On The Scene: Kids’ Night on Broadway at SUFFS

Towards the end of Suffs, Shaina Taub’s Tony Award winning musical, Emily Skinner’s character Phoebe Burn sings a stirring anthem entitled “A Letter From Harry’s Mother” in which the mother of a Tennessee state senator makes an impassioned plea to her son to support the suffragists in ratifying the 19th Amendment. At last night’s performance, with Dana Costello in for Skinner, I looked across the aisle at a mother holding her daughter’s hands, her eyes welled with tears. It’s a moment I won’t soon forget. 

It was a special night to be at Suffs for a number of reasons. Most importantly, it was Kids’ Night on Broadway. A wonderful initiative by The Broadway League in which children 18 and under can attend Broadway shows for free when accompanied by a full-paying adult. Last evening, 18 different Broadway shows participated in this special night (The Great Gatsby will be participating at tonight’s performance) in which many young folks get the opportunity to experience their very first Broadway production. It particularly made the line sung by Tony Winner Nikki M. James’ character Ida B. Wells “Please, I have four children, I haven’t slept in years” get a louder chuckle than usual. 

I caught up with Ally Bonino who plays Alice Paul’s fierce best friend Lucy Burns and asked what Kids’ Night on Broadway means to her: 

“One of the biggest messages of our show is this idea of the next generation: the next loud, stubborn girl. When I think of Kids’ Night on Broadway, when I think of young audiences coming to see the show, I get so excited because this is who the show is for. This promise of hope, the possibility of what could be, and the fact that it is never too early to fight for what you believe in. It is also thrilling to introduce these incredible, complicated, strong, intrepid women, in all of their glory and faults, to the younger generation. This history is at our fingertips and waiting to be discovered, and there is a real privilege in being that introduction,” she said.  

She also mentioned that her first Broadway musical was The Phantom of The Opera at 12 years old, just one block down from where she is currently making her Broadway debut. Following the performance last night, James along with Jenn Collela led the audience in a sing-along with the cast of “The March,” another song from the show. At the curtain speech, James mentioned that her first Broadway production was Cats at five years old. “I don’t care what anyone says, it’s incredible,” she exclaimed. 

It’s also an incredibly exciting time to be at Suffs as this past weekend was the 104th anniversary of ratification of the 19th Amendment. All week long, the production is celebrating with activations and activities leading up to Women’s Equality Day on August 26th. Check out the musical’s social media pages to keep up with all the exciting opportunities. 

Watching this musical during the second night of the DNC hits differently, especially as Suffs producer Hillary Clinton spoke earlier this week quoting the musical in her speech. With the election only 75 days away, it reminds us of the need to get out and vote. You can make sure you are registered to vote at Vote.org.