On Theater: SCR goes part of the way with LBJ
When people old enough to remember the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson reflect on that period, their thoughts invariably turn to the war in Vietnam, a tumultuous period in the mid-1960s that convinced LBJ not to seek reelection in 1968.
There’s plenty of conflict there, but it’s not even referenced in Robert Schenkkan’s riveting historical drama “All the Way,” which opens South Coast Repertory’s new season under the superb direction of Marc Masterson. What we see instead is LBJ’s equally unsettling first year in office, from his sudden ascension upon the assassination of John F. Kennedy to his triumphant moment the following November, when he crushed Sen. Barry Goldwater in the presidential election.
In between, however, came the true greatness of the Johnson years, the struggle for and eventual passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which enfranchised millions of African Americans (referred to then as “Negroes”) as it aimed to end segregation.
It took a herculean effort for a Southern president to spearhead such legislation, and to do so with the fractious support of the upper ranks of the black community, upset because voting rights were not part of the package. Though beset from all sides by myriad pressure, Johnson ultimately prevailed, and the nation was transformed.
At SCR, an enormous ensemble coalesces on the Segerstrom Stage to recount this pivotal year, and it’s captained by a raging, rampaging performance by Hugo Armstrong as LBJ. This dynamic actor brilliantly demonstrates the arm-twisting, butt-kicking political style that Johnson perfected as Senate majority leader before signing on to JFK’s ticket. Armstrong bemoans his “accidental presidency” but vows to carry on Kennedy’s civil rights crusade.
Real-life political figures surround him — the eloquent Martin Luther King, cerebrally but edgily depicted by Larry Bates; the diehard segregationist (and close friend of LBJ) Sen. Richard Russell, well rendered by Larry John Meyers; the witch-hunting FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, a strong, steely performance from Robert Curtis Brown; and LBJ’s closest ally (and future vice president) Hubert Humphrey, played by the facial if not physical ringer JD Cullum, enduring the president’s often verbally violent mood swings with a reserve of inner strength.
On the distaff side, Nike Doukas adds grace and good humor as the long-suffering Lady Bird Johnson, Tracey A. Leigh excels both as Coretta King and a victimized African American woman brutally treated by Southern lawmen, and Lynn Gallagher functions nicely as the wives of Humphrey and George Wallace.
Regular SCR audience members will recognize founding artist Hal Landon Jr. by voice, if not by sight, as the elegantly coiffed Sen. Everett Dirksen — moments after Landon appears more familiarly as Sen. Strom Thurmond. Darin Singleton is effective in a lower key as loyal Johnson aide Walter Jenkins, whose sex scandal (in an election year) nearly derailed the Johnson presidency.
The marble-columned setting is a work of modern art from designer Ralph Funicello, and Holly Poe Durbin’s 1960s costumes work well in depicting the era. Jaymi Lee Smith’s complex lighting designs are a paramount element in the show’s success.
“All the Way” (the show takes its title from the 1964 campaign slogan “All the Way with LBJ”) may go only part of the way in fleshing out Lyndon Johnson’s complicated presidency, but it’s enough to fill three hours of mesmerizing theater at South Coast Repertory.
TOM TITUS reviews local theater.
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IF YOU GO
What: “All the Way”
Where: South Coast Repertory Segerstrom Stage, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
When: Tuesdays through Sundays at varying curtain times through Oct. 2
Cost: $22 to $77
Information: (714) 708-5555
