"All The Way" with LBJ: A Year in the Life

Is the fascination we have with politics and politicians all about power and those who wield it?

Robert Schenkkan's "All The Way," at the Neil Simon Theatre through June 29th, looks at one critical year in the life of one of  the great political practitioners.

Bryan Cranston and Betsy Aidem. Photo Credit: Evgenia Eliseeva

Lyndon Baines Johnson (Bryan Cranston) was one of the great negotiators in our country's presidential history.  You know the famously effective politician whose arm twisting got legislation passed, but the author posits an LBJ who may have been a better man than his reputation suggests.  Lady Bird Johnson (Betsy Aidem) has a particularly poignant take on LBJ the man in one scene, making it clear that the man was the politician.

Robert Petkoff, Bryan Cranston.
Photo Credit: Evgenia Eliseeva

LBJ took office in November 1963 as "an accidental President" after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He had just one year to establish his presidency and launch the campaign for the 1964 elections. That year hinged on LBJ's role in the struggle for civil rights. He was left to polish his predecessor's legacy, and create his own. The pressures he faced during that year are history, and as told by Schenkkan it is a compelling and dramatic story.

Bryan Cranston, Brandon J. Dirden  and
Richard Poe in the back.
Photo Credit: Evgenia Eliseeva

There were the rightfully disgruntled factions in the Negro caucus. He also had to deal with the recalcitrant segments of his own party's Dixiecrats, most prominently represented  by LBJ's mentor, "Uncle" Dick Russell (John McMartin), the Senator from Georgia. Hubert Humphrey (Robert Petkoff) of  Michigan was the Senator most sympathetic to the cause of equality for all Americans.

Among the groups of black leaders, Martin Luther King, Jr. (Brandon J. Dirden) is the acknowledged head. He lobbied the President, often through Humphrey, for the assorted black organizations, which included Stokely Carmichael's (William Jackson Harper) radical SNCC and the much tamer NAACP lead by Roy Wilkins (Peter Jay Fernandez).  LBJ not only supported civil rights, but was instrumental in passing legislation to insure that fairness and equality were the law of the land.

Rob Campbell, Susannah Schulman on the desk. On left on floor:
James Eckhouse and on right on floor: Christopher Gurr
Photo Credit: Evgenia Eliseeva

The sets in "All The Way" often depend on projections to identify the locale of a scene. Credit Christopher Acebo for the simple multi-functional scenic design and Jane Cox for the lighting.

The acting, with Bryan Cranston embodying LBJ in an astonishing performance, and Brandon J. Dirden embodying MLK down to the cadences of his speech, is universally excellent. Under Bill Rauch's well-paced directing, the nearly three hours of politics and power go by in a flash; there is not a wasted minute.

Among other standouts in the outstanding cast are William Jackson Harper, Rob Campbell as Governor George Wallace (and others), and Eric Lenox Abrams as Bob Moses (and others.) Michael McKean is a wry and formidable J. Edgar Hoover.


To find out more about "All The Way," please visit http://allthewaybroadway.com/

The Vineyard Blossoms In Its 30th Year!

From the beginning, the Vineyard Theatre proved to be fertile ground for extended runs, Broadway transfers, and prize-winning productions.

Nicky Silver's "The Lyons," "The Scottsboro Boys," and "[title of show]" all went from their Vineyard runs to the Great White Way. "Avenue Q" moved to the John Golden Theatre where it won the 2004 Tony and now continues to enjoy success at New World Stages.

Ricky and Rod from "Avenue Q"

Paula Vogel's "How I Learned To Drive" premiered at the Vineyard, moved to the Century Theatre and then won the 1998 Pulitzer Prize. The Vineyard's dedication to new works has led to fruitful collaborations with writers like Becky Mode ("Fully Committed"), the team of John Kander and Fred Ebb (the above-mentioned "Scottsboro Boys," and "Flora The Red Menace"), and Nicky Silver (whose1993 "Pterodactyls" will enjoy a special member reading on December 10th).  

From the Broadway run of "The Scottsboro Boys"-- Joshua Henry and the cast. Photo by Paul Kolnik

This season's  opener, "Checkers" by Douglas McGrath, (just closed) featured top-notch work from a great cast under Terry Kinney's direction, led by Anthony LaPaglia as Richard Nixon and Kathryn Erbe as Pat Nixon.

The 30th anniversary will bring a New York premiere by Rajiv Joseph, "The North Pool"  followed by a world premiere of  "Somewhere Fun," by Jenny Schwartz. Members of The Vineyard Theatre will also witness special workshops and readings.

