Suffs at CIBC Theatre

Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended

"...On the heels of the United States’ 250th anniversary, the national tour of Shaina Taub’s Tony Award-winning musical “Suffs” arrives in Chicago with a potent reminder that women have had the right to vote for less than half of the nation’s history — and that fuller enfranchisement for Black women and men came even later. With an inspiring story and a catchy score performed by a superb touring cast, “Suffs” recounts a consequential chapter of the women’s suffrage movement in the decade leading up to the 1920 adoption of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution."

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...Directed by Leigh Silverman, the Tony-winning musical (book, lyrics, and score by Taub, who became the first woman to win Tony Awards for book and score on her own) is also undeniably and cathartically hilarious and uplifting. There are belly laughs upon belly laughs in Suffs, and there is hope that blossoms from the stage."

Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended

"...The national tour of Suffs, Shaina Taub‘s Tony Award-winning musical about the fight for women’s suffrage, arrives in Chicago with its urgency, humor, and emotional power fully intact. More than a history lesson, it presents the movement as a coalition of determined women whose disagreements over strategy prove nearly as formidable as the opposition they face. The result is an inspiring and surprisingly entertaining account of the long campaign that culminated in the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment."

Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...The cast that brings this story to life is probably one of the strongest possible. It is not often that one can say that every voice in this production is a powerful one and that each of the performers exceeded my expectations. This is a play that is written by a woman, directed by Leigh Silverman and has music supervised by Andrea Grody. This is an all female and non-binary cast, each and every one as good as one can hope for. In tonight’s performance, the role of President Woodrow Wilson was handled by Merrill Peiffer ( who was a delight to watch). For those who are into politics, this one is right up your alley!"

Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended

"...Some might argue that SUFFS is the perfect musical for women, young and old. But I disagree. I believe that SUFFS has a whole lot to say to the men in the audience. There’s so much history that plays out in this production, yet it’s not a dry, stuffy textbook lesson. Shaina Taub has cleverly written a powerful and entertaining script that’s both educational and inspiring. It’s the perfect production for audiences of both genders and all ages, from middle school through to the more mature theatergoer. And SUFFS is sure to ultimatelly inspire every theatergoer to get out there, Finish the Fight and Keep on Marching!"

Buzz Center Stage - Recommended

"...Under director Leigh Silverman, the first national tour’s production is just as anchored by its remarkably talented cast as it is by history; the entirely female company takes on both women and men throughout the story. Maya Keleher is excellent as Alice Paul, bringing both vocal strength and exactly the right kind of young, audacious drive to the role. Her Alice has the spunky determination of a character like Newsies’ Katherine, but grown up: sharper, more self-assured, and driven by something deeper than ambition. She is unabashedly devoted to her cause and makes it clear that, no, it’s not just because she’s young."

The Fourth Walsh - Highly Recommended

"...USA is celebrating 250 years of democracy. For women, it’s more like 105 years and for black women, it’s 60 years. Women were denied the right to vote until 1920. Decades later, The Voting Act of 1965 enforced it for all. The change didn’t just happen. It took women like Alice Paul, Carrie Chapman Catt, and Ida B. Wells to make it happen. Paul embraced the fight. Catt encouraged cordial conversation. Wells refused to placate racial prejudice. They had different approaches yet the same goal. They wanted a voice in how their country was legislated. They wanted a say in the laws that governed their lives."

Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended

"...Yes, it is very easy to peg “Suffs” as “‘Hamilton’ but the Nineteenth Amendment”, least of which because, much like the latter’s creator, composer-librettist Shaina Taub also wrote herself into a monomaniacal leading role while it wended its way to Broadway. But this would be doing “Suffs” a great disservice—for one, it is reductive; for another, they are thematically about very different things."

PicksInSix - Highly Recommended

"...Political activism of any kind, especially the Suffragists Movement and the crusade for the right for women to vote, requires the kind of universal commitment and passion that is at the heart of Shaina Taub’s brilliant Tony Award winning musical “Suffs” directed by Leigh Silverman. Two factions—the wives, mothers and daughters of the socially elite who are members of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) led by Carrie Chapman Catt (Marya Grandy), and a youthful, spirited group of protesters headed by Alice Paul (Maya Keleher) demanding immediate change—each contribute in their own way to the cause even, as they are constantly at odds with each other on the answer to the big question: How long must we wait?"

Curtain Call Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...“Suffs” arrives in Chicago with a rallying cry that resonates powerfully today. This is more than a history lesson; it’s an urgent call to action. The national tour of Shaina Taub’s Tony-winning musical is more than a visit to the American suffrage movement—it stirs it with urgency, dedication and a score that punches hard with the collective strength of an incredible cast. This is a show built on standout voices, not just the ones that carry the narrative, but the ones that layer the blended sound, colliding with conflict, and ultimately joining as one as their message rises. And true to the story, when these voices blend, they create more than harmony -- they organize. Essentially the show asks: what does progress look like and who get to claim it?"

Allie and the After Party - Highly Recommended

"...A new musical depicting the women’s suffrage movement leading to the ratification of the 19th amendment, Suffs hits the mark for being a fantastic new musical. It’s approachable as a work depicting a historical moment and all the members of the company are fiercely talented making this a must-see while it’s in town."