| Suffs | |
| Music: | Shaina Taub |
| Lyrics: | Shaina Taub |
| Basis: | Women's suffrage in the United States |
| Premiere Date: | April 6, 2022 |
| Premiere Location: | The Public Theater |
| Productions: | 2022 Off-Broadway 2024 Broadway |
| Awards: | Tony Award for Best Book Tony Award for Best Score Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music |
Suffs is a stage musical with music, lyrics, and a book by Shaina Taub, based on suffragists and the American women's suffrage movement, focusing primarily on the historical events leading up to the ratification of the nineteenth amendment to the United States constitution in 1920 that gave some women, primarily white women, the right to vote.[1] It premiered off-Broadway at The Public Theater in April 2022.
The show opened on Broadway on April 18, 2024 at the Music Box Theatre. It received positive reviews from critics and 6 nominations at the 77th Tony Awards, including Best Musical, winning 2, for Best Book and Best Score.[2] [3]
At the 1913 National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) Convention, Carrie Chapman Catt gives a speech calling for support for women's suffrage ("Let Mother Vote"). Alice Paul, exhausted by NAWSA's slow progress, proposes a march on Washington, D.C. on the day of President Woodrow Wilson's inauguration, to pressure him to support a federal amendment for suffrage. Carrie refuses, preferring NAWSA's approach of gaining suffrage state-by-state. Irritated and unwilling to give up, Alice resolves to see equality for all achieved in her lifetime ("Finish the Fight"). She recruits her college friend Lucy Burns to help organize the march themselves, and they further recruit socialite Inez Milholland and Polish labor organizer Ruza Wenclawska, and accept visiting Nebraska college student Doris Stevens as their secretary ("Find A Way"). As the march approaches, Southern delegations object to Black women marching alongside white women in their respective delegations. Not wanting to derail the march, Alice elects to compromise by setting up a separate colored women delegation; prominent African-American journalist and activist Ida B. Wells confronts the organizers to declare her intention to march with her own state delegation, and harshly criticizes Alice for being willing to compromise with the march's Southern backers at the expense of Black women ("Wait My Turn").
On the morning of the march, Ida runs into her friend and fellow Black activist Mary Church Terrell, along with her daughter Phyllis. Ida favors direct actions to draw attention, while Mary prefers an approach of "dignified agitation", working within the system to fight for colored women's rights, which causes a rift between them, though they both march with the hope of uplifting Black voices ("Terrell's Theme"). The Woman Suffrage Procession faces some violent pushback, but they succeed in completing the march ("The March (We Demand Equality"). As the organizers celebrate, Doris expresses distress over having been called a "bitch" by one of the counter-protestors. Alice, Ruza, Inez, and Lucy encourage Doris to embrace this label as a sign of her strength in the face of sexist men ("Great American Bitch"). Carrie offers NAWSA's backing to the newly-formed Congressional Union (CU) for Woman Suffrage, made up of the march's organizers, although she and Alice still disagree on their respective approaches. The CU go to the White House for a meeting with Wilson, who offers them lip service about his condescending and chauvinistic adoration for women ("Ladies"), but continually puts off publicly showing support in his first term. A frustrated Alice suggests NAWSA withdraw their support, but Carrie refuses to antagonize Wilson as he has pledged to keep the U.S. out of the war in Europe.
Alice's commitment to the movement takes a toll on her personal and social life, but she tells herself focusing on achieving women's suffrage will be worth the sacrifice ("Worth It"). Doris educates Wilson's chief of staff Dudley Field Malone on the movement by offering a hypothetical scenario of her rights if they were husband-and-wife; the two gradually fall for each other ("If We Were Married"). At the 1916 NAWSA Convention the divisions among the Suffs become clear; Mary, an invited speaker, wants to use her speech to highlight race, while Ida points out that NAWSA uses Mary to insulate themselves from being called racist. The CU disrupts the convention by publicly calling for NAWSA to organize against Wilson's reelection, criticizing the slower approach of "irrelevant old fogies" like Carrie ("The Convention Part 1"). Stunned and offended at having her contributions to the movement brushed aside ("This Girl"), Carrie publicly condemns Alice and privately informs her that her actions have no place in NAWSA ("The Convention Part 2"). With the CU effectively kicked out of NAWSA, Alice founds the National Woman's Party (NWP) and recruits Alva Belmont, a wealthy socialite and NAWSA donor, to fund it and continue with their anti-Wilson efforts ("Alva Belmont"). The NWP plans a campaign tour calling for women in states where they have voting rights to vote against Wilson. Inez tries to take a leave of absence due to exhaustion, but is convinced by Alice to go on the tour ("Show Them Who You Are"). Their efforts to vote Wilson out are unsuccessful and Wilson is re-elected ("The Campaign"); to make matters worse, a devastated Lucy returns from the tour with the news that Inez collapsed and died during one of her speeches, having hid her anemia from the others. Heartbroken, the Suffs hold a vigil for Inez, and resolve to continue in her honor ("How Long?").
