You shouldn’t feel like you’re cramming for an exam in a Broadway musical but, often, that’s how “Suffs” unfolds.
There’s so much information coming at you – about the efforts to get women the vote – you feel like there’s going to be a quiz at the end.
Thankfully, there isn’t but that doesn’t undercut the extensive research Shaina Taub has done crafting the show’s book, music and lyrics. This is another “Hamilton,” able to make history pop to life, largely because she has so many “say what?” situations wrapped up in the believe-it-or-not story.
The seven-year journey, complete with hunger strikes, protests and, yup, death, shows how committed women were at the beginning of the 20th century.
“Let mother vote” was the polite way women positioned the issue. When that didn’t seem to get much traction, more revolutionary forces took hold and decided to make demands. Their target: President Woodrow Wilson (Grace McLean), who frequently dismissed the women with a simple phrase: “This is the first I’m hearing of it.”
The more vocal rebels, led by Alice Paul (Taub, but an excellent Hawley Gould in the performance we saw), weren’t settling for polite requests. They hung banners, staged press conferences and, largely, made the Suffragist movement something that wasn’t going away.
In effective (and infectious) songs, Taub makes their case. She doesn’t let the darker moments drag “Suffs” down, but she doesn’t ignore them, either. Instead, she introduces a phalanx of strong women who come from different directions regarding the fight.
Carrie Chapman Catt (Jenn Colella), for example, believes in a ladylike approach. She doesn’t want to rock the boat, but she also doesn’t want to lose her spot as a leader. Ida B. Wells (Nikki M. James) sees the movement as a way to encourage civil rights and bring about other forms of equality. Inez Milholland (Hannah Cruz), a lawyer and war correspondent, believes in going for the dramatic and is not above leading the Women’s Suffrage Procession on horseback.
Director Leigh Silverman shows all the approaches, then puts them into play. Even though we know the story’s outcome, she manages to create tension and provide an “a-ha” moment for the resolution. The musical touches on other issues and, like “Lincoln,” makes them see utterly immediate.
“Suffs” is so well structured it feels like it has been around for decades. It has hints of “1776” and a score that its all-female cast can belt as proudly as “Wicked.”
Even though Paul is the leading character, she’s not the only standout. Colella and James stake their territory; Emily Skinner leaves her mark with two key roles.
Because history comes alive in “Suffs” (and manages to stick), it’d be great to see more historic moments set to a bouncy beat. Then, perhaps, we wouldn’t be so eager to turn back time. “Suffs” is worth fighting for.
“Suffs” is at the Music Box Theatre in New York City. It’s nominated for Best Musical.
