The Great Society

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.

See it if If you enjoy history from the 60s. Good acting,well staged. It’s a bit confusing but if you pay attention you will get it

Don't see it if It’s to long and sometimes confused you have to be in the mood for this play

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.

Also I loved this play! In my view this play is as close to perfect as it gets.

Playwright Robert Schenkkan's gem is a triumph on the stage thanks to an absolutely flawless and brilliant cast and the creative and powerful direction of Bill Rauch. The Vivian Beaumont Theatre's stadium style seating makes every seat in the house a great seat and close to the open stage.

This historical play which covers Lindon B. Johnson's presidency, in my view helps to explain how we got to our present dysfunctional political state of affairs. Like Dr. King, LBJ had a dream, and a multi-faceted plan to tackle racial injustice, poverty and healthcare through the Voting Rights Act, education reform and Medicare. But the military industrial complex intervened and tricked him into an un-winable Vietnam war that would not only drain American coffers but bring the country to the brink of a second civil war.

The wounds from this era are still felt and festering and need political and social healing.... Read more Read less

See it if Interested in Politics, History or LBJ. Like thought provoking shows that explore history. Tour de Force by Brian Cox. Enjoy complex shows

Don't see it if Don't like long shows with lots of dialogue. Want something light and fluffy or a musical.

See it if You’re interested in learning more about LBJ & that time in politics. Interesting set. I ended up liking it more that I anticipated

Don't see it if You prefer a high energy story or have no interest in the storyline

See it if you enjoy historical plays with exceptional acting. Brian Cox is outstanding as LBJ.

Don't see it if you are not interested in political history or the climate of the U.S. in the 1960s.

Also This is a history lesson but told in a very interesting way. An enormous cast as only Lincoln Center can do. Brian Cox is a bit too loud but all of the performances are excellent. The staging is excellent too.... Read more Read less

See it if you're a history buff who enjoys seeing great actors perform a by the numbers pageant.

Don't see it if you already weren't bowled over by "All the Way." This isn't necessarily a step up.

Also I love political history and rather enjoyed "All the Way" a few years ago, but I didn't think it was necessarily a great play. It was compelling & entertaining, but wasn't crying out for a continuation. "All the Way" was also a play specifically about something, LBJ's fight with MLK for Civil Rights legislation. GREAT SOCIETY doesn't have the same narrative focus. It's just the story of the 2nd term. A little Civil Rights, a little Vietnam, etc. Brian Cox is commanding as LBJ, even if he doesn't resemble him all that much, but I don't mind that. I would rather a good performance than a detailed impression. The rest of the cast is excellent but also mostly wasted. So many great characters from history are reduced to bit roles in brief scenes. Most of the talented cast is forced to be in the background in various wigs. The writing just doesn't support what this cast is capable of and the production feels claustrophobic & crowded on the thrust of the Beaumont.... Read more Read less

See it if you're interested in learning more about LBJ and the historical events of 1964-65. The play is informative and the staging effective.

Don't see it if you're not interested in history; you're looking for traditional plot/drama. The material is a bit dry.

Also I'm in my 30s, and I found it worthwhile to learn more about an era I didn't personally experience. However, I saw it with a friend in his 60s, and he was not impressed. He wanted to leave at intermission, and convinced me to go with him, so I only saw the first half of the play.

His feelings were: I know where this is going. I get it. I've seen enough. Also, he didn't think that the characterizations of LBJ and MLK were all that compelling; that the actors were not as imposing as the men they portrayed. I'll defer to him on that, since he actually lived through it all.

Though I enjoyed the parts that I saw, the play does lack drama. Though the stakes couldn't be higher, there are so many characters coming in and out and events happen so fast that each piece doesn't get fully developed, narratively.... Read more Read less

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

See it if You enjoy history and political plays

Don't see it if You’re not into history or politics

See it if You want to review LBJ’s latter presidential time in domestic and foreign affairs

Don't see it if You prefer entertainment over didactic presentations

See it if Historical plays about real characters are your interest.

Don't see it if You are not at least a little familiar with the history of the time period covered in the play - Civil Rights, Viet Nam, etc.

See it if You're intent on seeing anything involving LBJ and/or Brian Cox, even if the quality is mediocre.

Don't see it if You expect top quality staging, a well-edited and managed script, a carefully managed cast... Oh, I could go on and on. It is a chaotic mess

Also I was very disappointed with the play, having seen "All the Way" with Bryan Cranston five years ago. This play is the equivalent of a Ken Burns documentary series, that should span six two-hour episodes into a play that's under three hours but feels much longer. Somehow, the playwright decided he had to include absolutely everyone and every event that occurred during the final period of LBJ's presidency. We know how it ends, but the route leading there could have been shown with far fewer actors and better designed scenes. The backdrop of TV screens showing images of the periods makes the entire scenario one big jumble. I didn't think the acting was very good, either. Brian Cox sounds like Logan Roy, his role in "Succession," while Barbara Garrick uses a Texas accent as Lady Bird and Bryce Pinkham a Boston accent for RFK. It's too much crazy in one play.... Read more Read less

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.

