George Clooney's Broadway debut 'Good Night, and Good Luck' becomes first live play broadcast on CNN
George Clooney has made Broadway history with Good Night, and Good Luck, which became the first live Broadway performance broadcast on CNN and CNN.com.
The event aired on Saturday, June 7, from the Winter Garden Theatre, where Clooney starred as veteran journalist Edward R. Murrow in his Broadway debut. The milestone marks a significant moment in theatre and television broadcasting.
Clooney, who directed the 2005 film adaptation of the same story, co-wrote the stage version with Grant Heslov.
The play, directed by David Cromer, has also broken records as the highest-grossing play in Broadway history, becoming the first to surpass $4 million in a single week. Nominated for five Tony Awards, it includes Clooney's nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play.
CNN's Mark Thompson noted the play's deeper relevance, stating, 'Good Night, and Good Luck is not just a celebration of a golden age in TV journalism. It's also about the importance of the free press and the need for strong news organisations to report the facts in a fair-minded way.'
The play's limited run concludes on Sunday, June 8. Tickets remain available.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
15 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Maybe Happy Ending' wins big at Tony Awards
Darren Criss wins first Tony for best leading actor in Maybe Happy Ending. Photo: File Maybe Happy Ending, a sweet and futuristic story that follows two obsolete helper robots as they navigate isolation, affection, and what it means to be human, was the big musical winner at the Tony Awards on Sunday, capping a record-grossing post-pandemic Broadway theatre season. The show won three big awards, including best musical. Darren Criss won his first Tony for best leading actor in a musical for his role as the innocent Oliver, and its director Michael Arden won the award for best director of a musical. The modern reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic Sunset Blvd. also won big, taking awards for best revival of a musical and for Nicole Scherzinger, who stars as the faded movie star Norma Desmond, won best actress in a musical. The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Purpose won the best play award. Written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, the play follows a family whose carefully constructed legacy unravels when their youngest son returns home with an unexpected guest, exposing buried secrets and faith-based conflict. Host Cynthia Erivo, the Wicked film star, opened the show at Radio City Music Hall with a walk to the stage from the dressing room that mimicked actor Tom Francis' viral post-intermission live outdoor Manhattan stroll as he sings the title song in Sunset Blvd. 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. Cole Escola won the Tony for best lead actor in a play for his creation Oh, Mary! The show, Escola's reimagining of Mary Todd Lincoln's life and relationship with husband Abraham Lincoln, blends historical satire with absurd camp. The show also earned Sam Pinkleton the Tony for best director of a play. TV's Succession star Sarah Snook, who made her Broadway debut this season, won the award for best leading actress in a play for her tour-de-force performance of more than two dozen roles in The Picture of Dorian Gray. The original cast of Hamilton, including the show's creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, reunited to perform an electric medley in honour of the musical's 10th anniversary. The number also served as a reintroduction to Leslie Odom Jr as Aaron Burr, a role he will resume in the production later this year for a limited time. Francis Jue won best actor in a featured role in a play for Yellow Face. He thanked the Asian American actors who came before him and addressed the next generation: "This community sees you and I hope that encourages you to be brave, and to dream and to dream big." Reuters
Express Tribune
18 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni's $400 million defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds
A federal judge has dismissed actor and director Justin Baldoni's $400 million defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, marking a significant development in the legal feud stemming from the 2024 film It Ends With Us. The ruling, issued Monday by Judge Lewis J. Liman, also included the dismissal of Baldoni's $250 million libel suit against The New York Times. Baldoni, who co-starred and directed the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's novel, had alleged that Lively, Reynolds, and publicist Leslie Sloane defamed him in connection with Lively's civil rights complaint filed in December 2024. The complaint included allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, and a smear campaign during and after the film's production. Baldoni, who has denied the allegations, filed his countersuit in January. According to court documents obtained by multiple outlets including Page Six and CNN, Judge Liman determined that Lively's complaint was protected by legal privilege under California law, which shields such statements made in civil rights proceedings. Additionally, the court ruled that Baldoni failed to show that Reynolds, Sloane, or The New York Times acted with 'actual malice' or seriously doubted the truth of the statements in question—criteria necessary to sustain a defamation claim. The court allowed Baldoni until June 23 to amend two claims: breach of the implied covenant of good faith and tortious interference with contract. These claims relate to alleged disruptions to existing agreements and potential reputational damage involving Reynolds and Lively. In a statement to Page Six, Lively's attorneys, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, called the decision a 'total victory and a complete vindication.' They further criticized Baldoni's lawsuit as a 'sham' and stated their intent to pursue attorneys' fees, punitive damages, and treble damages. While Baldoni's legal team did not immediately respond to requests for comment, the broader legal battle remains active, with a trial date set for March 2026.
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business Recorder
Pulitzer drama ‘Purpose' takes top play at Broadway's 2025 Tonys
NEW YORK: The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama 'Purpose' won the 2025 best play award at the annual Tony Awards during a gala ceremony on Sunday night, capping a record-grossing post-pandemic Broadway theater season. Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' play follows a family whose carefully constructed legacy unravels when their youngest son returns home with an unexpected guest, exposing buried secrets and faith-based conflict. 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. Host Cynthia Erivo, the 'Wicked' film star, opened the show at Radio City Music Hall with a walk to the stage from the dressing room that mimicked actor Tom Francis' viral post-intermission live outdoor Manhattan stroll as he sings the title song in 'Sunset Blvd.' TV's 'Succession' star Sarah Snook, who made her Broadway debut this season, won best leading actress in a play for her tour-de-force performance of more than two dozen roles in 'The Picture of Dorian Gray.' Francis Jue won best actor in a featured role in a play for 'Yellow Face.' He thanked the Asian American actors who came before him and addressed the next generation: 'This community sees you and I hope that encourages you to be brave, and to dream and to dream big.' The original cast of 'Hamilton,' including the show's creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, reunited to perform an electric medley in honor of the musical's 10th anniversary. 'Stranger Things' play wins Tony Awards, setting stage for TV series finale The number also served as a re-introduction to Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr, a role he will resume in the production later this year for a limited time. Kara Young, who was nominated for a Tony in the role of featured actress in a play four years in a row, won for the second year in a row for her role in the 2025 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama 'Purpose.' Natalie Venetia Belcon won the award for best featured actress in a musical for her role as Cuban singer Omara Portuondo in 'Buena Vista Social Club.' Other awards remained to be announced. Alongside the creative highs this year were 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. 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. Four-time Tony-winning actor and writer Harvey Fierstein received a special Tony Award for lifetime achievement in the Theater. 'I dedicate this award to the people in the dark,' he said, 'and I offer my most profound thanks to the people in my community.' Tony winner Celia Keenan-Bolger received the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award for her dedication to advocacy work through the arts, including helping to found the Gavin Creel Fellowship, which Keenan-Bolger said will benefit young actors who don't come from money when they arrive in New York City, as Creel requested. Creel died at age 48 from a rare form of cancer in September. Darren Criss, a Tony nominee this year for 'Maybe Happy Ending,' and Renée Elise Goldsberry, who won a 2016 Tony for her performance in 'Hamilton,' announced technical awards in a pre-show ceremony which included best original score for 'Maybe Happy Ending'; best costume design for 'Death Becomes Her'; best scenic design for a musical for 'Maybe Happy Ending' and best lighting for 'Sunset Blvd.'
