Suffs Musical Delivers Compelling Story, Forgettable Songs

The new Off-Broadway production dramatizes the American women's suffrage movement with strong characters and themes, but a lackluster score.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 5:11am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A bold, abstract composition of stark, jagged geometric shapes in vibrant colors, conceptually representing the themes and tensions of the women's suffrage movement explored in the 'Suffs' musical.The 'Suffs' musical explores the complex dynamics and divisions within the women's suffrage movement through a compelling story and characters, even as its musical score falls short of the high bar set by its dramatic elements.Boston Today

The new musical 'Suffs', created by Shaina Taub and featuring an all-female or nonbinary cast, premiered Off-Broadway in April 2022 and is now on a North American tour, with a Boston run at the Emerson Colonial Theatre from March 17 to 29. The show dramatizes the American women's suffrage movement in the years leading up to the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, foregrounding internal tensions over race, class and strategy. While the story, characters, performances and ideas are consistently compelling, the musical score itself is not particularly memorable.

Why it matters

As a work of historical theater, 'Suffs' shines a light on the complex dynamics and divisions within the women's suffrage movement, exploring how factors like race, class, and strategic differences shaped the long fight for voting rights. However, the show's shortcomings on the musical front may prevent it from achieving the same level of popular acclaim as other recent hit Broadway productions.

The details

At the center of 'Suffs' is the conflict between Alice Paul (Maya Keleher) and Carrie Chapman Catt (Marya Grandy), two suffrage leaders with sharply different visions of how to win the vote. Catt, the veteran leader of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, favors a cautious, incremental strategy, while Paul pushes for more confrontational tactics and eventually breaks off to found the National Woman's Party. The musical also develops several other important relationships that widen its view of the movement, including Catt and her longtime companion Mollie Hay (Tami Dahbura), and Black journalists and civil rights activists Ida B. Wells (Danyel Fulton) and Mary Church Terrell (Trisha Jeffrey).

  • The musical premiered Off-Broadway in April 2022.
  • The show is now on a North American tour, with a Boston run at the Emerson Colonial Theatre from March 17 to 29, 2026.

The players

Shaina Taub

The creator of 'Suffs' and the composer of the musical's score.

Alice Paul

A central character in the musical, played by Maya Keleher, who represents a more confrontational approach to the women's suffrage movement.

Carrie Chapman Catt

Another central character, played by Marya Grandy, who represents a more cautious, incremental strategy for achieving women's suffrage.

Ida B. Wells

A Black journalist and civil rights activist, played by Danyel Fulton, who is featured in the musical's exploration of the exclusions built into the suffrage movement.

Mary Church Terrell

Another Black journalist and civil rights activist, played by Trisha Jeffrey, who is also featured in the musical's examination of the suffrage movement's racial dynamics.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“'Suffs' may be the best musical I've ever seen, whose songs I can barely remember.”

— Simon Dolev, Critic

“The musical's final insight is that each generation of women's rights advocates can demand more than the last, moving a little closer to justice and equality without ever fully realizing it.”

— Simon Dolev, Critic

What’s next

The 'Suffs' musical will continue its North American tour, with upcoming stops in cities across the United States and Canada.

The takeaway

While 'Suffs' may not be the most musically exciting show, it succeeds as a thought-provoking work of historical theater that explores the complex dynamics and divisions within the women's suffrage movement. The production's strong characters, performances, and thematic insights make it a meaningful and worthwhile theatrical experience, even if the score itself falls short of the high bar set by the show's dramatic elements.