The NWP organize the Silent Sentinels, standing in silence outside the White House gates until Wilson publicly supports suffrage. When Wilson declares that the U.S. will join the Great War, they hold up banners with his own words printed on them to highlight his hypocrisy, only to be arrested on Wilson's orders ("The Young Are At The Gates") and sentenced for the trumped up charge of obstructing traffic. Dudley, disgusted with Wilson and convinced of the cause, publicly resigns ("Respectfully Yours, Dudley Malone"). At Occoquan Workhouse, the group stages a hunger strike to protest their arrest, much to the frustration of Mrs. Herndon, the strict but sympathetic prison matron. The group soon falls into conflict as Ruza accuses Alice of trying to get them all killed with her methods, with Lucy and Doris unable to quell the argument ("Hold It Together"). Meanwhile, Carrie continues to back Wilson despite misgivings about his broken promises and treatment of the suffragists in prison. Dudley helps free Doris from prison by posing as her husband and joins the NWP. Mary argues with Ida about publicly condemning the war, as both express their fatigue over constantly fighting for Black women's rights and being ignored at every turn ("Wait My Turn (reprise)"). The strikers smuggle letters out of the prison with the help of Mrs. Herndon, describing the horrific abuse by prison staff; Wilson publishes press reports contradicting the letters ("The Report"). As Alice slowly starves to death in solitary confinement, she is met by prison staff member Dr. White, who threatens to have her committed if she continues striking. A hallucination of Inez confronts Alice, warning she will be no good to the wider movement if she dies ("Show Them Who You Are (reprise)"). Taking Inez's advice, Alice tells Dr. White she is willing to be called insane so long as it is known she is still fighting for what she believes in, and ends her hunger strike ("Insane"). White is moved by her words and refuses to have her committed, despite Wilson's orders.
Doris leaks the letters to the press, forcing Wilson to free the rest of the strikers. As the NWP burn Wilson in effigy after the war, a frustrated Carrie tells him that his broken promises have alienated even his less-radical base in NAWSA, and that he can easily quell dissent by supporting suffrage and publicly giving the credit to NAWSA ("Fire & Tea"). Wilson finally does so, but snidely reminds Carrie they still need enough state legislatures to ratify the amendment ("Let Mother Vote (reprise)"). In 1920, on the morning of the final vote for the Nineteenth Amendment in Tennessee, Carrie and Alice run into each other. At first they passive-aggressively blame each other for their struggles, but Carrie has an epiphany when she realizes that she was once the young upstart in the suffrage movement to the more conservative Susan B. Anthony, and that Alice chose the path of forceful resistance that Carrie had left behind ("She and I"). The Nineteenth Amendment vote comes down to a single vote from Senator Harry T. Burn, who is convinced to change his vote from a "Nay" to an "Aye" at the last minute after receiving a telegram from his mother, Phoebe, who reveals that she blames Wilson for her husband's death in the War but lacks the ability to vote against him ("A Letter From Harry's Mother"). Ida and Mary celebrate their success, but sadly agree that Black women will still be prevented from voting, just as Black men; Phyllis encourages them to keep faith that the movement will continue. The other women celebrate the amendment's passing ("I Was Here"); as Dudley and Doris plan to wed, Carrie invites her professional and romantic partner Mollie Hay to join her on a diplomatic trip abroad, as they lament that they do not have the freedom to truly live as a married couple ("If We Were Married (reprise)").
