Review: SUFFS Musical Tour at Broadway In Chicago

Shaina Taub’s new musical Suffs, now making a Chicago stop on its first national tour, has a textbook feel: The lyrics are generic, and the story relies heavily on exposition. I admire Taub’s initiative to take on this musical all by herself (she’s written book, music, and lyrics — and won 2024 Tonys for both). And telling the story of the (white) women’s suffrage movement in the United States is ripe for the musical treatment — and notably, with an all-female cast. Unfortunately, it often plays like a history lesson. Taub seems to have made a major commitment to historical accuracy, which is admirable. But that means the character development suffers. 

Much of Taub’s book dialogue and lyrics feel inevitable. I don’t think the urgency of the historical figures fighting for social justice translates readily). Instead, Suffs really has a sense of looking back — without really capturing the immediacy of its historical moment. 

Ironically, it’s only at the end that the musical introduces a real sense of urgency and humanity. The show’s finale “Keep Marching” posits that those fighting for social justice must keep on fighting the good fight — even if they may not live to see the outcome of their efforts. That’s a powerful, evocative idea. It’s fully realized in the finale. I only wish Taub had introduced that concept much, much earlier in the show. I think it would give Suffs a much needed shot of vibrancy and humanity.

Instead, the musical introduces the characters in a way that emphasizes them as historical figures, rather than humans. Of course, the central characters in Suffs ARE historical figures, but the exposition zaps much of the emotion. 

That said, the lead role of young, plucky suffragist Alice Paul is a juicy one (Taub played the role on Broadway). Maya Keleher takes it on with exuberant aplomb. Though on the page, Taub’s version of Alice Paul is mostly one-note — a “go get her,” outspoken social justice warrior — Keleher takes that pluck and runs with it. She also has a terrific rapport with Monica Tulia Ramirez, who plays Inez Milholland, Paul’s right-hand woman. 

Taub’s songwriting shines best in Inez’s big number “G.A.B.” (which, delightfully, stands for Great American B*tch). In it, Inez proudly declares herself as such. The number has an engaging sense of character development and also feels fresh and appropriately anachronistic. Outside of the finale, it’s the best song in the show. Likewise, “If We Were Married” between Doris Stevens (Livvy Marcus) and President Wilson’s assistant Dudley Monroe (Brandi Porter) is a clever twist on the classic love duet (Spoiler: Getting married in the 1910s was not a sweet deal for American women.) 

Alice and Inez’s duet “Show Them Who You Are,” however, feels contrastingly lackluster. Even the title alone seems like it could belong in any number of  musicals. And while numbers are often plot devices in musicals, that seems glaringly obvious in many cases for Suffs. Carrie Chapman Catt’s solo “This Girl” is entirely generic. While Marya Grandy handles the role of the “old guard” in the suffrage movement nicely, the script doesn’t provide specificity.

I think Taub also struggled with how to reconcile the fact that this is undoubtedly the story of white women’s suffrage, though many Black American women helped make it happen. It’s honestly a near impossible feat to address in the text, so I understand the challenge. Ida B. Wells (Danyel Fulton) and Mary Church Terrell (Trisha Jeffrey) appear as representatives of the Black women who fought alongside some of their fellow white women to achieve suffrage, but the side plot feels clunky and underbaked. Again, I acknowledge it’s not an easy task to figure out how to interweave these. And I admire Taub for not shying away from the uncomfortable truths.

Directed by Leigh Silverman (and associate directed by Lori Elizabeth Parquet), the second act of Suffs is much tighter than the first – unusual for a musical. Since Taub needs to spend less time introducing characters, the narrative flows more freely. Likewise, once Taub introduces the central tenant that social justice work is never done — and that it can feel tireless and thankless for those who commit to it — the show comes much closer to finding its heart.

All in all, Suffs musical nails the intent and the tremendous hard work of the women involved in the suffrage movement, but it mainly lacks emotion. I wanted Suffs to be more emotionally evocative and less of a history lesson.

The Chicago stop of the Suffs musical tour plays through July 22 at the CIBC Theatre, 18 West Monroe. Tickets are $37-$147. 

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