The Great Society - 2019 Broadway History , Info & More
Vivian Beaumont Theatre (Broadway)
150 West 65th St. at Broadway New York, NY 10023
Tony Award & Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan will return to Broadway with the second of his two exhilarating dramas celebrating Lyndon B. Johnson's legacy: THE GREAT SOCIETY.
Capturing Johnson's passionate and aggressive attempts to build a great society for all, THE GREAT SOCIETY follows his epic triumph in a landslide election to the agonizing decision not to run for re-election just three years later. It was an era that would define history forever: the rise of the Civil Rights Movement, the deaths of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, the destruction of Vietnam, and the creation of some of the greatest social programs America has ever known-and one man was at the center of it all: LBJ.
The Great Society - 2019 - Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR The Great Society
The Great Society review – Brian Cox is an electrifying LBJ on Broadway
8 / 10
The Great Society is a man's show; the focus on Johnson and King and Kennedy, with small parts for Lady Bird Johnson and Coretta Scott King as concerned and embittered wives, ones who feel underutilized. That being said, it's difficult to justify any less stage or speaking time for Cox, whose sublime swings from bullishness and crippling guilt capture the real Johnson's notoriously volatile moods, even if the Texas drawl is more evocative than spot-on. What he lacks in Johnson's physical stature - the real president was 6ft 4in - Cox recoups in palpable energy; as he strides about the room, literally strong-arming lobbyists and senators into public promises, shading his vowels brassier or less so depending on the audience, it's a brilliant portrait of intimidation and presence.
The Great Society
6 / 10
Whereas Bryan Cranston brought a dogged vitality and wily command to the role, Brian Cox's version, though still spouting folksy Texas wisdoms and capable of manipulating his foes, seems older, wearier and less secure in his power. This is appropriate to Johnson's story during this period of upheaval: The great strong-armer and glad-hander is losing his grip. But in the absence of Cranston's central charisma, the play-already spread thin by the longer time frame-seems even more like an illustrated lecture.
The Great Society History
Other Productions of The Great Society
| 2013 | Off-Broadway |
World Premiere Off-Broadway |
| 2019 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
The Great Society - 2019 Broadway Awards and Nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Wig and Hair Design | Tom Watson |
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