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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Good Night, and Good Luck' CNN live broadcast brings George Clooney's play to the masses
Saturday afternoon out west and evening back east, as citizens faced off against ICE agents in the streets of Los Angeles, "Good Night, and Good Luck," George Clooney's 2005 dramatic film tribute to CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow, became a Major Television Event, broadcast live from Manhattan's Winter Garden Theater, by CNN and Max. That it was made available free to anyone with an internet connection, via the CNN website, was a nice gesture to theater fans, Clooney stans and anyone interested to see how a movie about television translates into a play about television. The broadcast is being ballyhooed as historic, the first time a play has been aired live from Broadway. And while there is no arguing with that fact, performances of plays have been recorded onstage before, and are being so now. It's a great practice; I wish it were done more often. At the moment, is streaming recent productions of Cole Porter's "Kiss Me, Kate!," the Bob Dylan-scored "Girl From the North Country," David Henry Hwang's "Yellow Face" and the Pulitzer Prize-winning mental health rock musical "Next to Normal." Britain's National Theater at Home subscription service offers a wealth of classical and modern plays, including Andrew Scott's one-man "Vanya," as hot a ticket in New York this spring as Clooney's play. And the archives run deep; that a trip to YouTube can deliver you Richard Burton's "Hamlet" or "Sunday in the Park With George" with Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters is a gift not to be overlooked. Clooney, with co-star Anthony Edwards, had earlier been behind a live broadcast of "Ambush," the fourth season opener of "ER" as a throwback to the particular seat-of-your-pants, walking-on-a-wire energy of 1950s television. (It was performed twice, once for the East and once for the West Coast.) That it earned an audience of 42.71 million, breaking a couple of records in the bargain, suggests that, from a commercial perspective, it was not at all a bad idea. (Reviews were mixed, but critics don't know everything.) Like that episode, the "live" element of Saturday's broadcast was essentially a stunt, though one that ensured, at least, that no post-production editing has been applied, and that if anyone blew a line, or the house was invaded by heckling MAGA hats, or simply disrupted by audience members who regarded the enormous price they paid for a ticket as a license to chatter through the show, it would presumably have been part of the broadcast. None of that happened — but, it could have! (Clooney did stumble over "simple," but that's all I caught.) And, it offered the groundlings at home the chance to see a much-discussed, well-reviewed production only a relatively few were able to see in person — which I applaud on principal and enjoyed in practice — and which will very probably not come again, not counting the next day's final performance. The film, directed by Clooney and co-written with Grant Heslov (who co-wrote the stage version as well), featured the actor as producer and ally Fred W. Friendly to David Strathairn's memorable Murrow. Here, a more aggressive Clooney takes the Murrow role, while Glenn Fleshler plays Friendly. Released during the second term of the Bush administration, the movie was a meditation on the state of things through the prism of 1954 (and a famous framing speech from 1958 about the possibilities and potential failures of television), the fear-fueled demagoguery of Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy, and Murrow's determination to take him on. (The 1954 "See It Now" episode, "A Report on Sen. Joseph McCarthy," helped bring about his end.) As in the film, McCarthy is represented entirely through projected film clips, echoing the way that Murrow impeached the senator with his own words. Read more: CNN will broadcast a Broadway performance of George Clooney in 'Good Night, and Good Luck.' Don't miss it It's a combination of political and backstage drama — with a soupcon of office romance, represented by the secretly married Wershbas (Ilana Glazer and Carter Hudson) — even more hermetically set within the confines of CBS News than was the film. It felt relevant in 2005, before the influence of network news was dissolved in the acid of the internet and an administration began assaulting the legitimate press with threats and lawsuits; but the play's discussions of habeas corpus, due process, self-censoring media and the both-sides-ism that seems increasingly to afflict modern media feel queasily contemporary. "I simply cannot accept that there are, on every story two equal and logical sides to an argument," says Clooney's Murrow to his boss, William F. Paley (an excellent Paul Gross, from the great "Slings & Arrows"). As was shown here, Murrow offered McCarthy equal time on "See It Now" — which he hosted alongside the celebrity-focused "Person to Person," represented by an interview with Liberace — but it proved largely a rope for the senator to hang himself. Though modern stage productions, with their computer-controlled modular parts, can replicate the rhythms and scene changes of a film, there are obvious differences between a movie, where camera angles and editing drive the story. It's an illusion of life, stitched together from bits and pieces. A stage play proceeds in real time and offers a single view (differing, of course, depending on where one sits), within which you direct your attention as you will. What illusions it offers are, as it were, stage magic. It's choreographed, like a dance, which actors must repeat night after night, putting feeling into lines they may speak to one another, but