SUFFS Previews — Page 4

Suffs was one of my most anticipated shows of the spring, and I'm sorry to say this one let me down.

The flow was by-the-numbers and tedious. Very X happened, then Y happened, and then they marched. Especially in the first act as the show was getting going and rapid-fire introducing the many suffs. Here's this suff and a brief intro to her character, here's another and this is her MO, and so on. The book and lyrics were just so, so on the nose. One of Alice Paul's songs begins with her asking "what would my life be like if it wasn't consumed by this?" and evolves into the suffs, as a group, asking "is it worth it?" over and over. Look, if there's the occasional song with lyrics as blunt as that, that's fine. It can be powerful to put in a more lyrically straightforward song to cut through the noise and get us to directly connect with a character. But when the vast majority of songs are that blunt and/or narration-heavy, it goes over like a lead balloon.

I liked a good chunk of the music, lyrics aside. When it's one midtempo song after another though, I find myself disengaging with the score. I kept wishing for more variety in the music to perk me up or draw me in. The placement of the songs too often felt like Taub had an idea for a song or sentiment she wanted to express, and then worked out a way to insert the song that felt inorganic. For example:

There's technically a lead-in to these songs, box checked, but it repeatedly feels more like Taub wrote the song and then added a lead-in sentence so it would arise from something, even if the flow into the number is abrupt and not entirely natural. Act two improved, at least, and the show goes out on a high note with "Keep Marching" (still on the nose, but the music's uplifting and sounds most powerful when the whole cast sings together).

They flatten this compelling history by not giving the suffs room to breathe and be complicated and layered, with their own rough edges and contradictions. The scope is too wide to allow that. Nikki M. James, Hannah Cruz, and Grace McLean do great work... when they're onstage and have something to do. I loved Ally Bonino's performance. "Lucy's Song" was a standout for me and one of the few moments, I felt, where an individual suff's relationships to the movement and the other women felt true and personal. The beginning of "How Long" was another. It gave me a glimmer of the show we could have gotten. But the show we got was so crowded that we don't get to spend much meaningful time with many of the suffs. Because its focus is scattered, when we do spend time with some of the suffs apart from the group as a whole, it almost feels extraneous. Like,

The writing is all very surface-level, from its commentary on the suffragist movement to its treatment of race, the suffs' inner lives, and the historical events it ticks through.

What bothered me the most is that the production lacked imagination in my eyes. The storytelling was didactic. It didn't have a grand or epic scale; it didn't take a more intimate, character-driven approach; it didn't have a clear style... what was the vision? I couldn't figure it out. And the show didn't give us much in the way of stage pictures or scenery. I echo others' criticisms of the set. Between the dreary wood paneling (why?), the moving columns (because... it's a musical about history?), and the blank, light blue backgrounds, the sets didn't elevate the production and felt cheap.

I'm glad people are connecting with this show, and I appreciate that it dramatizes the suffragist movement. I just wish it was good. This history deserves a more interesting musical and I'm baffled that this is the end result, pending further changes in previews, after all the work the creative team put into it. I hate to post a long, straight-up pan on here—hey, this is one poster's opinion, and I hope my thoughts come across as constructive—but I felt so deflated after this one.

I didn't think twice about the "headless horse" that people keep talking about because it has no body, either. The whole thing is just a frame representing a horse, and I had completely forgotten about it until I saw it mentioned on here.

I've heard people on Tiktok and X (and here) talking about how the show "centers white feminism" as a complaint. At the Public, this was one of the points of the show. The loss of Nikki M James character was consistently palpable. Has that changed? It's true the show is about "the white ladies" but it's also about their exclusion of everyone else (which is historical). Were folks hoping this show centered people who history sidelined? Are people having trouble recognizing that representation is not endorsement? Has the show changed? Is the show no longer critical of Alice Paul (and the rest)? I found it quite critical (and exhilarating) at the Public

willep said: "Overall, I think they do a decent job handling it. I don’t have the best memory to recollect all of the Public run, but they may have softened it a little, but they do address that this is a movement that helps white women more than women of color. Part of me wishes that the would introduce Ida B Wells more in the beginning as a third perspective (Catt being the older generation, Paul being the new), instead of her coming in and immediately singing her big number. It would be interesting to have worked her perspective in a bit more. But, again, the show does address it throughout."

I can definitely see how it would maybe be more effective following Ida as a third narrative.

as it stands, I think the show does an incredibly lousy job with any of the black perspective and narrative. Borderline comical how it feels Taub gave up completely after Wait My Turn.

KJisgroovy said: ""as it stands, I think the show does an incredibly lousy job with any of the black perspective and narrative. Borderline comical how it feels Taub gave up completely after Wait My Turn."

Except that's the point? The suffragists failed their own ideology.The show itself is about how the white suffragists excluded everyone who didn't conform to straight, white, middle/upper-class status.

Every show is not about everything and everyone. For me, I thought there was a great feeling of loss not hearing more from Ida B Wells, especially because she made such an impression in her brief appearances (and in Ms James terrific performance).I'm also confused because the main complaints seem to be they tried to shove every detail of history into the show... so they should have squeezed more in? Sometimes a show is about the white people. At least this show acknowledges the problematic nature of these kinds of movements/stories."

Well see, if the show had been better written and constructed this "great feeling of loss" once Ida virtually disappears from the narrative would feel more purposeful. In the case of Suffs, it does not. It truly feels like a situation of "I want to have my cake, eat it, and also acknowledge the stuff I do not have the tools or capacity to accomplish in this piece"

By fusing this narrative in for a short moment, Taub undermines the piece tremendously. This is, of course, simply my opinion. But I'm not buying that this was purposefully orchestrated within the structure of the piece so you understand that this movement neglected people of color. It really, really feels like a half-hearted attempt at pandering.

Every show is not about everything and everyone. you are so right! In that vein, I wish Taub had seen that and had not touched on this narrative in a way that does not do Ida B. Wells and the black suffragist's true respect or justice. It feels lousy.

Updated On: 4/10/24 at 12:18 PM

My mom saw today's matinee. Her review was that it was "OK, a lot like Hamilton" (which she also didn't love)

Not sure if it's been announced, but I asked last night and the cast will go into the recording studio for the cast recording right after opening night.

Mine were row E the last two seats to the side house right

The company will make its television debut this Monday, performing on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

I was also a fan from the Public, and I was let down Thursday night. It was missing...something.



I, too, really liked the new songs and thought Cruz did a terrific job. I did feel as though Grace McLean (whom I love) was the only one that seemed to have grown in their role. I didn't hate the set as many of you did. The pacing seemed off, almost...too steady?



But boy oh boy, I wanted to smack the audience in the mezz around. Undeserved hooting and hollering during applause (which was often lukewarm from the masses), overplayed reactions to most of the feminist talking pounts. It had such a "That's my friend in the show show saying such cool things!" vibe.

Question: was Catt's being gay present at the public? Was it indirect or subtle and I missed it? Or am I just absolutely forgetting it?

I did miss Phillipa Soo. She just has such an incredible stage presence. Hannah Cruz didn't fill the space the way Soo does, but she definitely found it for her big moments at the end of Act 1 and her big scene in Act 2."

Any idea why she did not go to Broadway with the show? Is she working on something else?

Suffs is not listed on the telecharge lottery site. Do they not offer lottery tickets on weekends?