Summer 2024. You’re attending a performance of Suffs, a new musical produced by, among others, Hillary Clinton and Malala. You’re expecting a sort of “girl-boss” Hamilton. Suffs is based on American history, stars its composer/librettist/lyricist, premiered at The Public Theater with Phillipa Soo (she did not join the Broadway company), and featured non-traditional casting (in this case, all the roles are played by a diverse cast of women). Also, the act 2 opener, “The Young Are at the Gates,” is basically a counter-melody to “My Shot.” But this is not mere attempt to replicate Hamilton’s success—it has a distinct musical and thematic point of view, care of its creator/star Shaina Taub. While the plot maps out the prolonged fight for women’s suffrage, the musical is really about how a single political movement wrestles with a range of conflicting ideologies and finds a way to achieve a final goal. Taub plays Alice Paul, a young revolutionary who is at odds with the more established leaders of the movement, who favor appealing to men by appearing non-threatening and supportive. Paul is also at odds with the black women in the movement, who know the right to vote won’t be extended to them any time soon. (Three groups with conflicting interests in turn-of-the-century America? If Garth Drabisnky wasn’t a misogynist in addition to being a criminal, he would be furious he couldn’t produce this.) It may sound cerebral, but it has a sense of humor and driving urgency. The score is built around extended sequences, anchored by catchy, repeated phrases that will have you muttering things like “you’ve got to find a WAY, FIND a way, you’ve got to find a WAY, FIND a way” for weeks. By the show’s end, you feel like you’ve gotten to know the individual stories of a dozen different suffragettes and their varied, invaluable contributions to the movement. In the final scene, set in the 1970s, Alice Paul—still fighting to get the Equal Rights Amendment passed—meets a young activist who rejects Paul’s methods just has Paul had fought the “old fogeys” in her youth. She reflects on the frustratingly non-linear path of progress, while being inspired that the work will continue after her (“Keep Marching”). Catch up with all the songs to date! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.100showtunes.com