send out to the farthest corners of the theater. Clooney, whose furrowed brow is a good match for Murrow's, did not attempt to imitate him, or perhaps did within the limits of theatrical delivery; he was serious and effective in the role if not achieving the quiet perfection of Strathairn's performance. Scott Pask's set was an ingenious moving modular arrangement of office spaces, backed by a control room, highlighted or darkened as needs be; a raised platform stage left supported the jazz group and vocalist, which, as in the movie, performed songs whose lyrics at times commented slyly on the action. Though television squashed the production into two dimensions, the broadcast nevertheless felt real and exciting; director David Comer let the camera play on the players, rather than trying for a cinematic effect through an excess of close-ups and cutaways. While the play generally followed the lines of the film, there was some rearrangement of scenes, reassignment of dialogue — it was a streamlined cast — and interpolations to make a point, or more directly pitch to 2025. New York news anchor Don Hollenbeck (Clark Gregg, very moving in the only role with an emotional arc) described feeling "hijacked … as if all the reasonable people went to Europe and left us behind," getting a big reaction. One character wondered about opening "the door to news with a dash of commentary — what happens when it isn't Edward R. Murrow minding the store?" A rapid montage of clips tracking the decay of TV news and politics — including Obama's tan suit kerfuffle and the barring of AP for not bowing to Trump's Gulf of America edit and ending with Elon Musk's notorious straight-arm gesture, looking like nothing so much as a Nazi salute — was flown into Clooney's final speech. Last but not least, there is the audience, your stand-ins at the Winter Garden Theatre, which laughed at the jokes and applauded the big speeches, transcribed from Murrow's own. And then, the curtain call, to remind you that whatever came before, the actors are fine, drinking in your appreciation and sending you out happy and exhilarated and perhaps full of hope. A CNN roundtable followed to bring you back to Earth. Sign up for Screen Gab, a free newsletter about the TV and movies everyone's talking about from the L.A. Times. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
CNN
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
How To Watch CNN's Special Presentation of George Clooney's 'Good Night, and Good Luck' on Saturday, June 7 at 7pm ET
June 2nd, 2025 NEW YORK – (JUNE 2, 2025) – CNN will broadcast live the penultimate performance of Good Night, and Good Luck from Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre on Saturday, June 7 at 7pm ET across CNN and CNN International and will stream the event live on and via CNN's apps on connected TVs and mobile devices, without requiring a cable login. This CNN special event will stream live on Max across all subscription plans. This special CNN presentation of the five-time Tony® Award nominated new play by George Clooney and Grant Heslov marks a historic Broadway first: never before has a live play ever been broadcast and televised. CNN anchors Anderson Cooper and Pamela Brown will lead special live coverage. CNN will bring this timely production to audiences around the world, beginning with special live coverage at 6:30pm ET hosted by Brown outside of the Winter Garden Theatre. At 7pm ET, Good Night, and Good Luck will air live on CNN and CNN International and stream live without requiring a cable login via and on connected TVs and mobile apps. It will also stream live on Max across all subscription plans. Immediately following the broadcast, CNN will host an exclusive special to discuss the critically acclaimed production and state of global journalism hosted by Cooper. In this landmark theatrical and live television event, two-time Academy Award® winner and Tony Award® nominated George Clooney makes his Broadway debut as Edward R. Murrow, showcasing his legendary, history-altering, on-air showdown with Senator Joseph McCarthy. As McCarthyism casts a shadow over America, Murrow and his news team choose to confront the growing tide of paranoia and propaganda, even if it means turning the federal government and a worried nation against them. Good Night, and Good Luck recently made history by becoming the highest-grossing play in Broadway history, and the first play to surpass a gross of $4 million in a single week. Nominated for five Tony Awards, Good Night, and Good Luck, co-written by Clooney and Heslov, is directed by Tony Award winner David Cromer. Producers are Seaview, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Jean Doumanian and Robert Fox. Based on the 2929 Entertainment and Participant film of the same name distributed by Warner Bros. and written by the same authors, the following actors portray real life figures alongside Mr. Clooney as Murrow: Mac Brandt as Colonel Anderson, Will Dagger as Don Hewitt, Christopher Denham as John Aaron, Glenn Fleshler as Fred Friendly, Ilana Glazer as Shirley Wershba, Clark Gregg as Don Hollenbeck, Paul Gross as William S. Paley, Georgia Heers as Ella, Carter Hudson as Joe Wershba, Fran Kranz as Palmer Williams, Jennifer Morris as Millie Green, Michael Nathanson as Eddie Scott, Andrew Polk as Charlie Mack, Aaron Roman Weiner as Don Surine with R. Ward Duffy, Joe Forbrich, Imani Rousselle, Greg Stuhr, JD Taylor, and Sophia Tzougros rounding out the ensemble. The creative team for Good Night, and Good Luck includes Tony Award winner Scott Pask (scenic design), Heather Gilbert (lighting design), David Bengali (video/projections design), Daniel Kluger (sound design), Brenda Abbandandolo (costume design), Leah J. Loukas (hair & wig design), Gigi Buffington (voice & dialect), Daniel Kluger and Bryan Carter (music supervision), and David Caparelliotis (Casting Director). Good Night, and Good Luck is produced by Seaview, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Jean Doumanian and Robert Fox. PRESS CONTACT ASSETS To download production photos, click here. An additional portrait featuring the entire cast on stage can be downloaded here. ###