See it if you're curious about late 1960s US history, for Bryce Pinkham, Brian Cox, Mark Kudisch, and Grantham Coleman, or political dramas

Don't see it if simulated violence, racism, and racial slurs bother you, are easily distracted, or don't like lengthy shows

Also I saw the matinee on Oct 5. It is 2 hrs and 45 mins with 1 intermission
- While the overall show was good I did find Brian Cox's lack of Texan accent a little distracting. This is weird because Brian is great at American accents. His acting was great!
- The show focuses on Vietnam and civil rights and how Johnson's administration affects the outcome of both. Interesting to see how both events parallel with one another
- While none of the actors save for Barbara Garrick looked like their counterparts it didn't distract from the overall show.
- This is the type of show that commands 100% of your attention - if you get distracted for one second you'll lose sight in what has happened in the plot
- What was super humbling about this show were the projected numbers of dead and wounded that happened during the Vietnam war as time progressed in this show
- For a nearly 3 hour show there is a lot that is happening. I honestly didn't feel like it was too long... Read more Read less

See it if you need a compact history lesson and you love testosterone-filled (good) ensembles

Don't see it if you actually like plays.

Also this is the fourth show I see at Vivian Beaumont Theatre that has the exact same apparently-fast-but-actually-prolongued pace, almost all-men ensemble (women are accessories), pseudo-history-lesson format. I always leave thinking that these are three hours I will never get back.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy American history, the writing of Robert Schenkkan or loved All The Way and would like to see the sequel.

Don't see it if you prefer plays with simply plots and minimal characters. This work is overstuffed, which at times works against the play. Cox is very good

See it if you like political drama, even those that are more a pageant of events than real drama.

Don't see it if you are not interested in recent American history.

Also It feels more like a history lesson than a play. Although it covers some of the most tumultuous years in American history, it offers no new insights into either the events or any of the cast array of historical figures. Brian Cox is fine as LBJ but some of the other key roles are oddly miscast.... Read more Read less

See it if If you're a history buff or you want to know more about the beginnings of civil rights legislation, medicare, and the Vietnam War.

Don't see it if Long, one note (screaming), some players were good some were not. LBJ wasn't really there

See it if you have no knowledge of the period in question and want to see it enacted in a production devoid of theatrical or artistic interest.

Don't see it if you have literally anything else to do. Slow moving and dull.

Also It's three hours long, but it flies by like four. The only interest is generated by the actual historical events depicted. The staging, set, and performances are all completely forgettable. Didactic and boring.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy recognizing that governing is always hard and humans are just pathetic. Makes today feel a little less awful.

Don't see it if you don't enjoy history. I was just a kid during the time period of the play, and I loved the insights gained from my mature perspective!

See it if You would like a closer look at history. See it if you like to see the people behind the headlines face the world and their audience.

Don't see it if You are looking for a lighthearted slice of political life. Don't see it if you prefer musicals or comedies to dramatic plays.

See it if you want to get an overview of lyndon johnson’s presidency, with the focus on civil rights and the war in vietnam.

Don't see it if you are a serious student of the turbulent late 1960s ... this play will do nothing but frustrate and disappoint.

Also the expository first act is little more than a classic comic book parade of historical characters, with some actors doing feeble impersonations & others not bothering. talking points are ticked off in rapid succession, actors finding it necessary to yell to each other instead of conversing (except for grantham coleman as a highly principled MLK & matthew rauch as a quietly malevolent bob mcnamara). richard thomas is dreadful as hubert humphrey; bryce pinkham’s robert kennedy & david garrison’s richard nixon are comical caricatures worthy of an SNL sketch; and what on earth was gordon clapp going for as j.edgar hoover? LBJ’s unraveling in act two finally gave brian cox something to sink his teeth into. too little too late. frenetic scene changes & flashing screen projections undermined any character development. what we’re left with is a plethora of brief superficial skits, overstuffed with too many actors (wearing silly wigs) playing too many different parts. A HOT MESS.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy historical plays about U.S. politics; if you enjoy seeing the many parallels between past & present day society & politics

Don't see it if you don't enjoy plays; if you don't care about the 1960's; if you'd like to avoid yet another drama that could easily be 30 minutes shorter

See it if you enjoy historical plays and good acting.

Don't see it if you prefer lighter topics, smaller productions, are not interested in escalation of the Vietnam war during Johnson and his social agenda.

Also Had read the negative reviews beforehand and am glad I decided to see the play.... Read more Read less