For more information on The Vineyard Theatre, please visit http://vineyardtheatre.org/ 

"The Door" Slams

Two men are sitting in an anteroom as a door bangs incessantly.

The story they unwind in Tony Earnshaw's "The Door," part of Brits Off Broadway at 59E59 Theaters running through December 11th, seesaws in search of the truth.

Tom Cobley and Chris Westgate in “The Door” by Tony Earnshaw. Photo by Tony Earnshaw

"The whole system collapses if you don't obey orders," Boyd tells Ryan. Ryan's answer is "The whole system is pointless if you do." What appears to be random disagreement over politics, tabloids news, and the existence of God, turns out to be very personal.

Ryan (Chris Westgate) and Boyd (Tom Cobley) are waiting to justify an incident that happened during their service in Iraq.

The tension between the two men is punctuated by the explosively slamming door. "Drives you round the loddy bend, doesn't it. Round the bloody bend,"
is a refrain that gets passed from hand to hand as the noise unnerves each man in turn.

Tom Cobley and Chris Westgate in Tony Earnshaw ‘s“The Door.”. Photo by Tony Earnshaw

The taut fifty minutes play, under Anna Adams able directions, goes from Beckettian absurdity to a surprising animated ending.

For more information on Brits Off Broadway and a schedule of performances for "The Door," visit www.59e59.org.

Intrigue in the setting sun of the British Empire

Long before George Orwell envisioned a world in which Big Brother would supplant our freedoms, he was in His Majesty's foreign service. There he saw the despotism with which his countryman lorded it over the natives.

In "Burmese Days," adapted and directed by (and featuring) Ryan Kiggell in an aya theatre world premiere production at 59E59 Theaters as part of Brits Off Broadway through December 4th, Orwell explores the intrigues and petty territorialism of a British Club in colonial Burma.

By 1934, the hot sun of the Empire had begun to set. Orwell's first novel, "Burmese Days," catches its last few rays before it fades as the inhabitants of Kyauktada squabble and drink.

The cast of six, featuring along with Kiggell, Charlotte Allam, Amerjit Deu, Zak Shukor, Elisa Terren, and Jamie Zubari in a variety of roles, relates the tale, and embodies characters (and critters) in the tropical land.

The political machinations and petty rivalries in this small provincial world are depicted with admirable exactitude. "Burmese Days" is an interesting theatrical work, that is both a play and a series of monologues and narrations.

For a performance schedule and more information, visit www.59e59.org or
BritsOffBroadway.com

A Tall Order: Anna Kerrigans "The Talls"

Anna Kerrigan's fine new play, "The Talls" would probably benefit from a more seductive title. Family in dysfunction can have so many iterations, but this one is fresh and beguiling.

Set in a small California town in the 1970's, "The Talls" at 2econd Stage Theatre Uptown, through August 27th, focuses on the rudderless Clarke children.

Everything in "The Talls" encapsulates the 1970s. The actors are perfectly dressed by Jenny Mannis and the Clarke living room, in a set by Dane Laffrey, is evocative of "The Brady Bunch."

Big sister, Isabelle (Shannon Esper) feels responsible for keeping her siblings on track. She makes sure they get their homework done, keeps Christian (Michael Oberholtzer) from picking on Catherine (Lauren Holmes) and makes sure that their youngest brother, Nicholas (Timothee Chalamet) gets ready for bed.

Gerard Canonico as Russell James with Shannon
Esper as Isabelle [Photo (c) Joan Marcus] 



The parents, John (Peter Rini) and Anne Clarke (Christa Scott-Reed) are pre-occupied-- mostly with dad's career and aspirations in politics, but also with Anne's friendship with Sister Connie, one of the children's teachers.

Christa Scott-Reed as Mrs. Anne Clarke and Peter Rini
as Mr. John Clarke [Photo (c) Joan Marcus] 

Anne, who has forgotten about Christian's and Catherine's ball games in the early afternoon, comes home to remind them, over an early cocktail, to get ready to meet their father's political advisor, Russell James (Gerard Canonico).

Isabelle is not just the oldest in the family, she is also the smartest, and in some ways, despite her youth, the wisest. She is, also, the most daring. Isabelle longs for freedom from the straight and narrow. Her dreams of being a hippie are partly fulfilled as the comedy reaches a poignant outcome.

To find out more about Anna Kerrigan's "The Talls," please visit http://2st.com/