Suffs Inspires a Spirit of Activism on Its Broadway Opening Night

On April 18, the historical musical Suffs marched onto Broadway at the Music Box Theatre. Soaking in the evening's feelings of hope and inspiration, The Broadway Show hit the red carpet to hear from the production's illustrious team of creators, performers and producers, as well as some special guests. 

Shaina Taub, who penned the musical's book and score and stars as suffrage leader Alice Paul, commemorated a particularly momentous milestone, making her Broadway debut in all three roles. "I am the president of the Shaina Taub Fan Club," said Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, who knows a thing or two about crafting and starring in an ambitious musical about a pivotal time in American history. "So I'm thrilled she gets her Broadway debut tonight. It's long overdue and well deserved." 

Also on hand was former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who joined the Broadway producing team and sees the musical as a vehicle for change. "It's an original, written by a young woman who understood how important it was that this story be told," said Clinton. "The story, even though it's about our past, is really relevant to today."

"I'm really excited for young people to come and see it," said Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and another of Suffs' activist producers. "It's an opportunity for them to reflect on what are the challenges that women and girls still face."

"I really just hope that we can inspire people and get people excited about voting again," added Taub. "I hope that they leave just fired up to take action for whatever issue they care about, and also that they feel like they wanna get together with their friends and take on a challenge."