Guide to ‘Good Night, and Good Luck’ on Broadway, starring George Clooney

The A-list star makes his Broadway debut as Edward R. Murrow in the new stage adaptation of his 2005 movie of the same name, both of which he co-wrote.

The news is out: George Clooney is coming to the stage! Clooney, an actor, writer, director, and producer who’s won two Oscars, makes his Broadway debut in spring 2025 as legendary broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck.

Based on the Oscar-nominated 2005 film of the same name, which Clooney directed and starred in, the play follows Murrow as he challenges Senator Joseph McCarthy’s anti-Communist witch hunts in the 1950s. Faced with political pressure, media censorship, and threats to their careers, Murrow’s team fights for truth.

Tony Award winner David Cromer (The Band's Visit) directs Clooney as Murrow, and the rest of the cast will be named at a future date. Learn what we know so far about this headline-worthy production at the Winter Garden Theatre, and then be sure to go forth and check out this play about the fourth estate.

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What is Good Night, and Good Luck about?

Good Night, and Good Luck depicts the real-life struggle of broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow and his team at CBS during the 1950s as they confront Senator Joseph McCarthy's aggressive anti-Communist campaign. The story showcases the efforts of Murrow and his team to challenge McCarthy’s tactics and defend journalistic integrity against government intimidation and media censorship.

Where is Good Night, and Good Luck playing?

Good Night, and Good Luck will play at the Winter Garden Theatre, located at 1634 Broadway between 50th and 51st Streets. The venue opened in 1911, and recent residents include Back to the Future and the hit revival of the Meredith Willson musical The Music Man starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster.

How long is Good Night, and Good Luck?

Good Night, and Good Luck hasn’t shared its running time yet. Its source material, the movie of the same name, runs 93 minutes. This article will be updated when the show's runtime is announced; a Broadway play can range anywhere from 90 minutes to 3 hours and have one 15-minute intermission.

What days is Good Night, and Good Luck playing?

Good Night, and Good Luck is expected to run Tuesday through Sunday, with two performances on Wednesdays and Saturdays and no performances on Mondays. The production begins performances on March 12, 2025.

When did Good Night, and Good Luck premiere?

The Good Night, and Good Luck movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 1, 2005. A month later, it opened in U.S. theatres on October 7, 2005. The Broadway adaptation of Good Night, and Good Luck will debut in spring 2025, starting performances March 12.

Who wrote Good Night, and Good Luck?

George Clooney and Grant Heslov wrote the screenplay for Good Night, and Good Luck, and these frequent collaborators are adapting their script for the stage. They also co-wrote screenplays for the movies Suburbicon, The Ides of March, and The Monuments Men.

Good Night, and Good Luck characters

In addition to Edward R. Murrow, other real-life journalists and politicians figure prominently in the plot. The following are the main characters who were in the movie.

• Edward R. Murrow: A respected CBS news anchor who challenges Senator McCarthy’s anti-Communist campaign.
• Fred Friendly: Murrow’s producer and close friend who supported efforts to safeguard the truth.
• Joseph Wershba: A CBS News team writer, editor, and correspondent.
• Shirley Wershba: A journalist married to Joseph Wershba.
• William Paley: The founder and chairman of CBS.
• Sig Mickelson: The first director of CBS television news.

Who is in the cast of Good Night, and Good Luck?

George Clooney is the only member of the cast who has been announced so far for the Broadway play. Clooney, who broke through as a leading man on ER, has sealed his status as an A-list actor and filmmaker. He won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in Syriana and as a co-producer of Argo alongside Heslov.

New York Theatre Guide will share further casting news when it becomes available.

Has George Clooney ever done theatre?

In March 2012, Clooney, with script in hand, appeared with Martin Sheen and Brad Pitt in Dustin Lance Black's play 8 — a staged reenactment of the federal trial that overturned California's Prop 8 ban on same-sex marriage. Clooney played David Boies, the co-counsel for the plaintiffs.

“I am honored, after all these years, to be coming back to the stage and especially, to Broadway, the art form and the venue that every actor aspires to,” Clooney said in a statement when the stage version of Good Night, and Good Luck was announced.

Celebrities who have performed in Good Night, and Good Luck

The cast of the Good Night, and Good Luck film included David Strathairn as Murrow, George Clooney as Friendly, Robert Downey Jr. (making his Broadway debut in McNeal in fall 2024) as Joseph Wershba, Patricia Clarkson as Shirley Wershba, Frank Langella as William Paley, and Jeff Daniels as Sig Mickelson.

What awards has Good Night, and Good Luck won?

The Broadway adaptation of Good Night, and Good Luck has not yet been honored with awards, but it will be eligible for this season’s upcoming theatre honors, including Tony Awards.

Clooney and Heslov were nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Original Screenplay for the Good Night, and Good Luck film. The movie got five additional Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (for Clooney), Best Actor for Strathairn, Best Cinematography, and Best Art Direction.

Major productions of Good Night, and Good Luck

The only major stage production of Good Night, and Good Luck so far is the spring 2025 stage adaptation.

Onscreen adaptations of Good Night, and Good Luck

A filmed production of new Broadway version of Good Night, and Good Luck hasn’t been made, but the play's source material is the 2005 film. The journalism-themed movie premiered to critical acclaim and earned six Oscar nominations, including for Best Picture.

Fun facts about Good Night, and Good Luck

Learn newsworthy tidbits and more just-the-facts details about Good Night, and Good Luck below.

• The title of the work comes from Edward R. Murrow’s signoff on the 1950s news program See It Now.
• Clooney’s interest in television news runs deep. His father, Nick, was a local TV newscaster in Cincinnati. While attending Northern Kentucky University, George Clooney studied broadcast journalism.
• Clooney filmed the movie in black and white. We’re eager to see how that choice translates to the stage through lighting, set, costume, or video design.
• For Good Night, and Good Luck, Clooney and Heslov turned a movie into a play. Their political-themed movie, The Ides of March went the other way around: It's adapted from Beau Willimon’s 2008 Off-Broadway play Farragut North.
• Good Night, and Good Luck joins journalism-themed works previously seen on Broadway, including the musical Newsies and the plays The Front Page, Ink, and The Lifespan of a Fact.

How to get Good Night, and Good Luck tickets

Good Night, and Good Luck follows real-life men and women who risked their jobs and personal safety to uphold the principles of responsible journalism. Keep checking back to find out the latest news about this show.

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