A Broadway play is coming to your living room live via cable television for the first time ever. This historic moment takes place tonight (Saturday, June 7, 2025) at 7 p.m. ET—just one day before the 78th Tony Awards. Grab some snacks and settle in for Good Night, and Good Luck, co-written by George Clooney and Grant Heslov and directed by David Cromer.
Although this event is being pitched as a TV first, streaming service BroadwayHD was technically the first to livestream a Broadway show, with the musical She Loves Me in 2016—but we digress.
Here’s what to know about Good Night, and Good Luck, and how to watch it live.
What is “Good Night, and Good Luck” about?
Good Night, and Good Luck tells the story of respected CBS journalist Edward R. Murrow and his quest to hold Senator Joseph McCarthy accountable for his actions during the 1950s Red Scare. It is based on the 2005 film of the same name. This time around, George Clooney portrays Murrow and is making his Broadway debut.
What do the critics say?
Good Night, and Good Luck received mostly positive reviews.
Variety’s Frank Rizzo praised its “seriousness of purpose that is again dramatically stark, solidly documented, and ultimately chilling.” The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney mused that “the drama at times seems almost as educational as it is theatrical.”
Both believe the ending might have been too heavy-handed and wanted more character development for the supporting characters.
Time Out’s Adam Feldman did not mince words, stating that the play is too similar to the movie. “It is well designed and full of fine actors doing their jobs. Its subject is timely and its message is on point, and there’s no good reason to see it,” he quipped.
The American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League, the organizations behind the Tony Awards, honored the production with five nominations. This includes one for Clooney’s leading performance.
The play is a major commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing play in Broadway history. On the way to that title, it repeatedly grossed more than $4 million in a single week. These numbers are partly because tickets range from $176 for obstructed views to $799 for the best seats.
Why tell this story now?
Clooney and Heslov wrote the 2005 screenplay as a response to the United States actions in the Iraq War. Unfortunately, the universal themes of speaking truth to power are more relevant now than ever.
“I think it’s a story that you can keep telling over and over,” Heslov told CBS’s 60 Minutes. “I don’t think it will ever thematically get old.”
They chose to adapt the story for the stage because of the Trump administration’s actions to discredit the media. While the president laments so-called “fake news,” journalists play an important role in educating the public and keeping public officials honest.
“When the other three estates fail, when the judiciary and the executive and the legislative branches fail us, the fourth estate has to succeed,” Clooney added during the 60 Minutes interview.
He went on to say that a recent ABC News settlement with the Trump administration was scary. In a similar vein, CBS is trying to get a $20 billion lawsuit that claims 60 Minutes committed election interference dismissed.
Additionally, Trump continues to cherry-pick which outlets get access to him while attempting to defund news organizations such as NPR.
“We’re seeing this idea of using government to scare or fine, or use corporations to make journalists smaller,” Clooney explained.
Clooney’s father, Nick Clooney, was a respected broadcast journalist. The younger Clooney followed in his father’s political-party footsteps and is a lifelong Democrat.
How can I watch or stream the Broadway play live?
Because this story is so personal to Clooney, he is doing his part to bring the show’s important and timely message to an even wider audience beyond the Big Apple. He partnered with CNN to accomplish this.
Thanks to 20 cameras and 14 camera operators, audiences around the world can feel like they are in the room where it happened.
“I can’t tell you how exciting it is to do something that’s never been done. CNN is the perfect place to bring this story of courage to so many more people than we could have ever hoped. Live TV. No net. Buckle up everyone,” Clooney stated in a press release.
Before the metaphorical curtain rises, CNN’s Pamela Brown will host a pre-show outside of the Winter Garden Theatre, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.
The play will begin at 7 p.m. ET and runs an hour and 40 minutes, with no intermission. After the play, CNN’s Anderson Cooper will host a special, discussing the current state of journalism. He will be joined by a slew of notable guests including Connie Chung and Marvin Kalb.
Traditional cable subscribers can watch the pre-show, play, and post-show discussion on CNN and CNN International.
Cord-cutters can stream the theatrical experience on CNN.com/GoodNightGoodLuck and do not need a cable login. It will also be available on HBO Max at all subscription levels.
