“The Great Society,” the sequel to Robert Schenkkan's 2014 Tony-winning epic “All the Way,” began its Broadway run at the Vivian Beaumont Theater on September 6. Bill Rauch, who helmed "All the Way," also directs the new work which officially opens on October 1 for a limited run through November 30. Brian Cox stars in the production as President Lyndon Baines Johnson.
Capturing Lyndon B. Johnson's passionate and aggressive attempts to build a great society for all, the new play follows his epic triumph in a landslide election to the agonizing decision not to run for re-election just three years later.
Director Bill Rauch’s work has been seen across the nation, including on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning production "All the Way." Mr. Rauch is the Artistic Director of the Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center, currently under construction at the World Trade Center in New York City. From 2007-2019, he was the Artistic Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF), where he directed multiple world premieres. Among his work at OSF, Mr. Rauch commissioned 37 new plays to dramatize moments of change in American history. “American Revolutions: the U.S. History Cycle” is now in its tenth year of production.
