It’s a battle between Clooney and Washington.
Good Night, And Good Luck, Broadway’s interpretation of George Clooney’s 2005 film — which features the actor in his theater debut — is stealing the spotlight from Othello at the box office.
The Moor (Denzel Washington) and lieutenant lago (Jake Gyllenhaal) have embraced a futuristic rendition of Shakespeare’s classic tale to much fanfare…and mighty pricey tickets nearing $1,000. (Don’t worry: Student tickets for Othello are available for a mere $49.)
To accompany those high prices are even higher records: The 2025 debut was named the highest-grossing Broadway play in history, garnering a staggering $2.8 million in one week.
But a lot can change in a matter of days. According to the Broadway League, Good Night, And Good Luck, with Clooney, Ilana Glazer, Clark Gregg, Paul Gross, and Glenn Fleshler, earned $3.3 million at the start of April, the most money a nonmusical play has ever made during a single week on Broadway. This is while the show is still in previews and only performed seven times as opposed to the typical eight. Tickets inched towards the high $700s in some circumstances.
Good Night, And Good Luck sees Clooney as CBS journalist Edward R. Murrow known for his scrutiny of Sen. Joseph McCarthy. The 50s-era newsroom story earned a handful of Oscars noms and remains one of Clooney’s most popular films to date. And needless to say, it tells quite a compelling (and familiar) story about the media landscape.
“Journalism and telling truth to power has to be waged like war is waged. It doesn’t just happen accidentally,” the actor said in an interview with CBS. “You know, it takes people saying, we’re gonna do these stories and you’re gonna have to come after us. And that’s the way it is.”
Are these performances on your wish list this season? If so, or if you’re curious what else is happening on the Great White Way, we’ll point you towards the best tickets for Broadway shows in NYC. And let’s not forget Nick Jonas has just made his Broadway debut in The Last Five Years, what is considered a “heart-racing, bold and emotional story of the relationship between two New Yorkers over time.”