Suffs made its Nebraska debut last night at Lincoln's Lied Center. The Broadway musical from 2024 that won Tonys tells the story of the last stages of the women's suffrage movement that resulted in the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. Well white women anyway.
This is a story of persistence with the same problems that we have now. Older activists say patience while the young have no patience. When the "old fogie" Carrie Chapman Catt tells the young Alice Paul to have patience Paul blurts out "it's been 60 years" Touche'. Paul organizes other young suffragists to start the ball rolling. They are firebrands. Inez Millholland, Doris Stevens, Lucy Burns, Reza Wenclawska. and Paul come together to march, pressure President Woodrow Wilson, and get beaten and arrested for sedition for opposing America's entry into World War I. Eventually progress always wins (until recently) and the 19th Amendment passes.
This musical has a number of catchy relevant tunes. Let Mother Vote. If We Were Married, Great American Bitch and the rousing closer Keep Marching. Standing ovations were earned.
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The performances were epic. Maya Keleher as Alice Paul keeps the play together like a good point guard. Monica Tulia Ramirez as Inez Millholland is the suffragist whose picture on a horse becomes the movements sign. She was tremendous. Marya Grandy as Carrie Chapman Catt is perfect as the old guard. Abigail Aziz was an understudy playing Ida B Welles, the black woman who tries for equality for black women. She was a force. Marissa Hecker as the Polish socialist, Ruza Wenclawska, was also hard to ignore. The entire cast is solid including a sort of song and dance portrayal of Wilson complete with top hat and cane. Jenny Ashman fills the role with gusto and you kind of wish thee was more of her up there.
This musical will be at the Lied in Lincoln thru next Sunday. The opening night was about half full which surprised me. Maybe it's too "woke" for Nebraskans or maybe it was a Tuesday night, and people have to work the next day I don't know.
We saw Suffs on Broadway a couple of years back and this touring company is comparable. Go see it as you might learn something much like Hamilton and Come From Away. The music is sort of a combo of both of those classics. Bravo Ladies.
