Diane saw Suffs: The Musical on Broadway and was happy when it showed up as part of our Shea’s Performing Arts Center Musicals package for 2026. Suffs chronicles the final, arduous, frustrating years of the women’s suffrage movement in the United States.
The musical written and composed by Shaina Taub and won Tonys for for Best Book and Best Score.
The musical begins in 1913 when Alice Paul, exhausted by NAWSA’s slow progress, proposes a march on Washington, D.C. on the day of President Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration, to pressure Wilson to support a federal amendment for suffrage. Throughout the musical, Woodrow Wilson is cynical about women’s suffrage. Even when he “supports” efforts for a Constitutional Amendment, Wilson says it will never happen.
Suffs is a tribute to the women. who fought for the right to vote. It’s an inspiring story of persistence and bravery in the face of abuse and cruelty. If it shows up in your neighborhood, go see what it took for women to win the right to vote! GRADE: B+
Songs:
Act I
- “Let Mother Vote” – Carrie, Ensemble
- “Finish the Fight” – Alice
- “Find a Way” – Alice, Lucy, Inez, Ruza, Doris, Major Sylvester, Ida, Ensemble
- “Wait My Turn” – Ida
- “Terrell’s Theme” – Phyllis, Ida, Mary
- “The March (We Demand Equality)” – Inez, Ida, Ensemble
- “Great American Bitch” – Ruza, Inez, Lucy, Alice, Doris
- “Ladies” – Woodrow Wilson
- “A Meeting with President Wilson” – Ruza, Lucy, Dudley, Inez, Doris, Woodrow Wilson, Alice
- “Worth It” – Alice, Lucy, Carrie, Inez, Ida, Mary
- “If We Were Married” – Dudley, Doris
- “The Convention Part 1” – Carrie, Ida, Mary, Alice, Mollie, Ensemble
- “This Girl” – Carrie
- “The Convention Part 2” – Carrie, Ida, Mary, Alice, Ensemble
- “Alva Belmont” – Alva, Ruza, Lucy, Inez, Doris, Alice
- “Show Them Who You Are” – Alice, Inez
- “The Campaign” – Inez, Ruza, Lucy, Doris, Alice
- “How Long?” – Alice, Lucy, Doris, Carrie, Mary, Ida, Ensemble
Act II
“Keep Marching” – Alice, Ensemble
“The Young Are at the Gates” – Doris, Lucy, Ruza, Alice, Phyllis, Alva, Ensemble
“Respectfully Yours, Dudley Malone” – Dudley
“Hold It Together” – Mary, Mrs. Herndon, Alice, Ruza, Lucy, Doris, Dudley, Carrie, Mollie, Ida
“Wait My Turn (reprise)” – Ida, Mary
“The Report” – Woodrow Wilson, Doris, Dudley, Ruza, Lucy, Alice
“Show Them Who You Are (reprise)” – Inez
“Insane” – Alice
“Fire & Tea” – Mrs. Herndon, Carrie, Doris, Woodrow Wilson, Alice, Ruza, Mollie, Ensemble
“Let Mother Vote (reprise)” – Woodrow Wilson
“She and I” – Carrie, Alice
“Down at the State House” – Harry T. Burn, Ensemble
“A Letter from Harry’s Mother” – Phoebe, Harry T. Burn, Alice
“I Was Here” – Ida, Mary, Phyllis, ensemble
“If We Were Married (reprise)” – Dudley, Doris, Carrie, Mollie
“August 26th, 1920” – Ruza, Lucy, Doris, Alice
“Lucy’s Song” – Lucy
“Finish the Fight (reprise)” – Robin, Alice
It got soso reviews here, so we skipped it. Plus, for some reason, the title annoys me.
Jeff, while the story of SUFFS is compelling, the music is just average. Needless to say, Diane and Katie loved it!
It came and went at the theater so fast here, I missed it. More and more these traveling shows only stay a day. Imagine setting it all up for one night!
I know. It’s one thing when it’s a rock band, but a play or musical seems crazy.
Patti, SUFFS was in Buffalo for a week. Our show was sold out.
It’s not been here yet. I regret not seeing the play that goes wrong when it was here at the Coronado playhouse.
Maggie, I hope you see THE SHEEP DETECTIVES before it leaves the movie theaters!
It’s happening about a century too late to engage me!
Bob, your goodie box is in the mail with QUICK DRAW. You’re going to love it!
Thanks! I can’t wait!
Bob, this box is going to blow you away!
The hypocrisy of Wilson, who famously depended on his wife to stand in for him in the last days of his admin…
Todd, SUFFS shows the Dark Side of Wilson.