THE GREAT SOCIETY to play the Beaumont this Fall- Page 3

[Zion24]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 12:10am

i thought this was really horrible.

a fast paced history drama centering on LBJ should be right up my alley. and the ability to cover so many different stories so accurately (and fairly) is laudable. the projections were cool.

but dear god: the play launches from episode to episode with no break, so it feels like the Vietnam War was launched during a meeting with MLK as the same time as LBJ was launching Medicare. the writing is absolutely atrocious: the person behind me loudly said "this sounds like someone from high school wrote it" and she nailed it. its like someone assigned the drama club six chapters of their American History Textbook.

There is ZERO insight into LBJ, or the other politicians. Most of the play consists of them all explaining historical context to each other. LBJ telling his wife about WWII. The Vice President relaying the background of every single scene for our benefit. The marches on/near Selma are described to LBJ by the Vice President, so we get a narrative telling about the actors standing in the middle of the stage.I was simply STUNNED at how poorly this was done. (the writing- the production/staging was fine and at times moving).

The only time the play lifts off at all is during the scenes centering on MLK,  Grantham Coleman was phenomenal, and gave MLK depth. I wanted the story to stay with him the whole time.  Bryce Pinkham was also phenomenal in his small role as RFK. (Both characters disappear completely without any explanation re their assassinations until well after the fact, when both give beautifully done monologues reminding how much we missed them, in life and in this play).

The rest of the cast is totally wasted. Frank Wood plays 43 different people and seems embarrassed to be there. Kudisch pops up here and there to bluster. Richard Thomas is a wooden plant. He plays the fascinating VP Humphrey but he isnt given anything to say except to make moral pronouncements here and there. The dialogue given to him (and Lady Bird) made me wince.

But the real shocking disappointing here is Brian Cox, a brilliant actor with other worldly stamina. Setting aside that his LBJ had a slight Southern accent that continuously slipped into a Scottish brogue, Cox opens the play screaming and never stops. He bellows and yells and shouts the entire 2 hours and 45 minutes. He is never given a break, and there is zero dimension to the character. If LBJ is conflicted, he shouts both sides of the issue to himself. He calls Nixon a "son of a bitch!" out of nowhere.  Vietnam? Hes angry about all of it, and we are subjected to continuous reports from military men narrating the war as LBJ reacts with frustration. It was just painful and again, I am a Cox fan. I dont know what the hell happened here. 

and despite all this, i was mostly not bored. the history is so fascinating, the stories so compelling, that at least until the end, it plodded along. but i dont know who this would appeal to: history nerds/buffs will be bothered by the recitations, and those not interested in the subject will want to walk out (and our row emptied out during intermission). 

swing and a big miss.

 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 8:14am

“Cox opens the play screaming and never stops. He bellows and yells and shouts the entire 2 hours and 45 minutes.”

 

This comment specifically is really surprising to me. When I saw the first preview, I distinctly remember Cox’s performance as being very restrained. He seemed to hold his cards close to his chest, rarely showing any big emotion until the very end. Instead he spoke in a more smooth, sly sort of way. And I feel like I would have noticed if he had been yelling his way through the show, as that’s a big pet peeve of mine. 

I can’t help but wonder if this is a change in the direction.  Maybe they’ve been getting feedback about his performance not being “big” enough, or not enough like LBJ, or not enough like Bryan Cranston for that matter. So maybe they’re having him “amp it up.” If so, I think it’s a real shame. I’m not surprised you disliked his performance if he was yelling his way through it. 

Can anyone else weigh in on this?

 

 

[Zion24]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 9:22am

A more restrained Cox would not have saved the play from its script, but would have been a welcome adjustment. Cox bellowed from the start- setting aside that LBJ simply didnt talk like that (he lost his temper, sure, but had a sly, smooth, Texan schmooze about him), pitching the tone up to 8 from the beginning was a huge mistake from the director.   I only saw the movie but Cranston's LBJ was complicated, and his performance got broad as needed.

This play's LBJ was charmless, and showed no signs of being a master negotiator. And I dont see how Cox can possibly sustain this. Very curious to hear others' impressions. I can see critics falling all over themselves to praise this because its "important" but based on last night, I would be surprised if Cox gets good notices.

JBroadway, was your LBJ British most of the night?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 10:33am

I saw this the other night and Cox certainly didn’t tell and shout for the entire show. Not really sure where that comment came from.

[swright1031]

Posted: 9/23/19 at 5:00pm

Has anybody gotten seats through either the todaytix rush or tdf? Trying to decide which way to get tickets. Thanks!

[Tom-497]

Posted: 9/28/19 at 12:52am

I saw this evening's show with TodayTix rush ($42, left Orch Row M). I thought it was worth that price and the time/effort.

Also, I would say Cox did shout fairly often and didn't sound much like LBJ. But, he looked the part sufficiently from my seat, and I mostly liked his performance. For me, the show reached its peak during the confrontations in Chicago, where the LBJ, Daley, King, Vietnam, and racism storylines converged effectively.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 9/28/19 at 3:57am

Is the show selling out?

[JBroadway]

Posted: 9/28/19 at 10:35am

SmoothLover said: "Is the show selling out?"

 

Nope! 