CNN
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
CNN to air 'Good Night, and Good Luck' Live on Saturday, June 7
May 15th, 2025 Special Presentation to Air Live on CNN, CNN International, and NEW YORK – (May 15, 2025) – CNN announced today that Good Night, and Good Luck , the critically-acclaimed new play by George Clooney and Grant Heslov that has shattered box office records and is now nominated for five 2025 Tony Awards, will air its penultimate performance at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre live on Saturday, June 7 at 7pm ET across CNN, CNN International and streaming on This announcement marks a historic Broadway first: never before has a live play ever been televised. Mr. Clooney commented, 'I can't tell you how exciting it is to do something that's never been done. CNN is the perfect place to bring this story of courage to so many more people than we could have ever hoped. Live TV. No net. Buckle up everyone.' In this landmark theatrical and live television event, two-time Academy Award® winner and Tony Award®nominated George Clooney makes his Broadway debut as Edward R. Murrow, showcasing his legendary, history-altering, on-air showdown with Senator Joseph McCarthy. As McCarthyism casts a shadow over America, Murrow and his news team choose to confront the growing tide of paranoia and propaganda, even if it means turning the federal government and a worried nation against them. Good Night, and Good Luck closes its theatrical run with a matinee performance on Sunday, June 8 in New York City. ' Good Night, and Good Luck is not just a celebration of a golden age in TV journalism,' said Chairman and CEO of CNN, Mark Thompson. 'It's also about the importance of the free press and the need for strong news organizations to report the facts in a fair-minded way. That's something we still care deeply about.' Before the play's Broadway closing, CNN will bring this timely production to audiences around the world, beginning with special pre-show coverage outside of the theater. Following the production, CNN will host an exclusive Good Night, and Good Luck special to discuss the Tony Award® nominated production and state of global journalism. Good Night, and Good Luck will stream live, without requiring a cable log-in, via CNN connected TV and mobile apps on Saturday, June 7. 'It is an honor to be teaming with George and Grant once again to bring this important story to audiences on Broadway and across the globe on CNN,' said Todd Wagner, CEO and co-founder of 2929 Entertainment. 'This groundbreaking production taking place live on simultaneous platforms aligns with our vision to drive innovation in the media space and seek new ways to reach viewers where they are.' Nominated for five Tony Awards, Good Night, and Good Luck , directed by Tony winner David Cromer, recently made history by becoming the highest-grossing play in Broadway history, and the first play to surpass a gross of $4 million in a single week. In partnership with TodayTix, the production also recently subsidized 2,000 tickets for New York City high school students – including those studying journalism – to attend the show. Good Night, and Good Luck , co-written by Clooney and Heslov, is directed by Tony Award winner David Cromer. Producers are Seaview, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Jean Doumanian and Robert Fox. ### About CNN Worldwide CNN Worldwide is the most honored brand in cable news, reaching more individuals through television, streamingand online than any other cable news organization in the United States. Globally, people across the world can watch CNN International, which is widely distributed in over 200 countries and territories. CNN Digital is the #1 online news destination, with more unique visitors than any other news source. Max, Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming platform, features CNN Max, a 24/7 streaming news offering available to subscribers alongside expanded access to News content and CNN Originals. CNN's award-winning portfolio includes non-scripted programming from CNN Original Series and CNN Films for broadcast, streaming and distribution across multiple platforms. CNN programming can be found on CNN, CNN International and CNN en Español channels, via CNN Max and the CNN Originals hub on discovery+ and via pay TV subscription on CNN apps and cable operator platforms. Additionally, CNN Newsource is the world's most extensively utilized news service partnering with over 1,000 local and international news organizations around the world. CNN is a division of Warner Bros. Discovery. About Warner Bros. Discovery Warner Bros. Discovery is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world's most differentiated and complete portfolio of branded content across television, film, streaming and gaming. Available in more than 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery inspires, informs and entertains audiences worldwide through its iconic brands and products including: Discovery Channel, Max, discovery+, CNN, DC, TNT Sports, Eurosport, HBO, HGTV, Food Network, OWN, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Magnolia Network, TNT, TBS, truTV, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, Warner Bros. Television Group, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, Warner Bros. Games, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies, Discovery en Español, Hogar de HGTV and others. For more information, please visit . Press Contact
