**** Highly Recommended Suffs, playing at the CIBC Theatre, is an terrific musical and an important history lesson for young women who take the right to vote for granted. We only have the right to vote today because women – suffragists – devoted their lives to getting the vote, facing male indifference, condescension, mockery, even cruelty – and the struggle continues! I was thrilled to see so many mothers and daughters in the audience on opening night. Suffs gets 4 BIG Spotllights from me.
I think Suffs is the first musical I’ve ever seen with an all-female cast. In addition, it was written by a woman, Shaina Taub who also wrote the music and lyrics. It is directed by Leigh Silverman with choreography by Mayte Natalio, music supervision by Andrea Grody, and scenic design by Christine Peters. Suffs premiered on Broadway in 2024. It won the Outer Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Musical as well as two Drama Desk Awards.
Marya Grandy and the company of Suffs.
Suffs opens with Let Mother Vote, the theme used by the earliest suffragists, led by Carrie Chapman Catt (Marya Grandy). By the way, if you recognized Marya, it’s because she’s appeared in lots of Chicago shows at TimeLine, Marriott, Drury Lane, Court, Paramount and Mercury Theaters.
Unfortunately, Carrie Chapman Catt and the ladies of the National Woman Suffrage Association have become complacent, at least according to Alice Paul (Maya Keleher), a young firebrand who wants a women’s march on Washington. Catt is aghast to learn that Paul thinks she’s an old fogie!
Maya Keleher as Alice Paul and the company of Suffs.
Paul and her cohorts, Lucy Burns (Gwynne Wood), Mollie Hay (Tami Dahbura), Inez Milholland (Monica Tulia Ramirez), Ruza Wenclawska (Joyce Meimei Zheng) and Doris Stevens (Livvy Marcus) organized the March on Washington with funding from NAWSA.
Paul desperately wanted Ida B. Wells (Danyel Fulton) to join the movement but Wells thought black women wouldn’t be allowed to vote even if women did get the right. Although she agreed that discrimination against black women wouldn’t stop, Mary Church Terrell (Trisha Jeffrey) thought it was important for every woman to be involved. When she went to suffragist meetings, she even took her daughter, Phyllis Terrell (Victoria Pekel).
Danyel Fulton as Ida B. Wells, Trish Jeffrey as Mary Church Terrell and Victoria Pekel as Phyllis Terrell.
When the march was finally held, on March 3rd, 1913, Inez Milholland led the way, riding a horse astride (scandalous!). All of the suffragists, wearing white, were there, even Ida B. Wells, singing The March (We Demand Equality).
President Woodrow Wilson (Merrill Peiffer at our performance, usually Jenny Ashman), was not impressed. Each time he met with the suffragists, he put them off. His chief of staff, Dudley Malone (Brandi Porter), did everything his boss told him to do – until Wilson betrayed them. Showing incredible courage, Malone quit, telling Wilson exactly why he was quitting, and then joined the movement.
Brandi Porter as Dudley Malone and Jenny Ashman as President Wilson
Also appearing: Alva Belmont/Phoebe Burn (Laura Stracko), Ensemble/Speaker of the house (AnnaBakun), Ensemble/Dr. White/Mailman (Marissa Hecker), Ensemble/Major Sylvester/Senator Burn (Jenna Lea Rosen) and Ensemble/Mrs. Herndon (Gretchen Shope)
Orchestra: Dani Lee Hutch (Conductor/Keyboard 1), Braden Chudzik (Associate Conductor/Keyboard 2), John Simonetti (Acoustic & Electric Bass), Daniel Santiago (Drums), James Gailloreto & Payl Mertens (Reeds), Brent Turney * David Katz (Turmpets), Michael Joyce (Trombone), Corey Richardson (Guitar), Caitlin Edwards (Violin), Jean Hatmaker (Cello).
Monica Tulia Ramirez as Inez Milholland and the company of Suffs.
Suffs runs through July 18th at the CIBC Theatre, 18 W. Monroe, Chicago. Running time is 2 hours, 20 minutes, with an intermission. Performances: Tuesdays at 7:00 pm, Wednesdays at 1:00 & 7:00 pm, Thursdays & Fridays at 7:00 pm, Saturdays at 2:00 & 7:30 pm and Sundays at 1:00 pm. Tickets range from $38-$133. FYI www.BroadwayInChicago.com.