By Melissa Griegel . . . .
The cast and creative of the upcoming Broadway show Suffs presented a special sneak peek of the show on Wednesday, February 28th, 2024 at the Great Hall at Cooper Union. Suffs previewsbegin on March 26th, 2024 at the Music Box Theatre, with an opening date for April 18th. It is the first Broadway show to be written by women, produced by women, and starring all women. The show had a widely-acclaimed sold-out run at The Public Theater in 2022 and has been revised and revamped since its off-Broadway run, adding some new members to the creative team. The cast and creatives talked to a filled theater of press and guests about the show, and treated us to several songs.
Singer-songwriter Shaina Taub’s new musical explores the victories and failures of a struggle for women’s equality in 1913. This was the height of the suffragists ‘movement in America, with the “Suffs”, as they called themselves, clamoring for the right to vote. Suffs tells the story of brilliant, yet flawed, women who span generational, racial, and class divides and accomplish a hard-won victory. “What struck me the most, and what made me want to make this into a musical,” Taub said, “was that I recognized myself in these women; I recognized my friends–- a group of stubborn goal-oriented girls who find their sense of joy in getting sh*t done.” Although it seems that so much has changed since the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment over a century ago, choreographer Mayte Natalio reminded us that we still have a long way to go for equal rights for women. “To tell this story right now feels so necessary right now in an election year where so many women’s rights are being threatened, still.” Director Leigh Silverman added, “We need this music right now, this year, in our hearts, in our ears.”
Suffs is produced by Jill Furman and Rachel Sussman, with Hillary Rodham Clinton and Malala Yousafza iserving as two of the musical’s co-producers. Suffs will star book writer, composer, and lyricist Shaina Taub in the role of Alice Paul, making her only the second woman in history to write the book, music, lyrics and star in her own Broadway musical. Taub is an Obie Award-winning, Emmy Award-nominated songwriter and winner of the Kleban Prize, the Fred Ebb Award, the Jonathan Larson Grant, and the NYCLU’s Michael Friedman Freedom Award for activism. She created and starred in acclaimed musical adaptations of Twelfth Night and As You Like It at Shakespeare in the Park, has released three solo albums, and is currently signed to Atlantic Records.
The creative team includes direction by Tony Award nominee Leigh Silverman (Violet), choreography by Mayte Natalio (How to Dance in Ohio), music supervision and music direction by Andrea Grody (The Band’s Visit), scenic design by Tony Award nominee Riccardo Hernández (Jagged Little Pill), costume design by Tony Award winner Paul Tazewell (Hamilton), lighting design by Tony Award nominee Lap Chi Chu (Camelot), sound design by Jason Crystal (Sweeney Todd), orchestrations by Tony Award winner Michael Starobin (Next to Normal), and casting by Heidi Griffiths and Kate Murray (Soft Power). 101 Productions, Ltd. will serve as General Manager and Lisa Iacucci as Production Stage Manager.
Suffs will also star Tony Award winner Nikki M. James (The Book of Mormon) as Ida B. Wells, Tony Award nominee Jenn Colella (Come From Away) as Carrie Chapman Catt, Grace McLean (Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812) as President Woodrow Wilson, Hannah Cruz (MCC’s The Connector) as Inez Milholland, Kim Blanck (Signature Theatre’s Octet) as Ruza Wenclawska, Anastacia McCleskey (Waitress) as Mary Church Terrell, Ally Bonino (Broadway debut) as Lucy Burns, Tsilala Brock (The Book of Mormon National Tour) as Dudley Malone, Nadia Dandashi (Broadway debut) as Doris Stevens, and Tony Award nominee Emily Skinner (Side Show) as Alva Belmont/Phoebe Burn.
Rounding out the company are Hawley Gould (Lincoln Center Theater’s Camelot) as the Alternate for Alice Paul, Jaygee Macapugay (Here Lies Love) as Mollie Hay, and Laila Drew (Broadway debut) as Phyllis Terrell/Robin. The ensemble will feature Dana Costello (Pretty Woman) as well as Jenna Bainbridge, Monica Tulia Ramirez, and Ada Westfall making their Broadway debuts. The cast will also include Christine Heesun Hwang (Les Misérables National Tour), Kirsten Scott (Jersey Boys), Housso Semon (Girl From The North Country), and D’Kaylah Unique Whitley (Dear Evan Hansen).
Photos and footage by Melissa Griegel Photography
