A Transformative Journey: ‘Suffs’ Musical Returns Stronger and More Entertaining Than Ever

The Evolution of “Suffs”: A Revolutionary Journey of Persistence and Growth

When the Shaina Taub musical “Suffs” debuted at the Public Theatre, it faced numerous challenges, including the detrimental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic that even led to the cancellation of its opening night. However, these obstacles were not solely responsible for its initial lackluster reception. The show, which delves into the struggles faced by American suffragists fighting for women’s voting rights, was criticized for being didactic, dull, and overfilled with content.

But now, “Suffs” makes a triumphant return to Broadway with Version 2.0 – a tighter, more confident production that manages to captivate and entertain its audience. Led by Taub as both writer of the book and composer of the score alongside director Leigh Silverman, this creative team has persevered against all odds.

“Suffs” takes place in the years leading up to 1920 when women were granted their right to vote through the ratification of the 19th Amendment. While previous iterations heavily focused on Alice Paul’s tireless efforts (portrayed by Taub herself), Version 2.0 shifts towards an ensemble approach. This change not only reflects activism as a collective movement but also relieves Taub from bearing sole responsibility in acting and singing – areas where her songwriting prowess shines brightest (alongside most returning cast members).

A Dynamic Assembly: The Power Lies in Unity

One highlight within “Suffs” lies in meeting each prominent member of this quintet fighting for equality; witnessing how they form an unstoppable force akin to those taking on galactic villains or drafting reports on Russian interference is enthralling. Lucy Burns (Ally Bonino), Inez Milholland (Hannah Cruz), Doris Stevens (Nadia Dandashi), and Ruza Wenclawska (Kim Blanck) are the central figures around Alice Paul. Together, they make for a captivating ensemble.

In its current iteration, “Suffs” effectively addresses the blind spots of white activists, particularly their complex relationship with Black counterparts – represented by Ida B. Wells (Nikki M. James) and Mary Church Terrell (Anastacia McCleskey). For instance, to appease her Southern donors, Paul suggests that the “colored delegation” should be positioned at the back during a significant women’s march on Washington. These backstage negotiations and compromises resemble those familiar to one of the show’s producers – Hillary Clinton.

Navigating Political Tensions: Finding Middle Ground

Internal tensions within political movements always prove fascinating, and “Suffs” delves into compelling Goldilocks arguments surrounding tactics: too fast or too slow? Too much or not enough? While Paul falls short of radicalism according to Wells and Church Terrell, she stands as a beacon compared to seasoned reformist Carrie Chapman Catt (Jenn Colella), who advocates for timing in action. As for government representation, President Woodrow Wilson (Grace McLean) dismissively yearns for liberation from feminist advocacy.

The inclusion of numerous personalities introduces a crowded narrative that only scratches the surface of their potential depth. Moments such as sudden revelations about an illness followed by swift demise occur without fully conveying Paul’s unyielding determination through Taub’s writing or performance. The show struggles to evoke the profound pain and anger deeply felt by these remarkable women; it is primarily experienced actresses like James who extract pathos from both the book and songs.

The Heartbeat of Activism: Uniting Forces

However, what “Suffs” successfully captures is the exhilaration and urgency of fighting for a just cause while simultaneously discovering oneself alongside like-minded peers. Amongst modifications to the score, one significantly highlights the agitators’ joyous and proud declaration: “I’m a great American b—-.” This cheeky act of reclamation radiates throughout.

While frequently humorous, “Suffs” predominantly revolves around an earnest, irony-free tone that culminates in a powerful call to arms during its climactic moments. Alice Paul’s voice resonates as she triumphantly sings, “Will you fail or prevail? Well, you may never know. But keep marching, keep marching.”

“Suffs” continues its ongoing performances at the Music Box Theatre in New York. The show lasts for 2 hours and 30 minutes with an intermission.

suffsmusical.com

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The conflict between Kim Byung-man and SBS over the shares of Jungle Entertainment is intensifying.

On the 17th, OSEN exclusively reported that SBS is launching a new spin-off, ‘Jungle Bob’, three years after the end of ‘Law of the Jungle’. The production team began working on the project in earnest after the end of the coronavirus pandemic, and created a different concept to ‘Law of the Jungle’ while retaining the charm of the jungle.

Coming back after 3 years, we made quite a few changes. Instead of abandoning the real survival story, it was decided to focus on food culture, and Ryu Soo-young, who plays the role of ‘Eonam Teacher’, appears instead of ‘Chief’ Kim Byeong-man. The original ‘Law of the Jungle’ focused on star survival in the tough jungle, but the new show ‘Jungle Bob’ decided to focus on food culture.

