Jimmy Fallon brought a Broadway institution to Studio 6B this week. For Wednesday’s episode of The Tonight Show, the host recreated Sardi’s restaurant for his conversation with Ethan Hawke, whose portrayal of Broadway lyricist Lorenz Hart in Blue Moon has garnered him much acclaim, as well as an Academy Award nomination.
The movie, released in 2025, takes place at the iconic theater staple during the opening night of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! in 1943, which marked Rodgers’s first collaboration with Oscar Hammerstein II. The plot itself follows Hart as he confronts his shattered self-confidence during this new development in their creative lives.
During Hawke’s Tonight Show visit, the actor spoke about his life in the theater, sharing early Broadway experiences, receiving his own Sardi’s portrait, and transforming his physicality to play Hart. Check out the full interview now.
Directed by Richard Linklater, Blue Moon also stars Andrew Scott as Richard Rodgers, along with Margaret Qualley and Bobby Cannavale. The film is currently nominated for two awards at the 98th Academy Awards: Best Original Screenplay for Robert Kaplow and Best Actor for Hawke. The awards will be taking place on March 15, 2026.
Check out our interview with the stars of the film, who discuss the bond between Rodgers and Hart. Additionally, watch as theatre historian Jennifer Ashley Tepper goes inside the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts to take a look at the Sardi’s portraits on display when the movie takes place. The movie is currently available to rent or purchase on digital platforms.
Rodgers and Hart wrote such musicals as Babes in Arms and Pal Joey, in addition to the 1934 hit ballad “Blue Moon” from which the film gets its title. Rodgers and Hammerstein went on to create several hits themselves, including South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music, among others.
Photo Credit: NBC
