Do you know how women got the right to vote? Your response may be, “Yeah, they protested.” However, there was a lot more to it. Shaina Taub’s new Broadway show Suffs shows the eye-opening truth on how the 19th Amendment was actually achieved.
The musical starts with a light-hearted, introductory song sung by Carrie Chapman Catt (Jenn Colella), which tells us that NAWSA (National American Woman Suffrage Association) had diplomatically tried to persuade congress to give women the right to vote. After this, Alice Paul (Shaina Taub), our main protagonist, runs in and proposes for NAWSA to conduct a march on Washington. Catt rejects, saying, “Maybe we will try your idea next time,” to which Alice retorts, “Now is the next time!”
Paul then realizes that she will not receive any help from NAWSA and decides to organize the march herself. She calls upon her best friend, Lucy Burns (Ally Bonino); a beautiful lawyer, Inez Milholland (Hannah Cruz); and a headstrong immigrant, Ruza Wenclawska (Kim Blanck) to help her organize the march. In the midst of it all, Doris Stevens (Nadia Dandashi) comes in from Nebraska, and Paul assigns her to be their secretary.
The show follows the story of the problems these women faced when trying to gain the right to vote. Some details that were touched upon were how African American suffragists were treated, the division of ideas within NAWSA itself, and the pains all suffragists had to endure during their protests.
In a way, Suffs feels like the best history lesson on women’s suffrage with the balance of entertainment and factuality. Given the show’s factual information, humor, and inspirational music, there is probably no better way to represent this topic than on Broadway.
From the main characters to the ensemble members, each character contributes to the story, which makes the whole experience more real and intriguing to watch. The score, including songs like “The March” and “Keep Marching” are works of inspiration that resonate with the audience. The majority of the musical consists of an array of songs, through which most of the storytelling is communicated.
If I had some criticism about the musical, it would be its choreography. Overall, it works. However, in the song “Fire and Tea,” the dancers in the background draw unnecessary attention to their movement, distracting the audience from focusing on the progression of the story.
Another problem that I had was how the musical concluded. Despite the triumphant conclusion of women finally getting suffrage, there was no victory song for the audiences to enjoy a proper celebration. The whole crux of the show is to get the 19th amendment passed, but (spoiler, not spoiler), once they get it passed, the plot quickly moves forward. There is no break or relief after achieving the characters’ primary goal. Instead, the musical talks about what can still be improved even after the 19th Amendment is passed. I understand that Taub was aiming to show that the fight for freedom is never truly over. However, I still think that there should have been a significant moment of victory for the Suffs and their fantastic accomplishments.
Since the musical’s release on April 18th, 2024, I had the privilege of seeing the musical twice, and both times, I felt I had to march for something as I left the theater. I think everyone should get a chance to see this musical before it closes on January 5, 2025. I have never seen a show that inspired me so much to keep standing up for what I believe in, a constant reminder that change is possible if we continue to work at it. As the last song exclaims, “keep marching on” —just like the Suffs.
For more information about the show, visit its website: https://suffsmusical.com/
*Ratings out of 5
Overall Rating: 4.8
Score Rating: 5
Book Rating: 5
Choreography Rating: 4.5
