''Suffs'' is a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

with music, lyrics, and a book by

Shaina Taub Shaina Taub is an American actress, singer, musician, and Tony Award-winning composer. Early life Taub was born in Waitsfield, Vermont and attended the theater camp Stagedoor Manor. Taub's interest in social justice started at a young age. At 16 ...

, based on

suffragists Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to v ...

and the American

women's suffrage movement Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...

, focusing primarily on the historical events leading up to the ratification of the

Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution The Nineteenth Amendment (Amendment XIX) to the United States Constitution prohibits the United States and its U.S. state, states from denying the Suffrage, right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex, in effect recogni ...

in 1920 that gave some women the right to vote. The show premiered

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

The Public Theater The Public Theater is an arts organization in New York City. Founded by Joseph Papp, The Public Theater was originally the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954; its mission was to support emerging playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: ...

in April 2022. It opened on Broadway on April 18, 2024, at the

Music Box Theatre The Music Box Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 239 West 45th Street (George Abbott Way) in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1921, the Music Box ...

, where it received mostly positive reviews from critics. It was nominated for six

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cere ...

, including Best Musical, winning two, for Best Book and Best Score.

Plot

Act 1

At the 1913

National American Woman Suffrage Association The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) was an organization formed on February 18, 1890, to advocate in favor of women's suffrage in the United States. It was created by the merger of two existing organizations, the National Woma ...

(NAWSA) Convention,

Carrie Chapman Catt Carrie Chapman Catt (born Carrie Clinton Lane; January 9, 1859#Fowler, Fowler, p. 3 – March 9, 1947) was an American women's suffrage leader who campaigned for the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which gave U.S. women t ...

gives a speech calling for support for

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...

("Let Mother Vote").

Alice Paul Alice Stokes Paul (January 11, 1885 – July 9, 1977) was an American Quaker, suffragette, suffragist, feminist, and women's rights activist, and one of the foremost leaders and strategists of the campaign for the Nineteenth Amendment to the Unit ...

, exhausted by NAWSA's slow progress, proposes a march on

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

on the day of President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

'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 Lucy Burns (July 28, 1879 – December 22, 1966) was an American suffragist and women's rights advocate.Bland, 1981 (p. 8) She was a passionate activist in the United States and the United Kingdom, who joined the militant suffragettes. Burns w ...

to help organize the march themselves, and they further recruit socialite

Inez Milholland Inez Milholland Boissevain (August 6, 1886 – November 25, 1916) was a leading American suffragist, lawyer, and peace activist. From her college days at Vassar College, she campaigned aggressively for women’s rights as the principal issue of ...

and Polish labor organizer

Ruza Wenclawska Ruza Wenclawska (December 15, 1889 – April 16, 1934), more widely known as Rose Winslow and later as Rose Lyons by marriage, was a Polish-American Women's suffrage in the United States, suffragist, factory inspector and trade union organizer. ...

, and accept visiting Nebraska college student

Doris Stevens Doris Stevens (born Dora Caroline Stevens; October 26, 1888 – March 22, 1963) was an American suffragist, woman's legal rights advocate and author. She was the first female member of the American Institute of International Law and first chai ...

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 Ida Bell Wells-Barnett (July 16, 1862 – March 25, 1931) was an American investigative journalist, sociologist, educator, and early leader in the civil rights movement. She was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advance ...

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 Mary Terrell (born Mary Church; September 23, 1863 – July 24, 1954) was an American civil rights activist, journalist, teacher and one of the first African-American women to earn a college degree. She taught in the Latin Department at the M St ...

, 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 The Woman Suffrage Procession on March 3, 1913, was the first Women's suffrage, suffragist parade in Washington, D.C. It was also the first large, organized march on Washington for political purposes. The procession was organized by the suffra ...

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 Dudley Field Malone (June 3, 1882 – October 5, 1950) was an American attorney, politician, liberal activist, and actor. Malone is best remembered as one of the most prominent liberal attorneys in the United States during the decade of the 1920s ...

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 The National Woman's Party (NWP) was an American women's political organization formed in 1916 to fight for women's suffrage. After achieving this goal with the 1920 adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the NWP ...

(NWP) and recruits

Alva Belmont Alva Erskine Belmont (née Smith; January 17, 1853 – January 26, 1933), known as Alva Vanderbilt from 1875 to 1896, was an American multi-millionaire socialite and women's suffrage activist. She was noted for her energy, intelligence, strong ...

, 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 hidden her

anemia Anemia (also spelt anaemia in British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen. This can be due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin availabl ...

from the others. Heartbroken, the Suffs hold a vigil for Inez, and resolve to continue in her honor ("How Long?").

Act 2

The NWP organize the

Silent Sentinels The Silent Sentinels, also known as the Sentinels of Liberty, were an American group of over 2,000 women in favor of women's suffrage organized by Alice Paul and the National Woman's Party, who nonviolently protested in front of the White House ...

