The Great Society NYC Reviews and Tickets

74%

(284 Ratings)

Positive

77%

Mixed

17%

Negative

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.

From the show:

From the producer, writer, and director of the Tony Award®-winning Broadway production, All The Way, comes a thrilling new play about the LBJ legacy: The Great Society. Presented at the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center, this striking production features a brilliant cast portraying over fifty characters, including Emmy® and Olivier Award winner Brian Cox (“Succession,” King Lear with the Royal Shakespeare Company) as LBJ, Tony nominee Marc Kudisch (“Billions,” A Minister’s Wife at LCT) as Richard J. Daley, Grantham Coleman (Much Ado About Nothing at The Public) as Martin Luther King Jr., and Tony nominee Richard Thomas (The Little Foxes) as Hubert Humphrey.

Show-Score Member Reviews (284)

Must see, Great acting, Clever

See it if You enjoy history

Don't see it if ….

Disjointed, Disappointing, Great acting, Indulgent, Ambitious

See it if you’d enjoy seeing this stellar cast at work. Bryce Pinkham as RFK, Richard Thomas as Humbert Humphries, & David Garrison as Nixon impress.

Don't see it if you’d be bummed this isn’t as good as it should be. Scenes jump around to different issues in LBJ’s presidency so much no momentum happens. Read more

Slow, Relevant, Great staging, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if to see some great acting. The characterizations are seamless. The juxtaposition of LBJ's brilliance and his downfall is heartrending.

Don't see it if You cant sit through lots of exposition and reorienting to time and action. You dont want to see the root of many social wrongs exposed. Read more

Relevant, Intense, Great acting, Ambitious, Absorbing

See it if You are a history buff. This plays takes you back to 1964-68, one of the toughest periods in recent history.

Don't see it if You don't want to see a show about civil rights, the 60's and how we got to here.

Intelligent, Relevant, Slow, Absorbing

See it if you enjoy historical pieces with large casts.

Don't see it if you want a fast moving fictional play.

Too long, Great staging, Resonant, Intense, Ambitious

See it if you enjoy historical dramas; you're a fan of Brian Cox

Don't see it if you expect it to be as good as "All the Way;" you prefer lighter plays; you like musicals

Absorbing, Intelligent, Great acting

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. Read more

Thought-provoking, Relevant, Intelligent, Great staging, Great acting

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.

Critic Reviews (25)

"The show moves swiftly, only rarely slowing down to catch its breath (and give us a breather from its informational overload), as it races through the multiple crises…So much transpires…that even those who lived through the traumatic times it depicts will have difficulty keeping up with it."
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Trailer

Creative team