Alice pitches the NWP's next goal of getting the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) passed. However, the entire group is exhausted and decide to quit organizing: Doris plans to publish her memoirs about her experiences in the movement; Ruza wants to act on Broadway (“August 26th, 1920”). Lucy decides to retire from activism, though she assures Alice she values their shared fight ("Lucy's Song"). In the 1970s, an aged but still active Alice meets young activist Robin (played by the actress who played Phyllis), a representative from National Organization for Women who seeks Alice's support on radical movements. Alice disagrees with Robin's call for an intersectional approach, preferring the singular focus on the ERA, but is taken aback when Robin accuses her of being behind in her ways and points out how the 19th Amendment didn't make voting easier for Black women ("Finish the Fight (reprise)"). Realizing she has become the "old fogey" that Carrie was to her, Alice accepts she will not live to see the end of the fight for equality, but declares that it will happen one day so long as people maintain their resolve ("Keep Marching").
| 2022 | 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Alice Paul | Shaina Taub | ||
| Carrie Chapman Catt | Jenn Colella | ||
| Ida B. Wells | Nikki M. James | ||
| Lucy Burns | Ally Bonino | ||
| Doris Stevens | Nadia Dandashi | ||
| Ruza Wenclawska | Hannah Cruz | Kim Blanck | |
| Inez Milholland | Phillipa Soo | Hannah Cruz | |
| Mary Church Terrell | Cassondra James | Anastaćia McCleskey | |
| Dudley Malone | Tsilala Brock | ||
| Woodrow Wilson | Grace McLean | ||
| Phyllis Terrell | J. Riley Jr. | Laila Erica Drew | |
| Robin | Amina Faye | ||
| Mollie Hay | Jaygee Macapugay | ||
| Alva Belmont / Phoebe Burn | Aisha de Haas | Emily Skinner | |
| Harry T. Burn | Jenna Bainbridge | ||
| Mrs. Herndon | Ada Westfall | ||
Act I
Act II
Act I
Act II
Shaina Taub began developing the show in the early 2010s, after she read suffragist Doris Stevens' account, Jailed for Freedom.[7]
The musical, then titled Suffragist, was originally planned to premiere at the Public in fall of 2020, with a cast that would have included Stephanie Hsu and Kate Wetherhead, but this was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Further plans were made to open it at the Delacorte Theater as part of the return of the Public's Shakespeare in the Park season in the following summer, before the decision was made to delay it into 2022.[8]
The plots of the Off-Broadway and Broadway versions of Suffs are roughly identical: however, in making changes Taub focused on tightening the story and improving the development of the supporting characters. The originally sung-through score had many songs (including its original, Brechtian opening number "Watch Out for the Suffragette!") cut and either turned into new songs or replaced with dialogue.[9] Notable characters removed after the Off-Broadway production were Nina Otero-Warren and Edith Wilson. The latter was also portrayed by Grace McLean and figured in a comedic scene where McLean switched characters onstage after President Wilson suffers a stroke: Taub found that while the scene was a "huge delight" for the audience, it was too distracting due to the real Edith Wilson's staunchly anti-suffrage stance.
The musical, now called Suffs, was initially going to open its world premiere production at The Public Theater on April 6, 2022, but the preview the night before as well as the opening night were cancelled due to a large number of positive COVID-19 cases among the cast, including Taub.[10] It began previews on March 13 and was initially announced to run until April 24, but was extended three times: first to May 1, then to May 15, and finally to May 29.[11] [12] [13] [14] Directed by Leigh Silverman, the production starred Taub as Alice Paul, Jenn Colella as Carrie Chapman Catt, Nikki M. James as Ida B. Wells, Ally Bonino as Lucy Burns, Phillipa Soo as Inez Milholland, Hannah Cruz as Ruza Wenclawska, Nadia Dandashi as Doris Stevens, Grace McLean as Woodrow Wilson, Tsilala Brock as Dudley Field Malone, Jenna Bainbridge as Harry T. Burn, Aisha de Haas as Alva Belmont and Phoebe Burn, Jaygee Macapugay as Mollie Hay, Cassondra James as Mary Church Terrell, J. Riley Jr. as Phyllis Terrell, Amina Faye as Robin, and Ada Westfall as Mrs. Herndon.
In October 2023, it was announced that the show would transfer to Broadway in spring 2024. Among the producing team is former Secretary of State and First Lady Hillary Clinton and activist Malala Yousafzai. Silverman returned to direct.[15] In January 2024, full casting was announced. Except for Phillipa Soo, most of the off-Broadway cast reprised their roles, with Hannah Cruz filling Soo's role of Inez Milholland.[16] Kim Blanck, Emily Skinner, Laila Erica Drew, and Anastaćia McCleskey also joined the cast for the transfer. Blanck took over Cruz's role of Ruza Wenclawska; Skinner replaced Aisha de Haas as Alva Belmont and Phoebe Burn; Drew took over J. Riley Jr. and Amina Faye's roles of Phyllis Terrell and Robin, respectively; and McCleskey replaced Cassondra James as Mary Church Terrell.[17] The production has a new creative team with choreography by Mayte Natalio, scenic design by Riccardo Hernandez, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting by Lap Chi Chu, sound by Jason Crystal, orchestrations by Michael Starobin, and music supervision and direction by Andrea Grody.[18]
The show began previews on March 26, 2024 with an official opening on April 18 at the Music Box Theatre.[19] At the time of the show's premiere, Taub became the second woman in Broadway history to "to write the book, music, lyrics, and star in her own musical".