Updated On: 9/28/19 at 10:35 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/28/19 at 10:52am

When I went, the house was maybe a little more than half full.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 9/28/19 at 3:36pm

Jordan Catalano said: "When I went, the house was maybe a little more than half full. "

That is too bad. Although it probably is not a show that tourists would flock to.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/29/19 at 4:57pm

I got around to seeing The Great Society this afternoon, and I have to say that after sitting through The Rose Tattoo yesterday afternoon, this was a breath of fresh air. I did not see or read All The Way, so I was a little concerned about being able to keep up going in, but this is very much a stand alone play. Brian Cox was great. I never felt like he was yelling at the audience like some others who saw the show earlier in previews mentioned. The supporting cast was also great. For an almost 3 hour political drama, I was never once bored or confused. All in all, I found this to be a fascinating and interesting play.

[rg7759]

Posted: 9/29/19 at 5:09pm

i 2nd that based on today they seem to have fixed any flaws

[victoriafr]

Posted: 9/29/19 at 7:07pm

I am absolutely confounded by anyone talking about how good this play is. I'm so glad you enjoyed it, but this is the only show I have ever seen on Broadway that I have walked out of in the middle. It was just... mindnumbing. The plot was extremely weak. It genuinely felt as though the playwright took a word-for-word account of everything that happened during LBJ's presidency and put it on stage, thinking it would be interesting. I also found the acting to be mediocre all around, considering the good reputation Brian Cox has, he was a massive let down.

[rg7759]

Posted: 9/29/19 at 7:48pm

thats too bad for you, but thats the point of previews, maybe the process is actually working. maybe you should stop going to the first performance.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 9/30/19 at 3:40pm

The reviews should be out late tonight.

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 9/30/19 at 3:41pm

SmoothLover said: "The reviews should be out late tonight."

It opens tomorrow (10/1) not tonight.

[Zion24]

Posted: 10/1/19 at 8:26pm

victoriafr said: "I am absolutely confounded by anyone talking about how good this play is. I'm so glad you enjoyed it, but this is the only show I have ever seen on Broadway that I have walked out of in the middle. It was just... mindnumbing. The plot was extremely weak. It genuinely felt as though the playwright took a word-for-word account of everything that happened during LBJ's presidency and put it on stage, thinking it would be interesting. I also found the acting to be mediocre all around, considering the good reputation Brian Cox has, he was a massive let down."

this was very much my experience (a textbook come to life, Cox a let down), though I was one of few people in my row who did not walk out during intermission. And there were some moments in the 2nd act that worked (everything with MLK worked for me). But yeah, the adulation for this amateur high school history class has been surprising to me (tho I can totally see the NYT falling all over itself to love it).

 

Updated On: 10/1/19 at 08:26 PM

[JBroadway]

Posted: 10/1/19 at 10:11pm

JDonaghy4 said: " (tho I can totally see the NYT falling all over itself to love it)."

 

Turns out Jesse Green didn’t care for it at all...

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/01/theater/the-great-society-review.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimesarts

 

[Zion24]

Posted: 10/1/19 at 10:32pm

JBroadway said: "JDonaghy4 said: "(tho I can totally see the NYT falling all over itself to love it)."


Turns out Jesse Green didn’t care for it at all...

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/01/theater/the-great-society-review.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimesarts

wow thanks for posting this- i clearly underestimated the NYT. (This play strikes all the right political notes, hence my prediction...) But having read Green, I have to say I agree with almost every word. Shrug.

 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 10/1/19 at 10:44pm

It’s interesting, because my mixed-to-negative reaction to this play was very similar to my reaction to Oslo. I thought both plays shared similar flaws. So it’s interesting for me to see this play ripped apart, while Oslo received nearly universal raves and won a ton of awards.

Updated On: 10/1/19 at 10:44 PM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/1/19 at 11:03pm

Gosh I'm gonna miss Sarah Holdren.

"The Great Society is a lumbering, spiritless mess. It’s the Joe Biden of plays: well-intentioned and clueless, taking up space on enormous stages, out of touch with the culture, embarrassing itself to the point where its big-boned, smiling obliviousness starts to look like hubris. ...... The Great Society so manifestly thinks that it’s doing great work, that it’s a Big, Important, Needful Drama. Truly, it’s hardly even a play."

Updated On: 10/1/19 at 11:03 PM

[HogansHero]

Posted: 10/1/19 at 11:35pm

This falls into that category of production that causes one to question why no producer put up their hand and said "just stop." Who could have thought that this was a decent play, much less one worthy of the biggest stage in town? It's very rare that I say this about shows, but there really is no excuse for this play and its performance, and these reviews back that up. 

And yes, Sara [no "h"], we wish we could have held onto you.

[Zion24]

Posted: 10/1/19 at 11:59pm

Jordan Catalano said: "I saw this the other night and Cox certainly didn’t tell and shout for the entire show. Not really sure where that comment came from."

FWIW, both Jesse Green and Sara Holdren observed the same bellowing/yelling. Its frustrating to hear that some of you saw a more restrained, nuanced performance and the director/Cox ended up choosing the over-the-top version.

JBroadway, I had the same thought re Oslo comparison. (Not Junk because that was just so dull.). But Oslo at least tried to delve into the characters- indeed, the whole point of that play/story was how certain Israelis and Palestinians forged relationships to lead to peace (or at least an attempt at it). Great Society didnt bother giving us any insight into anyone. 

And yes, here's hoping Holdren writes somewhere else soon?

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 10/2/19 at 2:54am

It sounds like there will not be an extension.