As a result, Kim Byung-man openly expressed his disappointment through a media interview. He said that ‘Jungle Bob’ was a program designed based on his idea, and he said, “Isn’t it true that they only steal items, leaving people out? She criticized him publicly, saying, “I feel like I’ve been thrown to the curb.”

The representative of the agency also said in an interview with OSEN, “There has been no talk of (the programme) ending or lifting it. With the mindset of ‘I’d rather do it myself,’ Kim Byeong-man started producing ‘Jungle Craft’ with his own money and his own staff. “Of course, I feel sad,” he admitted.

In the end, SBS also launched rebuttals. The ‘Jungle Bob’ team told OSEN on the 19th, “The new SBS entertainment show ‘Jungle Bob’, which will air in the second half of this year, will recreate the taste of Korea on the spot by using ingredients bought in the local market during the filming of ‘Green Father’s Association’ in Sri Lanka in August 2023. “This is a program planned by the production team of ‘Green Fathers Association’, who were inspired by Ryu Soo -young.”

An official said, “Ryu Soo-young, who has a lot of experience cooking in remote areas through volunteer work in Africa, shows that K recipes can work in food cultures that are completely different from ours through ‘Jungle Rice ‘ and promoting the taste of Korea to the world.” He emphasized, “We intend to introduce a ‘K food culture exchange period’ in accordance with the concept.”

Previously, Kim Byung-man met with a high-ranking executive at the SBS entertainment studio in February this year and proposed the idea of ​​wanting to make a sequel with the theme of experience and healing rather than jungle survival, and claimed that ‘Jungle Bob’ PD Kim Jin-ho also attended the meeting. However, SBS denied this, citing the specific programming time, saying, “We had already confirmed the programs at the end of January this year and were preparing for production.”

‘Law of the Jungle’, which first aired in October 2011, has long been popular as SBS’s representative entertainment show. Through this entertainment, Kim Byung-man also won SBS Entertainment Awards in 2013 and 2015. However, in June 2020, overseas filming was halted due to the coronavirus, leading to a break for the first time in 9 years Broadcasting resumed in August 2020, but eventually ended in May 2021.

Kim Byung-man, who became the ‘icon of the jungle’, constantly hoped to resume broadcasting ‘Law of the Jungle’. However, the unmanageable conflict situation with SBS is worrying.

/comet568@osen.co.kr

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#Kim #Byeongman #SBS #steals #jungle #items #Jungle #Bob #side #inspired #Ryu #Sooyoung #종합

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Lots of irons in the fire

If the starting subject is truly very strong, the overall performance is partly weakened by too many irons in the fire, especially in the union between the political side of the story, the sociological one and the ideas relating to the profession of the protagonists. The viewing experience is undoubtedly disturbing, but perhaps it could have been pushed even further towards the different reactions of the American people with respect to what is happening: between those who want to profit, those who see hatred growing within themselves for those who feel different and those who instead pretend that nothing is really happening.

Although a greater general incisiveness would not have hurt, “Civil War” is still an unmissable film, which confirms the talent of a director who perhaps has not yet fully exploded, but who once again demonstrates his remarkable hand after the good results obtained with the his previous works.

The secret drawer

Among the new releases in the room, we also highlight “The Secret Drawer” by Costanza Quatriglio, a director known for excellent documentaries such as “Terramatta” (2012) and “Triangle” (2014). Costanza Quatriglio is the daughter of a famous father, named Giuseppe, a Sicilian journalist and author who has traveled the world thanks to her work. Born in 1922 and passed away in 2017, Giuseppe Quatriglio filled his home with books, memories and texts of various genres and it was in this environment that his daughter grew up. After her father’s death, the director will find herself cataloging this extraordinary archive , which mixes articles and photographs, films and recordings, made by a man who came into contact with numerous celebrities during his life and who witnessed epochal events that marked history.

By uncovering this “secret drawer”, Costanza Quatriglio gives life to an intimate and very personal film, in which she will end up understanding many things that she had in common with her father and whose existence she didn’t fully know. This documentary is thus transformed into a feature film which also represents a sort of self-analysis on the part of the director, to try to overcome her father’s mourning and an absence that all those materials certainly cannot fill.

Some modalities of the structure of “The Secret Drawer” feel a little like they have already been seen, but the operation is nevertheless touching and full of strong sensitivity. It’s a shame that the duration is excessive (about 132 minutes, really unnecessary), but perhaps it was one more way for the director not to detach herself from her father figure.

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