Emmy Winner & Tony Nominee Sean Hayes Set to Headline New Oscar Levant Play

Emmy winner and Tony nominee Sean Hayes is on board to star in a new play based on the life of the legendary performer Oscar Levant. Developed by Grove Entertainment, Barbara Whitman Productions and Hazy Mills Productions, the creative time and timeline for the project will be announced later.

Levant was known for his roles in films such as An American in Paris and The Band Wagon as well as for his virtuosic skills as a composer and concert pianist. “I’ve been wanting to play Oscar Levant for over 10 years and this partnership is a dream come true,” said Hayes in a statement. “I have a deep passion for this project and an enduring love for my dear, Oscar.”

Hayes will next be seen back on the boards with the L.A. transfer of Broadway hit An Act of God. He won an Emmy in 2000 for his performance as Jack McFarland on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace and earned additional nods for the role for the following six years. Hayes' other small screen credits include Sean Saves the World, Smash and The Millers. He received a Tony nomination in 2010 for his Broadway debut in Promises, Promises, and later took home an Emmy for hosting that year’s ceremony. Hayes also appeared on the New York stage in Damn Yankees at City Center’s Encores!.

Check out the video below from An American in Paris of Levant in the role of a jobless concertmaster dreaming about performing Gershwin's "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in F Major." It's quite extraordinary.