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

The Great Society NYC Reviews and Tickets

74%
(284 Ratings)
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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Show-Score Member Reviews (284)

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253 Reviews | 46 Followers
100
Must see, Masterful, Intense, Great writing, Great acting

See it if You like plays about modern American politics in general and Presidential history in particular.

Don't see it if you aren't a fan of facts and couldn't care less about civil rights or Washington insider politics. Read more

143 Reviews | 12 Followers
95
Resonant, Intelligent, Great staging, Entertaining, Absorbing

See it if You want to see masterful acting by an amazing cast, in a play based on actual events that happened 50 years ago. Just a great all around!

Don't see it if You don’t want an entertaining history lesson. If you don’t want to sit in a theater for three hours.

203 Reviews | 49 Followers
92
Thought-provoking, Intense, Intelligent, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if you enjoyed All The Way, or like an enjoyable and powerful historical piece dealing with the civil rights fights of the mid 60's.

Don't see it if you dislike very talky plays, where you actually have to pay strict attention. You dislike "theatre in the round". Read more

57 Reviews | 20 Followers
90
Great acting, Great staging, Relevant, Clever, Absorbing

See it if You like smart, historical plays that cover seminal events, describe political figures, and share the backroom deals and impacts.

Don't see it if You avoid political plays and have no interest in learning about LBJ's presidency, Vietnam War and MLK's non-violence movement.

95 Reviews | 8 Followers
90
Thought-provoking, Intelligent, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if You enjoy superb acting. If you want to know more about LBJ the civil rights marches and the war in Vietnam

Don't see it if You must have lavish sets and scenery

232 Reviews | 20 Followers
89
Clever, Entertaining, Great staging, Great acting

See it if You like several great actors telling an interesting story

Don't see it if You like musicals and light comedies

275 Reviews | 603 Followers
88
Relevant, Ambitious, Absorbing

See it if you want to see a great performance by Brian Cox. It's fascinating to see the arc of the character during his time in office.

Don't see it if seeing the manipulation of a president will infuriate you. Incredibly heartbreaking and frustrating.

114 Reviews | 9 Followers
88
Ambitious, Thought-provoking, Resonant, Intelligent

See it if you wish to understand the challenges LBJ faced in achieving at least some part of the great society he envisaged.

Don't see it if you do not wish to watch an absorbing play that presents all too clearly the shady side of politics.

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 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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New York Daily News
October 1st, 2019

"‘The Great Society’ has lots of history, not enough bite in play about LBJ’s last years as president"
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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 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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