, 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 An effigy is a sculptural representation, often life-size, of a specific person or a prototypical figure. The term is mostly used for the makeshift dummies used for symbolic punishment in political protests and for the figures burned in certain ...

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 The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States, United States Constitution that would explicitly prohibit sex discrimination. It is not currently a part of the Constitution, though its Ratifi ...

(ERA) passed. However, the entire group is exhausted and decide to quit organizing: Doris plans to publish her

memoirs A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based on the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobio ...

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 The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization. Founded in 1966, it is legally a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and in Washington, D.C. It ...

who seeks Alice's support on radical movements. Alice disagrees with Robin's call for an

intersectional Intersectionality is an analytical framework for understanding how groups' and individuals' social and political identities result in unique combinations of discrimination and privilege. Examples of these intersecting and overlapping factor ...

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").

Cast and characters

Songs

Act I * "Let Mother Vote" - Carrie, ensemble * "Finish the Fight" - Alice * "Find a Way" - Alice, Lucy, Inez, Ruza, Doris, Major Sylvester, Ida, ensemble * "Wait My Turn" - Ida * "Terrell's Theme" - Phyllis, Ida, Mary * "The March (We Demand Equality)" - Inez, Ida, ensemble * "Great American Bitch" - Ruza, Inez, Lucy, Alice, Doris * "Ladies" - Woodrow Wilson * "A Meeting with President Wilson" - Ruza, Lucy, Dudley, Inez, Doris, Woodrow Wilson, Alice * "Worth It" - Alice, Lucy, Carrie, Inez, Ida, Mary * "If We Were Married" - Dudley, Doris * "The Convention Part 1" - Carrie, Ida, Mary, Alice, Mollie, ensemble * "This Girl" - Carrie * "The Convention Part 2" - Carrie, Ida, Mary, Alice, ensemble * "Alva Belmont" - Alva, Ruza, Lucy, Inez, Doris, Alice * "Show Them Who You Are" - Alice, Inez * "The Campaign" - Inez, Ruza, Lucy, Doris, Alice * "How Long?" - Alice, Lucy, Doris, Carrie, Mary, Ida, ensemble Act II * "The Young Are at the Gates" - Doris, Lucy, Ruza, Alice, Phyllis, Alva, ensemble * "Respectfully Yours, Dudley Malone" - Dudley * "Hold It Together" - Mary, Mrs. Herndon, Alice, Ruza, Lucy, Doris, Dudley, Carrie, Mollie, Ida * "Wait My Turn (reprise)" - Ida, Mary * "The Report" - Woodrow Wilson, Doris, Dudley, Ruza, Lucy, Alice * "Show Them Who You Are (reprise)" - Inez * "Insane" - Alice * "Fire & Tea" - Mrs. Herndon, Carrie, Doris, Woodrow Wilson, Alice, Ruza, Mollie, ensemble * "Let Mother Vote (reprise)" - Woodrow Wilson * "She and I" - Carrie, Alice * "Down at the State House" - Harry T. Burn, ensemble * "A Letter from Harry's Mother" - Phoebe, Harry T. Burn, Alice * "I Was Here" - Ida, Mary, Phyllis, ensemble * "If We Were Married (reprise)" - Dudley, Doris, Carrie, Mollie * "August 26th, 1920" - Ruza, Lucy, Doris, Alice * "Lucy's Song" - Lucy * "Finish the Fight (reprise)" - Robin, Alice * "Keep Marching" - Alice, ensemble

Development

Producer Rachel Sussman conceived of the idea for a suffragist musical in middle school, and later gave

a copy of

' account, '' Jailed for Freedom.'' Taub then went on to write the book, becoming only the second woman in Broadway history to also write the lyrics, music, and star in her own work. The musical, originally titled ''Suffragist'', had been 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 The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. Further plans were made to open it at the

Delacorte Theater The Delacorte Theater is a 1,800-seat open-air theater in Central Park, in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is home to the Public Theater's free Shakespeare in the Park productions. As of September 2023, it has been closed for renov ...

as part of the return of the Public's

Shakespeare in the Park Shakespeare in the Park is a term for outdoor festivals featuring productions of William Shakespeare's plays. The term originated with the New York Shakespeare Festival in New York City's Central Park, originally created by Joseph Papp. This conc ...

season in the following summer, before the decision was made to delay it into 2022. The plots of the Off-Broadway and Broadway versions of ''Suffs'' are roughly identical, but in making changes Taub focused on tightening the story and improving the development of the supporting characters. Songs from the originally sung-through score were cut (including its original Brechtian opening number, "Watch Out for the Suffragette!") and either turned into new songs or replaced by dialogue. Characters removed after the Off-Broadway production include Nina Otero-Warren and

Edith Wilson Edith Wilson ( Bolling, formerly Galt; October 15, 1872 – December 28, 1961) was First Lady of the United States from 1915 to 1921 as the second wife of President Woodrow Wilson. She married the widower Wilson in December 1915, during his firs ...

