Although I don’t morally agree with the woman filming George Clooney from the front row — don’t worry, an usher eventually asked her to stop — I couldn’t help but wish she would send me the clips she filmed so I could watch the show over and over again.
“Good Night and Good Luck” began performances on Broadway last Wednesday, and I was lucky enough to see its third performance on Friday night.
Having never even heard of the titular movie the play was based on, I went into the show blind.
All I knew was that it was about Edward R. Murrow, a mid-1900s broadcaster and war correspondent, and starred George Clooney. Based on my knowledge of Murrow, I assumed the show would be something related to radio and the Blitz.
Once the show began, I quickly realized “Good Night and Good Luck” takes place around 20 years after Murrow’s infamous radio broadcasting during World War II. Instead, the show centers around Murrow’s TV reporting at CBS during the McCarthy trials.
As soon as the curtains pulled back and the set pieces rolled in, I was amazed by the level of detail that went into the set. The smoky cigarettes that nearly every performer totes around the stage add another layer of sensory detail that brings you physically into the world the show is recreating.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the show ends up being nominated for many design-related Tonys. Through filming a faux broadcast live on stage, characters interact with pre-recorded interviews from Murrow’s actual CBS broadcasts at the time.
It is an absolute masterclass in how we can use modern technology in theater without getting lazy.
The cast further brings the show to life with their stellar performances. George Clooney’s name is above the show title on the marquee, a position he earned not just by his star status but by his incredibly real portrayal of Murrow.
Clooney manages to channel Murrow’s energy without feeling like an impersonator.
Clooney isn’t the only one with star factor in the cast, though. The entire cast is spectacular, both in delivering what’s on the page and what isn’t. Their background improvisation work is the last piece of the puzzle that truly makes you feel like a fly on the wall of the actual CBS broadcasting studio.
Some performers are actually stronger in their background work than in their line delivery, including Ilana Glazer. Glazer’s performance as Shirley Wershba is one of the weakest in the show — and in the comedian’s entire esteemed career. For someone known for being hilarious and authentic, Glazer’s performance was surprisingly stiff and bland.
On the other hand, a major standout in the cast is Georgia Heers as Ella, the jazz singer who sings all the songs used in the show. Her voice is clear and velvety, and her stage presence is absolutely captivating.
She isn’t given many opportunities to show her straight acting skills, but she manages to tell a story through song that you can’t look away from.
When reading reviews about the show, I saw some social media users upset at the show’s lack of diversity. In an era where DEI programs are being shut down left and right, it is definitely jarring to see a cast composed of mostly white men.
I have always been a firm advocate for the importance of representation. I do think we need more stories on Broadway — or just out in the world in general — that represent a diverse range of people and experiences. These shows need to be casted with people who can authentically tell their stories.
While, in general, it’s refreshing to see actors from marginalized backgrounds reclaim roles originally written for white men, I have to give the casting team for “Good Night and Good Luck” a pass. The lack of diversity tells an unfortunate story in itself that would be erased or rewritten if cast differently.
Newsrooms were historically dominated by men — particularly white men. The lack of diversity should shock the audience, bearing the truth of who was given a voice during this time period. As a white man, the real Edward R. Murrow had the power to use his voice for good — which he did in calling attention to the injustice of the HUAC trials.
Moreover, the casting isn’t the only way the show makes a political statement. Even as someone who considers themself politically active, I often find attempts to shoehorn in commentary about our modern world super awkward.
While I agree that our world is crazy and frightening, I find that drawing unnecessary parallels to other dark periods in history often takes a sharp turn into excessive fear-mongering.
However, the parallels drawn in “Good Night and Good Luck” are incredibly tasteful — and, unfortunately, incredibly accurate.
Besides a quick exchange between Clooney’s Murrow and Clark Gregg’s Don Hollenbeck about how it seems like all the sane people in government have disappeared to Europe, the show refrains from embedding any direct statements that could be seen as commentary about the current state of our world.
Instead, the play tells a full story about the fear and propaganda that dominated the McCarthy era, allowing the audience to come to their own conclusions.
This decision makes Clooney’s final monologue and the accompanying newsreel so much more jarring and impactful.
As a sort of fourth-wall-breaking mesh between himself and Murrow, Clooney delivers a monologue about the power of media to both inform and distract us, followed by a montage of some of the biggest broadcast news stories and TV moments over the past 70 years.
While the montage begins as a bit of a nostalgic romp through time, the pace begins to hasten as we draw closer to the present moment.
The final shot? Elon Musk “giving his heart out” to the audience.
Clooney soon signs off and leaves us here in the present, left to grapple with the questions the show raises about power, truth and accountability.
“Good Night and Good Luck” tells an old story that many have heard before — quite literally if you’ve seen the movie — but in such a new way that is equally cathartic as it is frightening.
