Suffs arrives at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center next week, not only promising a great evening of theater, but also offering a potent reminder of our place in history. Based on the women’s suffrage movement — and Tennessee’s vital role in the ratification of the 19th Amendment — this Tony Award-winning musical “explores the triumphs and failures of a struggle that’s far from over.” Featuring book, music and lyrics by Shaina Taub, Suffs opened on Broadway in 2024, earning Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score. It’s packed with clever, often-empowering songs, performed by an all-female cast. I’m eager to see how the city of Nashville is portrayed onstage. (Keep an eye out for scenes featuring the Hermitage Hotel, which served as headquarters for both pro- and anti-suffragists.) Nashville audiences also can look forward to a special InsideOut Dinnertime Discussion at TPAC on March 5, looking at how Suffs brings this unique chapter of American history to life. Christin Essin, a professor of theater history at Vanderbilt University, will moderate a discussion with Suffs producers Jill Furman and Rachel Sussman, along with Rebecca Price from the Nashville Public Library’s Special Collections.
March 3-8 at TPAC’s Jackson Hall
505 Deaderick St.