. The latter was a

dual role A dual role (also known as a double role) refers to one actor playing two roles in a single production. Dual roles (or a larger number of roles for an actor) may be deliberately written into a script, or may instead be a choice made during produc ...

with President Wilson and figured in a comedic scene where actor Grace McLean switched characters onstage after Wilson suffers a stroke: Taub decided 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.

Production history

Off-Broadway (2022)

The musical, now called ''Suffs'', began previews on March 13, 2022, at

. It was initially going to open 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 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

cases among the cast. The production was initially announced to run until April 24 but was extended until May 29, 2022. Directed by

Leigh Silverman Leigh Silverman is an American director for the stage, both off-Broadway and on Broadway. She was nominated for the 2014 and 2024 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for the musicals '' Violet'' and '' Suffs'', and the 2008 Drama Desk Awar ...

, it starred Taub as

Jenn Colella Jennifer Lin Colella is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her work in musical theatre. She received a 71st Tony Awards#Winners and nominees, Tony Award nomination and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress ...

, Nikki M. James as

, Ally Bonino as

Phillipa Soo Phillipa Anne Soo ( ; born May 31, 1990) is an American actress and singer. Known for her leading roles on Broadway (theatre), Broadway primarily in musicals, she has received two Grammy Awards along with nominations for a Tony Awards, Tony Awar ...

, Hannah Cruz as

, Nadia Dandashi as

, Grace McLean as

, Tsilala Brock as

, Jenna Bainbridge as Harry T. Burn, Aisha de Haas as

and Phoebe Burn, Jaygee Macapugay as Mollie Hay, Cassondra James as

, J. Riley Jr. as Phyllis Terrell, Amina Faye as Robin, and Ada Westfall as Mrs. Herndon.

Broadway (2024–2025)

The show began previews on March 26, 2024, and opened on April 18 at the

. Taub became the second woman in Broadway history "to write the book, music, lyrics, and star in her own musical." Among the producers are former Secretary of State and first lady

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

and activist

Malala Yousafzai Malala Yousafzai (; , pronunciation: ; born 12 July 1997) is a Pakistani female education activist, film and television producer, and the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate at the age of 17. She is the youngest Nobel Prize laureate in history, ...

. Most of the off-Broadway cast reprised their roles. Kim Blanck, Emily Skinner, Laila Erica Drew, and Anastaćia McCleskey also joined the Broadway cast. Silverman returned to direct; new members of the creative team include Mayte Natalio, choreography; Riccardo Hernandez, sets;

Paul Tazewell Paul Tazewell (born September 15, 1964) is an American costume designer for the theatre, dance, film, opera and television. After training at New York University Tisch School of the Arts he started his career on Broadway (theatre), Broadway. He ha ...

, costumes; Lap Chi Chu, lighting; Jason Crystal, sound; and Michael Starobin, orchestrations. The production was filmed in December 2024 for future release on ''

Great Performances ''Great Performances'' is a television anthology series dedicated to the performing arts; the banner has been used to televise plays, musicals, opera, ballet, concerts, as well as occasional documentaries. It is produced by the PBS member statio ...

''. The final performance on Broadway was January 5, 2025.

Planned North American Tour (2025)

A North American tour is scheduled to begin in September 2025 at the

5th Avenue Theatre The 5th Avenue Theatre is a landmark theatre located in the Skinner Building, in the downtown core of Seattle, Washington, United States. It has hosted a variety of theatre productions and motion pictures since it opened in 1926. The building ...

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

. Additional dates, cities, and casting are yet to be announced.

Awards and nominations

2022 Off-Broadway

2024 Broadway

Reception

The Off-Broadway production of ''Suffs'' received mixed to positive reviews. The production's cast, score, and direction received praise, but criticism was leveled at the musical's book, runtime, and overall structure. 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. It was compared with ''

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

'', which like ''Suffs'' is a historical musical that debuted in the Newman Theater at the Public, featuring

in a starring role. The Broadway production saw mostly positive reviews. Elisabeth Vincentelli of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' 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. Sara Holdren, writing in ''Vulture'', felt similarly. Frank Rizzo, writing for ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'', called the production "smart, inspiring and thoroughly entertaining," impressed that the show covered seven years of events "efficiently and effectively with artful modulations of intensity, humor, sadness, spunk and joy". He praised Taub's "rich musical palette" and the choice to focus on internal divisions within the women's suffrage movement rather than male pushback to the movement.

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{Navboxes , title = Awards for ''Suffs'' , list = {{TonyAward MusicalBook {{TonyAward MusicalScore 2022 musicals Progressive Era in the United States National Woman's Party Alice Paul Biographical musicals Musicals impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic Musicals inspired by real-life events Off-Broadway musicals Sung-through musicals Biographical plays about politicians Cultural depictions of Woodrow Wilson Biographical plays about activists Musicals set in Washington, D.C. Musicals set in the 1910s Fiction set in 1913 Fiction set in 1919 Fiction set in the 1970s Broadway musicals Carrie Chapman Catt