The Great Society
Closed 2h 45m
The Great Society
74

The Great Society NYC Reviews and Tickets

74%
(283 Reviews)
Positive
77%
Mixed
17%
Negative
6%
Members say
Great acting, Ambitious, Absorbing, Intelligent, Relevant

About the Show

Emmy winner Brian Cox stars as Lyndon B. Johnson in this companion piece to the Tony-winning "All The Way," which depicts the tumultuous times that led to the conclusion of the Johnson presidency.

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Member Reviews (283)

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982 Reviews | 343 Followers
80
Talky, Requires background history, Strong acting, Relevant, Intelligent

See it if you like history plays. TGS boasts a huge cast & clever staging. All the Way ends w a win; TGS w a loss. Focus on Vietnam, civil rts, power.

Don't see it if you want a perfect script. TGS is slow (long, talky) AND frenetic (short scs). Needs cuts, char devt. Cox is blustery. Great actors wasted.

716 Reviews | 157 Followers
81
Intelligent, Relevant, Thought-provoking, Ambitious, Absorbing

See it if you like American history, want to know more about LBJ or follow up "All the Way," fan of Brian Cox, recall that period or lived through it

Don't see it if you don't like hectic history, characters not given chance to develop, too many events off stage, don't care about that time period

650 Reviews | 284 Followers
75
Skillfully brings to life the major political events of lbj's 1964-68 presidency; but lbj a "shakespearean" figure, monumental & tragic, still awaits his shakespeare

See it if teems w action; Brian Cox shows LBJ as arm-twisting force of nature

Don't see it if biopicish/uninspired; never shows us LBJ’s inner life, what drove LBJ 2 endorse Vietnam War expansion crippling his Great Society initiative

635 Reviews | 237 Followers
73
Dense, Disappointing, Epic, Dated, Great acting

See it if You love talky plays about history and politics that give you an “inside baseball” look at an historical figure & political decision-making.

Don't see it if You feel like you’ve had your fill of plays/movies about Selma and Vietnam. There’s not much new to learn here.

505 Reviews | 729 Followers
78
Epic, Confusing, Ambitious, Intelligent, Great acting

See it if you’re into political dramas, especially those reflecting the seminal events of the ‘60s.

Don't see it if you’re not interested in politics, or might get confused by several dozen characters portraying several events at once. This is a BIG piece.

543 Reviews | 133 Followers
76
Intelligent, Ambitious, Epic, Thought-provoking, Slow

See it if you're a history buff &/or a student of the Johnson years; good technical direction; you want a refresher course for the years 1964-1968.

Don't see it if overstuffed; actors wasted with little insight into their characters; where are Johnson's southern accent & mannerisms, what was he feeling? Read more

520 Reviews | 107 Followers
49
Boring

See it if You really like Johnson and just love the history around his presidency

Don't see it if You are expecting to learn anything new Read more

512 Reviews | 79 Followers
80
Thought-provoking, Great staging, Great acting, Ambitious

See it if you lived through the LBJ years & want to understand some background.It's a terrific history lesson;I'm just not sure it's great theatre.

Don't see it if you want to be moved.Acting is uniformly brilliant,but there's very little heart here, very little story.I wanted more humanity,less lecture

Critic Reviews (25)

The New York Times
October 1st, 2019

"In ‘The Great Society,’ Another Presidential Nightmare: Brian Cox plays Lyndon B. Johnson at the height of his powers, when history decided to bring him down."
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Time Out New York
October 1st, 2019

3/5 Stars "Brian Cox plays a weakened LBJ in Robert Schenkkan's Broadway sequel to 'All the Way'"
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New York Magazine / Vulture
October 1st, 2019

"The Great-Man Theory of 'The Great Society'"
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The Hollywood Reporter
October 1st, 2019

"Brian Cox stars as Lyndon Baines Johnson in the continuation of playwright Robert Schenkkan's sprawling account of the tumultuous 36th U.S. presidency that began with 'All the Way.'"
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Entertainment Weekly
October 1st, 2019

Grade: B "Lyndon Johnson gets another term on Broadway, with Brian Cox in 'The Great Society'"
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Variety
October 1st, 2019

"‘The Great Society’ Starring Brian Cox: Cox plays President Lyndon B. Johnson in Robert Schenkkan’s political drama about the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964."
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The Wall Street Journal
October 2nd, 2019

"A Most Complicated History: Playwright Robert Schenkkan sees his play as ‘the origin story for our present political crisis.’ Luckily, the drama is more nuanced than that."
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Deadline
October 1st, 2019

"‘The Great Society’ Broadway Review: LBJ Meets His Match – Again – As Brian Cox Picks Up Where Bryan Cranston Left Off"
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