Canva / Harald Krichel via Wikimedia Commons
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All the world’s a stage—and a game—so when George Clooney was seen at the dish (home plate) in Central Park this week, we knew the Broadway Show League season had to be underway.
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Clooney recently made his Broadway debut in Good Night, and Good Luck at the Winter Garden Theatre, playing the role of Edward R. Murrow, as part of a limited engagement from March 12 to June 8, 2025. The play, based on Clooney’s 2005 film of the same name, depicts the conflict between Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy during the McCarthy era. The show has been getting solid reviews, with Clooney landing a Tony nomination alongside castmate Sadie Sink. You could say Clooney outdueled Denzel Washington, Robert Downey Jr., and Kieran Culkin—other A-list celebs currently on Broadway who didn’t receive nominations.
The Ocean’s Eleven lead was seen at the Heckscher Fields in Central Park (view on map), according to Facebook videos shared by New York Mickey. In one clip, Clooney is seen warming up his arm and taking some BP (batting practice), before a second video shows him appearing to rip a hit. It’s unclear whether it was a single or a double, as the footage cuts to Clooney coming home to score on the next at-bat. Solid stats for George, regardless.
The Broadway Show League’s roots trace back to the early 1950s, originally more of a casual afternoon pick-up game with a picnic before heading back to the bright lights and curtain calls of their evening performances. In early 1955, John Effrat, an employee of the Actors Fund, formalized the league with several associates, organizing games on Thursday afternoons and naming it the Broadway Show League.
The League is made up of individuals from Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including celebrities currently on stage, as well as cast members, crew, orchestra, union teams, and theatrical organizations. As a co-ed league, it requires each team to have two women batting and playing the field at all times. The regular season usually consists of nine or ten games, followed by playoffs to crown champions in various categories. Additionally, there are special charity games, All-Star matchups, and Old-Timers events.
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Unfortunately, if you were hoping to see Clooney square off against Culkin or Denzel, you’re out of luck—Glengarry Glen Ross and Othello aren’t part of the league. (Culkin plays Richard ‘Ricky’ Roma—starring alongside Bob Odenkirk and Bill Burr—in the Broadway revival of Glengarry Glen Ross, while Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal are starring in Othello.) Additionally, McNeal, the show Robert Downey Jr. starred in at Lincoln Center, was a limited engagement and is no longer running. But hey, it’s all for the love of the game, right? Aladdin, Moulin Rouge, Smash, Wicked, and Book of Mormon are all showing their skills on the diamond when they’re not “on the boards” (on stage) of Broadway.
If you’re keeping score at home, Clooney’s team, according to the standings, lost their opening-day game and is currently 0-1.
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Sadie Sink is not in Good Night and Good Luck- she was nominated for her role in the incredible, 7-time-Tony-nominated John Proctor is the Villain — a play in which students are studying The Crucible in school, which is an allegory for McCarthyism. Important correction!