Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Shaina Taub’s dense new musical SUFFS comes to Broadway, focused and ready to fight

• By drediman
• April 21, 2024
• No Comments

One of the standout new musicals of the uncommonly crowded spring theater season is the retooled version of Suffs, which opened last week at the Music Box Theatre. Written by Shaina Taub — who penned both the book and the score — the ambitious work is one of two Broadway shows this season to have originated downtown at the venerated Public Theater (the other is Hell’s Kitchen, which opened last night). Set largely during the early twentieth century, the sprawling, dense musical chronicles the fascinating history of this country’s suffrage movement, centering on activist Alice Paul — played by Taub herself — to frame the story.

Suffs takes obvious cues from Hamilton, another history-reclaiming musical to have had a high profile start at the Public (e.g., there’s more than a passing resemblance between Paul and Hamilton). I had mixed feelings about Taub’s musical during its downtown run two years ago — I felt that the show suffered from inconsistent tone and storytelling, and was oppressed by an unwieldy set design that constrained the theatrical possibilities of the piece. Thankfully, the work has been focused and visually re-conceived on its journey uptown — this updated Suffs arrives on the Great White Way ready to fight. Taub has addressed the muddled, amorphous quality that weighed the show down at the Public, more fully integrating her substantial score — appealingly conversational, at times wittily vaudevillian, always heartfelt — into the flow of the web-like narrative. Indeed, there’s an arc to the show now, making for captivating theater that’s at once educational and entertaining.

Directed with terrific forward momentum by Leigh Silverman (who also helmed the Off-Broadway production), the show also fits cozily within the Music Box proscenium. Simply and elegantly framed, Suffs now unfurls on a largely uncluttered stage, allowing the show to breathe and unfurl with confidence. The large, all-female cast is exceptional — each actor embraces their role both as individual performer and part of an ensemble, in the process creating a number of striking stage tableaus. Although the show is chock full of standout performances (although I did miss Phillipa Soo’s regal presence), there’s particularly strong character work from Jenn Collella (beautifully modulated), Grace McLean (hilariously cheeky), and Nikki M. James (stoic and heartbreaking).

In short, Suffs on Broadway is the best possible version I can imagine of this defiant, inspiring show.

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SUFFS
Broadway, Musical
Music Box Theatre
2 hours, 30 minutes (with one intermission)
Open run