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Outstanding Musical | |||
| Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical | ||||
| Outstanding Production of a Musical | ||||
| Outstanding Direction of a Musical | ||||
| Distinguished Performance | ||||
| Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | |||
| Outstanding Lyrics | ||||
| Award | Category | Nominee | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Tony Awards[20] | Best Musical | ||
| Best Book of a Musical | Shaina Taub | |||
| Best Original Score | ||||
| Best Featured Actress in a Musical | Nikki M. James | |||
| Best Direction of a Musical | Leigh Silverman | |||
| Best Costume Design of a Musical | Paul Tazewell | |||
| Drama League Awards[21] [22] | Outstanding Production of a Musical | |||
| Outstanding Direction of a Musical | Leigh Silverman | |||
| Distinguished Performance | Nikki M. James | |||
| Jenn Colella | ||||
| Outer Critics Circle Awards[23] | Outstanding New Broadway Musical | |||
| Outstanding Book of a Musical | Shaina Taub | |||
| Outstanding Score | ||||
| Outstanding Orchestrations | Michael Starobin | |||
| Outstanding Direction of a Musical | Leigh Silverman | |||
| Drama Desk Awards[24] | Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical | Emily Skinner | ||
| Outstanding Music | Shaina Taub | |||
| Outstanding Orchestrations | Michael Starobin, Shaina Taub, and Andrea Grody | |||
| Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical | Riccardo Hernández | |||
| Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical | Paul Tazewell | |||
| Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical | Lap Chi Chu | |||
| Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical | Jason Crystal | |||
| Outstanding Wig and Hair | Charles G. LaPoint | |||
The Off-Broadway production of Suffs received mixed to positive reviews.[25] The production's cast, score, and direction received praise, but criticism was leveled at the musical's book, runtime, and overall structure. Juan A. Ramirez of Theatrely believed the musical's first act was too focused on narration and historical information, finding the second act vastly superior due to depicting vivid onstage conflict. He also felt the musical's criticism of the suffragists for excluding black women rang hollow due to it having no overall effect on the actual narrative.[26] Raven Snook of Time Out gave the musical four stars out of five but opined that, despite efforts by the production to highlight Ida B. Wells and Mary Church Terrell, their story still felt sidelined by the overall narrative.[27] In an overall positive review for Variety, Marilyn Stasio also found the second act superior but rushed, feeling the already nearly three-hour show could be longer to accommodate it.[28]
Suffs was compared prior to opening night and in multiple reviews with Hamilton, which like Suffs is a historical musical that debuted in the Newman Theater at the Public, featuring Phillipa Soo in a starring role, and attracted similarly sold-out audiences.[29] Maya Phillips, writing for The New York Times, noted that Suffs seemed to be trying to avoid potential criticisms similar to ones that had been leveled at Hamilton for its politics around women and slavery. Phillips opined this fear of leaving out information actually worked to the detriment of the story, voicing that the show felt "bloated with information".[30] Helen Shaw of Vulture also found the Hamilton comparison "unavoidable". Shaw praised the musical's portrayal of divisions within the suffragists movement, but she felt that Taub's music and Silverman's staging lacked the variation needed to carry the story. Nevertheless, Shaw saw potential in the musical's future development: "Just a few amendments to go, and, like a certain Constitution I could mention — it might be truly great."[31]
The Broadway production of Suffs saw mostly positive reviews.[32] [33] [34] [35] Frank Rizzo, writing for Variety, called the production "smart, inspiring and thoroughly entertaining," noting that the show covered seven years of events "efficiently and effectively with artful modulations of intensity, humor, sadness, spunk and joy". He also praised Taub's "rich musical palette" and the choice to focus on internal division's within the women's suffrage movement rather than male pushback to the movement.[36] Elisabeth Vincentelli of The Washington Post wrote that "while it did not magically morph into a great show, Version 2.0 is tighter, more confident, often rousing and downright entertaining." She praised the revisions which placed more focus on the ensemble and which better acknowledged the shortfalls of the white suffragists to include their Black counterparts, but felt that the book did not explore each character enough.[37]