Tom Frey Discusses West Coast Premiere of 'Good Night, Oscar'

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The director and musician returns to North Coast Rep to helm Doug Wright's Tony Award-winning portrait of Oscar Levant.

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North Coast Repertory Theatre presents the West Coast premiere of GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR, Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright 's compassionate and wickedly funny portrait of Oscar Levant , running September 16 through October 11, 2026 in Solana Beach. Set during a fateful 1958 appearance on The Jack Paar Show, the play captures one unforgettable night in the life of the pianist, actor, composer, and legendary wit, a tortured artist wrestling with mental illness, addiction, and the price of fame. On Broadway, Sean Hayes won the 2023 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance as Levant.

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Directing the production is Tom Frey , who returns to North Coast Rep after directing the hit 2 PIANOS 4 HANDS for the last several seasons. The US resident director of that show, Frey has helmed more than 25 productions of it around the country and performed in it over 600 times across the United States and Canada. A director, actor, and musician with more than 25 years in the industry, he is the former Artistic Director of the Peterborough Players and a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The production stars David Corlew as Oscar Levant .

BroadwayWorld spoke with Frey about what drew him to Levant as a subject, balancing the comedy against the darker themes of mental illness and addiction, and how his own background as a musician shaped his work on the piece.

What drew you to Doug Wright 's script and to Oscar Levant as a subject for this production?

I've been aware of Oscar Levant for as long as I can remember, from his movies, talk show appearances, and his many classical recordings. He was always an enigma to me, and the era of television he lived in is fascinating. When the Broadway production of GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR was going on, I read the script, and it was clear that it is a really good play all on its own. I'm so grateful to get a chance to work on it.

What was your approach to balancing the comedy and the darker themes of mental illness and addiction in the piece?

My approach is always to mine whatever elements are in a play as truthfully as possible, and to ask the deceptively simple question, "What would it really be like?" I think comedy can be used to crack us open a little, to help us access other things we keep locked away. The funnier a play is, the more heartbreaking it can be.

What has surprised you most about this material as you've worked on it in rehearsal?

I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised, since Doug Wright is a great playwright, but this is a very finely crafted piece. It's only when you start to work on it that it becomes clear how well built it really is. It was a joy to have so many "aha" moments working with all the other artists on it.

What do you hope North Coast Rep audiences take away from Oscar Levant 's story?

Along with what I hope will be a fabulous night at the theatre, the playwright poses some important questions that I hope will resonate with the audience. What is the personal toll of an artist baring their demons for public consumption? Is the trope of the tortured artist really necessary? How do we deal with our own minds when they're not kind to us? And several others I hope the audience talks about on the ride home from the theatre.

How did you go about casting David Corlew as Oscar Levant , and what does he bring to the role?

I've had some experience casting roles that require actors to play piano at a high level, and it's a very difficult task. David was a recommendation from a colleague. Finding him was a godsend. He's a fine actor and an excellent piano player, as well as a genuinely funny person. We're certainly lucky to have found him.

What conversations did you have with David about capturing Levant's wit without turning him into a caricature?

We never had those conversations. Oscar Levant himself was a very finely crafted performer: he seems to have been his own creation that got really out of hand at a certain point. Then we have the blueprint that Doug Wright has given us in the play. I may regret saying this, but I think it would be quite difficult to go too far in playing Oscar, as long as you're playing the truth.

Since Levant was a brilliant pianist, how did you handle the musical elements of the production with your cast?

We had a lot of show and tell during rehearsal, exploring what Oscar sounded like as a pianist, exploring the music of the time, watching clips of the Jack Paar show with Oscar, and generally getting the vibe of 1958 television. I would say the dialogue itself is a kind of music, written with the rhythm and melody of show biz at that time.

As a director who is also a musician, how did that background inform your work on this particular piece?

I hope that I was able to bring my experience as pianist and performer to the numerous decisions one makes as a director. I really enjoyed curating the scene change music so that it supported the action. I snuck in a recording of Oscar playing Gershwin at one point. I've done my best to support David Corlew , having "been there" in playing a part a little like this. I have a lot of compassion for anyone climbing a mountain like the role of Oscar.

GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR runs September 16 through October 11, 2026 at North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach, CA. For the complete performance schedule and ticket information, call 858-481-1055 or visit www.northcoastrep.org .

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/san-diego/article/Interview-Director-Tom-Frey-On-the-West-Coast-Premiere-of-GOOD-NIGHT-OSCAR-at-North-Coast-Repertory-Theatre-20260921)._