Players Circle Theater’s summer performance season continues with a production of the Tony-nominated one-man comedy “Say Goodnight Gracie,” by Rupert Holmes.
Adapted from the remembrances of comedian, actor, writer and singer George Burns, the play is a love story about Burns’ extraordinary professional partnership and relationship with Gracie Allen.
The duo remains one of the most celebrated partnerships in American entertainment history. Their ground-breaking comedy act evolved across vaudeville, radio, film, and television.
Their radio program “The Burns and Allen Show” was one of the most popular comedy programs in America in the 1930s and 40s. The show helped define the conventions of TV sitcoms before television even existed.
George Burns often said that Gracie was the true comic genius of the duo and that their success came through Burns’ willingness to sacrifice the spotlight so Gracie could shine.
They remained married for 38 years until Gracie Allen’s death in 1964, which Burns often said he never fully recovered from.
“Say Goodnight Gracie” is more than just a comedy. It is George Burns’ love letter to Gracie Allen and to a vanished era of American entertainment.
We will explore the show in a conversation with actor, director, and producer Pasquale LaCorte, who stars in the show. We will also talk with the production’s director and Players Circle Theater Associate Artistic Director Ted Wioncek.
If You Go:
Players Circle Theater’s production of “Say Goodnight Gracie”
13211 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers, FL 33919
Performances run through June 25 – July 5, 2026
Evening performances start at 7:30 p.m.
Matinee performances start at 3 p.m.
