The Great Society NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (283)
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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
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
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)
"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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3/5 Stars "Brian Cox plays a weakened LBJ in Robert Schenkkan's Broadway sequel to 'All the Way'"
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"The Great-Man Theory of 'The Great Society'"
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"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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Grade: B "Lyndon Johnson gets another term on Broadway, with Brian Cox in 'The Great Society'"
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"‘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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"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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"‘The Great Society’ Broadway Review: LBJ Meets His Match – Again – As Brian Cox Picks Up Where Bryan Cranston Left Off"
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