Lyndon B. Johnson Plays ALL THE WAY and THE GREAT SOCIETY Vying for Broadway?

According to The New York Times, two plays about former president Lyndon B. Johnson are vying for Broadway -- Robert Schenkkan's ALL THE WAY and Alexander Harrington's THE GREAT SOCIETY.

THE GREAT SOCIETY's producer Albert Podell told the Times: "No sane theatergoer is going to see two plays about L.B.J. on Broadway this season." Podell admitted that he is attempting to draw producers to his own play at the expense of the competition. "I've read both L.B.J. plays and just believe that my play is better, more accurate and faithful to Johnson," Podell added.

Read the original report here.

THE GREAT SOCIETY will play August 3-24 at off-Broadway's Clurman Theater at Theatre Row, produced by Podell. It follows L.B.J.'s administration from 1963-69.

ALL THE WAY, about the first year of Johnson's presidency, will begin performances in September at The American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, MA. A.R.T. is the pre-Broadway home of this year's Tony-winning musical PIPPIN. ALL THE WAY stars Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston as Johnson. The show's playwright Schenkkan is a Pulitzer Prize winner. The play, which originally debuted at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, won the Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History this year. It has also drawn the interest of producer Jeffrey Richards.

Podell has invested in Richards' previous Broadway productions, including BONNIE AND CLYDE and CHINGLISH. He told the Times he is willing to contribute as much as it takes to take his show to the Great White Way.

BroadwayWorld will keep you up-to-date as the competition heats up!

Pictured: (top) Bryan Cranston, star of ALL THE WAY; (side) Poster art for THE GREAT SOCIETY.