-old actor. The accounts span over a decade and outline what some allege to be a long-standing pattern of predatory behaviour. Among the accusations, women claim Leto exposed himself, asked sexually explicit questions, and initiated inappropriate contact, sometimes when they were just teenagers. One woman told in the interview, "It's been an open secret for a long time," referring to Leto's alleged behaviour, as quoted by People magazine. According to People magazine, a representative for Leto "expressly denied all allegations" in a statement to the publication in response. One accuser, model Laura La Rue, said she first met Leto at an animal rights event in 2008 when she was 16. After maintaining email contact, she visited his studio in 2009 and alleged that he flirted with her and once emerged naked from a room, as if it were completely ordinary behaviour. "I thought maybe this was just what adult men do," she reflected, as quoted by People magazine. While a representative for Leto claims there was "nothing sexual or inappropriate" in their exchanges and that La Rue even applied to be his assistant, a claim she denies, La Rue insists her experiences were unsettling. Another woman recounted meeting Leto when she was 16 at a cafe in Los Angeles. She alleged that he called her at night, using what she described as a disturbing and sexually charged tone. "He changed his voice, the way he talked. It scared me," she said, adding that he asked invasive questions about her sexual experience. Her mother reportedly overheard the conversations and corroborated her account to the outlet, as per People magazine. Several women allege similar behaviour, including one who claims that during a visit to Leto's home when she was 18, he exposed himself and began masturbating. One woman who attended a party at Leto's home in the early 2000s said she was 18 at the time and observed what she believed was a deliberate effort to encourage young women to skinny dip. "I was definitely not the youngest person there," she said, as quoted by People magazine. A representative for Leto dismissed the allegation, asserting that "there was never any recruiting, complaints or impropriety." Brent Bolthouse, a nightlife promoter who organised events at Leto's residence, said he "never saw anyone skinny-dipping." The allegations gained renewed attention last month when DJ Allie Teilz referenced her own experience on social media, saying she was "assaulted and traumatised by this creep when I was 17," as quoted by People magazine. Leto's team has labelled her accusation as "demonstrably false." As per People magazine, no criminal charges have been filed as of now. (ANI)
Hindustan Times
44 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Tony Awards cap a record-breaking post-pandemic Broadway season
* Cynthia Erivo to host Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall * Season draws 14.7 million attendees and had 43 openings * Historic nominations for diverse actors include Daniel Dae Kim * But $400 premium tickets out of reach for some theater lovers NEW YORK, - Broadway caps a record-breaking season when the New York theater community bestows its annual Tony Awards during a gala ceremony on Sunday night with an array of nominees that leans into originality, diversity and artistic invention. Buoyed by a post-pandemic rebound, the 2024-25 season grossed a record $1.89 billion in revenue and drew 14.7 million attendees, the Broadway League said. Best musical nominees like 'Dead Outlaw,' 'Maybe Happy Ending' and 'Operation Mincemeat' tell unique and untested stories. On the play side, 'Oh, Mary!' and 'Purpose' offer vastly different takes on belief, identity and power. The "Wicked" film star, Tony winner Cynthia Erivo, will host the 8 p.m. ET show from Radio City Music Hall. Alongside the creative highs are economic realities plaguing producers and audiences alike. Premium seats for some productions run upwards from $400, prompting concern that Broadway is increasingly out of reach for casual and younger theater lovers. Even with lotteries and rush ticket programs, demand-driven pricing has become the norm. 'Every show is its own little startup,' said Rashad Chambers, a Tony Award-winning producer whose recent credits include 'Music Man,' 'TopDog/Underdog,' and this season's Tony-nominated 'Purpose.' 'We have to create shows in a way that's affordable. Not just from the ticket-buying standpoint. The budgets are really ballooning out of control, and in my opinion, it's not always warranted,' Chambers told Reuters. RISING PRODUCTION COSTS A FACTOR Jason Laks, president of The Broadway League, said in a statement that rising costs have affected every facet of production, making it harder and harder to bring live theater to the stage. The Broadway League presents the awards along with the American Theatre Wing. This season showcased a wide range of voices and perspectives, with many shows being led by Asian American, Black, Middle Eastern and Hispanic actors and resulting in some historic nominations. Daniel Dae Kim, who starred in the revival of 'Yellow Face' this season, is the first Asian American to be nominated in the category of best leading actor in a play. 'To know that I'm the first is a little curious,' Dae Kim told Reuters, 'but above all it makes me happy and I'm really honored.' Dae Kim said representation on Broadway has been an evolution, not just for the Asian American community but many communities of color, pointing to such shows as 'Purpose,' which centers on a Black family struggling with identity and ambition. 'I look forward to the time where there's so much representation that it's no longer talked about because it's just understood and assumed,' he said. Chambers, the producer, said audiences, too, seemed to be more diverse. 'I feel like I'm seeing more people of color,' he said. 'I'm seeing diverse age ranges. I've seen men and women. We have a lot of plays that are appealing to men this season. And I think that that's really powerful. And so yes, I do think it's getting better.'
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Los Angeles immigration protests: Donald Trump praises National Guard; bans masks in 'radical left' protests
A protester places debris in a fire as Border Patrol personnel in riot gear and gas masks stand guard outside an industrial park in Paramount, California, on Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP) US President Donald Trump on Sunday praised the National Guard for its role in handling immigration protests in Los Angeles, a city in US state of California. He said he had federalized the troops because local and state officials could not manage the situation. 'Great job by the National Guard in Los Angeles after two days of violence, clashes and unrest,' Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. However, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said there were no National Guard troops in the city. "Just to be clear, the National Guard has not been deployed in the City of Los Angeles," she wrote on X. In his post, Trump said he had ordered the deployment after state and local authorities were "unable to handle the task" of controlling the protests in Southern California. The US president also said masks would not be allowed at protests. "MASKS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED to be worn at protests. What do these people have to hide, and why???" he posted. Earlier, Trump had ordered 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles. The White House said the move was aimed at stopping what it called "lawlessness" after protests broke out over immigration enforcement raids. "President Trump has signed a Presidential Memorandum deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester," said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. She blamed California's Democratic leaders for not controlling the situation. "The Trump Administration has a zero tolerance policy for criminal behavior and violence, especially when that violence is aimed at law enforcement officers trying to do their jobs. " Also read: Trump admin steps in; deploys 2,000 soldiers as protests against ICE raids escalate in LA- top developments By taking federal control of California's state military, Trump sent troops into Los Angeles, where they could be in conflict with protesters. California governor Gavin Newsom said the move was "purposefully inflammatory." In the United States, the National Guard is usually called by a state's governor, but Donald Trump has used a provision that allows him to take control himself, Newsom's office was quoted as saying by the AP news agency. The action came after two days of protests, during which federal agents used flash-bang grenades and tear gas on crowds. Protesters were reacting to the arrests of migrants in a city with a large Latino population. As per officials quoted by the New York Times, the raids are part of a new phase of the Trump administration's immigration plan, which will focus more on workplaces.
