The Lehman Trilogy opens on Broadway, telling the story of money and power

Greed is good, said Gordon Gekko in the 1987 film "Wall Street."

That's too often the history of corporate America: It's never enough.

And that's at the heart of "The Lehman Trilogy." The mesmerizing show by Stefano Massini, adapted by Ben Power, recently opened on Broadway after sold-out runs at London’s National Theatre and New York’s Park Avenue Armory. 

Directed by Academy Award and Tony Award winner Sam Mendes, the show weaves together nearly two centuries of family history, from humble beginnings to outrageous successes to the devastating failure of the financial institution in 2008 that would ultimately bring the global economy to its knees. 

The show, told in three parts, stars Simon Russell Beale, Adam Godley and Adrian Lester — and all are stunningly good. Each of them plays various Lehmans, from the first immigrants who came to America in 1844 to toddlers to teenagers to young adults to leaders of the company. They also play women and other characters, all by slightly changing their voices or expressions. 

Beale starts off playing Henry Lehman, the leader of the company when it's first created. Later he plays Philip, who takes the company to a new level. Even when stands on stage, silently, he has a presence that is remarkable.

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There are some difficult moments to sit through. Lehman Brothers was originally based in Montgomery, Alabama, and they made their money first in fabric and then in cotton, at the expense of slaves. They dominated the market and made millions. After the Civil War, Mayer (Godley) thinks everything can go back to normal — as if nothing happened. The company was forced to change — so they become a bank.

Lester plays Emanuel Lehman, who displays strength and smarts. It is Emanuel who convinces Mayer that they have to move the company to the center of the world: New York City.

Scenic designer Es Devlin and video designer Luke Halls are critical to the show's success. The rotating glass and steel set is broken up into separate areas connected like a maze. Characters move from one room to another, and frequently set up scenes by moving around cardboard boxes, similar to ones that hold paper for Xerox machines.

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Halls video design is like cinematography — there are moments that are simply breathtaking. 

What a joy it is to see pianist Candida Caldicot at work. She sits on the orchestra floor near the stage and keeps the show moving through Nick Powell's original music.

The last 10 minutes or so seems a bit rushed, packing about 20 years or so until the collapse. It's effective, but after more than three hours (there are two intermissions), many in the audience probably would not have minded sticking around for another act that gets into the weeds of the company's downfall. 

There's a lot to takeaway here: money, marketing, world domination — not to mention how all of this ties in to today. Do three or four companies need to have so much power? Are we heading for another crash? Can it be stopped? Is it already too late?

"The Lehman Trilogy" is playing at the Nederlander Theatre, 208 W. 41st St., through Jan. 2, 2022. More information is at thelehmantrilogy.com.

Bill Canacci can be reached at bcanacci@gannettnj.com.