George Clooney Makes History Bringing Broadway Show to Live TV

George Clooney wants everyone to see his Broadway show “Good Night and Good Luck” – even if they can’t make it to the Big Apple!

So the actor is teaming up with CNN to do something no one has ever done before.

On June 7, CNN will air the Tony-nominated play starring George Clooney live from New York’s Winter Garden Theater.

A live Broadway performance has never been televised before, but 64-year-old Clooney says now is the time to make history.

“I can’t tell you how exciting it is to do something that’s never been done,” Clooney shared in a statement. “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.”

“’Good Night, and Good Luck’ is not just a celebration of a golden age in TV journalism,” added Chairman and CEO of CNN, Mark Thompson. “It’s also about the importance of the free press and the need for strong news organizations to report the facts in a fair-minded way. That’s something we still care deeply about.”

‘Good Night and Good Luck’ Tells the Story of Edward R Murrow

The show is an adaptation of Clooney’s 2005 movie by the same name. Both tell the story of legendary newsman Edward R. Murrow’s exposé of Senator Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy is the Wisconsin senator whose name spawned the word “McCarthyism” when he launched a campaign falsely accusing people of being Communists in the 1940’s and 50’s.

In the movie version, Clooney played Murrow’s producer Fred Friendly, deciding he didn’t have “the gravitas” to take on the Murrow role in his 40’s. Fast forward 20 years and all of that has changed, with Clooney stepping into Murrow’s shoes on the stage.

As in the film, the play uses actual footage of Senator McCarthy.

Clooney jokes, “McCarthy is still played by McCarthy, which I’m fairly sure he’s going to get a Tony for.”

George Clooney Gets Tony Nod for Performance

While McCarthy isn’t in fact nominated, Clooney is. The show is nominated for five Tonys, including George Clooney for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. It’s Clooney’s very first time appearing on Broadway.

“It’s a thrill to have five nominations for this play,” Clooney said of the play, according to the BBC.

“For everyone involved, this has been an incredible experience. I couldn’t be more proud or feel more lucky.”

Thousands of NYC Students See ‘Good Night & Good Luck’

Clooney’s desire to expose as many people as possible to the play extends beyond the historic live television event.

At least 2,000 students from New York City’s public schools have seen the play during matinees.

At one performance, George Clooney spoke to the audience full of kids saying, “This is a story about telling truth to power, right? When I was about your age, my father sat me down and said, ‘Listen, there’s only a couple things you can do, only two things that are really important. Which is, to challenge people with more power than you and to defend people with less.’ I took that to heart. I want you to take that to heart too.”

How to Watch ‘Good Night & Good Luck’ Live on CNN

The live program will be the next-to-last show for “Good Night & Good Luck,” which closes June 8.

You can watch the live performance at 7:00p.m. ET on Saturday, June 7 on CNN.

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