Shaina Taub is an artist in residence at the Public Theatre in New York, where she first presented this musical for which she wrote book, music, and lyrics. In addition she is still playing a featured supporting role now that the piece has moved to its current home on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre. Clearly she is totally committed to this very angry feminist material which is now attracting an avid crowd of equally interested young women and their mothers and grandmothers.
Shaina Taube and Cast (Joan Marcus)
When I saw a matinee, a packed house of these ladies and young girls bought into its very core, responding to most of it with great vigor. From the top however, I knew I was not to join them, for the opening chords of the Jason Crystal sound design made it clear nuance wouldn’t have priority in the upcoming score. As the play unfurled during the next 2 1/2 hours, the titles told all: “Let Mother Vote”, “Finish The Fight”, “Find A Way”, “Wait My Turn”, “Tell Them Who You Are”, “The Young Are At The Gates”, “I Was Here”, and “Keep Marching” all indicated we were about to be lectured on the abominable behavior suffered by women from the time of our nation’s birth in 1776. The music offered to attract us to the cause existed not as melody but merely as musical notes assigned to sing the story of the book.
Casting was impressive too. Every role, male and female, was played by a white, black, brown or Asian woman, though as made up and dressed, it was difficult to pay much attention to the likes of President Woodrow Wilson, the Speaker of the House and other goofy fellows, all played by actresses in pants. If Ms. Taub’s intention as librettist was to make “suffs” (the preferred name of “suffragettes”) sound cute, she succeeds. Mayte Navalio’s choreography and Leigh Silverman’s direction keep things moving briskly and efficiently, but Andrea Grody’s Music Direction, when wedded to the vocal and musical arrangements (Ms. Taub again, this time with others) turned all words and music into muddied and tinny sounds that became repetitious. I realize this work made a portion of its audience jolly, but I hope it does not set a new standard for big Broadway musicals.