‘Good Night time, Oscar’ assessment: Sean Hayes stars in off-key Broadway play

That Sean Hayes transforms within the new play “Good Night, Oscar,” there is no such thing as a doubt. Whether or not the top result’s a human being or a bag of methods is determined by your style for ham.

In Doug Wright’s largely unsatisfying dramedy, which opened Monday evening on Broadway, the “Will & Grace” star takes on the position of Oscar Levant, the virtuoso piano participant, “An American in Paris” actor and humorist who grew to become common — and controversial — throughout the early days of TV. 

A wittier precursor to the likes of Harvey Pekar on “Late Night time With David Letterman,” Levant, who died in 1972, would seem on “Tonight Starring Jack Paar” and make unpredictable cracks about his capsule habit, Hitler and loads of different not family- or network-friendly subjects earlier than brilliantly tickling the ivories.

New York columnist Dorothy Kilgallen as soon as stated of Levant, “I believe he’s stated extra humorous issues than any man of our time.” That’s a daring assertion to make a few fella who most individuals right this moment don’t bear in mind. 

However Levant was, certainly, devilishly hilarious and whip sensible. And so, Wright’s play is suffering from so many punchlines they might be the primary character’s first language.

What’s odd nevertheless is that, regardless of Levant’s insistence within the play that “I don’t write jokes prematurely, I’m extempore,” the zingers come throughout animatronic and limp as delivered by Hayes.

You anticipate to snort a lot greater than you do. The actor is, after all, a genius at delivering a surprising, pre-written one-liner seemingly out of skinny air, as he proved on “Will & Grace.” 

However, in contrast to Levant, hyped-up Jack wasn’t a personality burdened by facial tics that have been the results of psychological sickness, booze and medicines, or a gravely voice that seems like a shock jock Richard Nixon impression. 

Because the tortured Oscar, the actor appears to be checking off a mountainous to-do listing of character and physique traits whereas retaining largely unaware of the opposite actors round him, seemingly due to all of the showy shtick he’s targeted on. 

Thus, the frayed-wire high quality of Levant shouldn’t be conveyed. He’s Oscar the Grouch, OK, however moderately innocent. Hayes is sporadically transferring as particulars of Levant’s ache come to mild, however we by no means meet this depraved firebrand we hold listening to a lot about.

And on at the present time the funnyman ought to be particularly loco. Wright’s play imagines Jack Paar (Ben Rappaport) bringing the “Tonight” present to Burbank, California, in 1958 for a particular occasion taping that may function the reliably outrageous Levant. 

However to get the piano participant to the studio, his spouse, June (Emily Bergl), must sneak him out of a psychiatric hospital underneath the ruse that he’s going to his daughter’s commencement ceremony.

June is an intriguing character in that she clearly cares about Oscar, however solely a lot that she’ll threat his well being and well-being to do a TV spot. Stoic Bergl and Hayes don’t have a lot chemistry, however the actress has her personal distinctive “What’s in it for her?” draw. 

One in every of Levant’s involved medical doctors, Alvin Finney (Marchánt Davis), comes together with a briefcase stuffed with meds and there’s a celebrity-infatuated studio assistant Max Weinbaum (Alex Wyse), who buzzes across the inexperienced room. Ultimately, we see Levant in motion with Paar, which infuriates NBC honcho Bob Sarnoff (Peter Grosz). 

The antics all sound way more madcap than they’re, when Wright’s play truly tends to waver between unhappy — typically poignantly so — and sleepy.

The one fireworks in director Lisa Peterson’s manufacturing go off throughout the climax.

Levant was a recent and pal of George Gershwin and have become higher recognized for enjoying Gershwin’s music than his personal. His irritating reliance on the then-dead “Porgy and Bess” composer — when he needed his personal compositions to shine — is introduced up in awkward hallucination scenes with actor John Zdrojeski.

However close to the top, Levant will get behind the piano and performs Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” on NBC. Hayes, a gifted piano participant himself, does this in full view of the viewers — and from reminiscence. 

That thrilling second — with out mannerisms, phrases, different characters or exposition — is the one time Levant and “Good Night time, Oscar” come to life.