Following a sold-out, extended run at The Public Theater, Suffs arrives on Broadway next spring — and not a moment too soon. From the singular mind of Shaina Taub, this “remarkable, epic new musical” (Variety), boldly explores the victories and failures of a struggle for equality that’s far from over.
It’s 1913 and the women’s movement is heating up in America, anchored by the suffragists — “Suffs,” as they call themselves — and their relentless pursuit of the right to vote. Reaching across and against generational, racial, and class divides, these brilliant, flawed women entertain and inspire us with the story of their hard-won victory in an ongoing fight. So much has changed since the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment over a century ago, and yet we’re reminded sometimes we need to look back, in order to march fearlessly into the future.
The suffragist characters of the musical “Suffs,” which opened Thursday night at the Music Box Theatre, rarely take a breath to celebrate their victories. As soon as they achieve something monumental, such as securing a rare meeting with President Woodrow Wilson or finally getting the right to vote, another lofty goal appears on the horizon. Or there’s a dispiriting setback. They’re never done. They’ve gotta keep marching. Much the same could be said about the show, itself, written by and starring Shaina Taub. Even after a 2021 run at the Public Theater, which garnered less-than-enthusiastic reviews, and a later workshop to reshape it, “Suffs” still feels frustratingly unfinished.
That’s not entirely inaccurate: The historical figures in the way of the likes of Alice Paul (Taub), Carrie Catt (Jen Colella) and Ida B. Wells (Nikki M. James) are buffoonish paper tigers devoid of argument or veracity. It makes this scrupulously egalitarian musical sometimes feels like it was first cleared by an intersectionality committee that made sure everyone was listed in strict alphabetical order, and that the key pieces of the musical, narrative power and authorial sympathy were doled out in equal shares. But, in the end, “Suffs” does what all of the best Broadway musicals do: It humanizes, empowers, entertains and moves an audience. Taub’s enormous talent — she is arguably the first woman ever to compose, write and star in the same Broadway musical — is the biggest single reason. She’s a fresh, relatively youthful musical voice and an assertive, empathetic and vulnerable star who, with the gentle help of director Leigh Silverman, brings just enough of contemporary womanhood into the story to take the musical out of the realm of class project or Wikipedia trot and more toward the center of why people pay big bucks for Broadway shows.
General Rush
Price: $19.20 for the first 19 tickets sold each day (March 26-April 17), $45 afterward
Where: Music Box Theatre’s box office
When: When the box office opens on the day of the performance.
Limit: Two per customer.
Information: Subject to daily availability.
Digital Lottery:
Price: $49
Where: rush.telecharge.com
When: The lottery will be open from 12:00 AM until 3:00 PM the day before the performance where fans can enter to win one or two tickets. Winners are drawn at 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM and entrants should return
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Winners are drawn at 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM and entrants should return to rush.telecharge.com to check their status. Winners will have five hours to claim and purchase their tickets online. Tickets are subject to availability. Seats may be partial view.
2022 | Off-Broadway |
Public Theater World Premiere Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
2024 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical | Paul Tazewell |
2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical | Emily Skinner |
2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical | Lap Chi Chu |
2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Music | Shaina Taub |
2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Michael Starobin |
2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical | Riccardo Hernández |
2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical | Jason Crystal |
2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Wig and Hair | Charles G. LaPointe |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Jenn Colella |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Nikki M. James |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Direction of a Musical | Leigh Silverman |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Musical | Suffs |
2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Shaina Taub |
2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Direction of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Leigh Silverman |
2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Musical | Suffs |
2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Michael Starobin |
2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Shaina Taub |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Book of a Musical | Shaina Taub |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Musical | Paul Tazewell |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Musical | Leigh Silverman |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Suffs |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Shaina Taub |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Nikki M. James |
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