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Suffs Brings the Must-See Story of the Suffragists Struggles to Get the Vote for Women to The National Theatre with a Tony Award-Winning Score and a Brilliant Cast
Suffs
Broadway at The National
Jordan Wright
June 20, 2026
 Monica Tulia Ramirez (Inez Milholland) and company in the First National Touring Company of SUFFS (Photo/Joan Marcus).
Some women of today do not know the struggles our grandmothers and great-grandmothers went through to get the right to vote. Suffs is a captivating musical that tells the story of the selfless women who pleaded, protested, marched, starved, and literally put their lives on the line to achieve parity in the American voting booth. And it’s all set in Washington, DC.
The story seems drawn from a galaxy far, far away – but it isn’t. Suffs opens in 1913 with a group of suffragists headed by the formidable Carrie Chapman Catt, who led a movement of well-coiffed and genteel ladies who spent years seeking a meeting with President Woodrow Wilson and decades trying politely to present their case. Despite his refusal to meet, the ladies continue in their quest by selling doughnuts and holding ladylike tea parties in fancy dresses. They’ve been trying to get the vote for 60 years – yes, you read that right – with zero success, when along comes young Swarthmore graduate Alice Paul, an inspired, take-no-prisoners, all-or-nothing activist to shake things up. (And please, the correct terminology is suffragists, not suffragettes. They deplore the cutesy -ette ending.)
Alice soon breaks ranks with Carrie and forms her own organization bringing in a deeply committed and radical group of women activists – women unafraid to make personal sacrifices to the cause. Alice conceives of a massive women’s march on Washington to include Ida B. Wells, a co-founder of the NAACP and advocate for African American women, and Mary Church Terrell, Well’s cohort, two formidable African American women who had been sidelined by Carrie Catt. The historic march of 200,000 women from around the United States is led by a shield-carrying, helmet-wearing Inez Milholland, a labor lawyer and socialite, riding atop a magnificent white steed.
 Joyce Meimei Zheng (Ruza Wenclawska) and the the First National Touring Company of SUFFS (Photo/Joan Marcus).
The musical stars an impressive cast of actors portraying the most influential women activists of the century and gifts us with 33 powerhouse numbers – some stirring, others with a comical touch, especially in the sweet number with Doris Stevens, the organization’s young secretary and Dudley Malone, Wilson’s administrative aide who becomes her ally. The two fall in love despite their differences sealing their commitment with the tune. “If We Were Married”.
Women eventually got the right to vote in 1920, but you may not know about the ongoing struggles to achieve parity for women in all aspects of American life. Women are still waiting for the Equal Rights Amendment to be ratified! These early fights are truly an eye-opener delivered with both brio and aplomb by the show’s brilliant creatives and this tremendous cast.
If you have ever had to fight for your rights, marched to be heard, been sidelined as a woman, or want to teach your children and grandchildren what women went through to achieve the vote, this show is a must see. I can report that the audience of young, old, women, children, and men too, went wild with every song and every joke. This 2024 Tony Award-winning “Best Book of a Musical” and “Best Original Score”, both won by Shaina Taub, offers a history lesson cleverly presented with humor, pathos, vigor and a Broadway-worthy cast.
 Marya Grandy (Carrie Chapman Catt) and the First National Touring Company of SUFFS (Photo/Joan Marcus).
The all-female cast features Marya Grandy as Carrie Chapman Catt; Maya Keleher as Alice Paul; Livvy Marcus as Doris Stevens; Brandi Porter as Dudley Malone; Monica Tulia Ramirez as Inez Milholland; Danyel Fulton as Ida B. Wells; Gwynne Wood as Lucy Burns; Joyce Meimei Zheng as Ruza Wenclawska; Victoria Pekel as Phyllis Terrell/Robin; Trisha Jeffrey as Mary Church Terrell; Laura Stracko as Alva Belmont/Phoebe Burn; Tami Dahbura as Mollie Hay; Jenny Ashman as President Woodrow Wilson; Anna Bakun as Speaker of the House; Jenna Lea Rosen, Ensemble/Major Sylvester/Senator Burn; and Gretchen Shope, Ensemble/Mrs. Herndon.
Directed by Leigh Silverman; Book, Music & Lyrics by Shaina Taub; Choreography by Mayte Natalio; Music Supervisor, Andrea Grody; Original Broadway Scenic Design by Ricardo Hernandez; Tour Scenic Design by Christine Peters; Music Director Dani Lee Hutch; Costume Design by Paul Tazewell; Lighting Design by Lap Chi Chu; Makeup Design by Joe Dulude II; Sound Design by Jason Crystal; Hair & Wig Design by Charles G. LaPointe; Orchestrations by Michael Starobin; Vocal Arrangements by Shaina Taub & Andrea Grody.
Through June 28th at The National Theatre DC, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004. For tickets and information call the box office at 202.628.6161 or visit www.BroadwayatTheNational.com.
A Riveting and Relevant Reimagining of Othello Starring Wendell Pierce and Directed by Simon Godwin at STC’s Harman Hall
Othello
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Jordan Wright
June 16, 2026
 Ben Turner (Iago) and Wendell Pierce (Othello) in Othello at Shakespeare Theatre Company (Photo/Teresa Castracane).
Iago to Othello, “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.”
A modern reimagining of Shakespeare’s Othello by Director Simon Godwin puts us smack dab in contemporary bro culture with camo-clad soldiers hell bent on waging war and throwing shade on women. We watch helpless as Iago, the duplicitous deceiver and his bosom buddy Rodrigo, cook up an intricate plot to bring down their general Othello, the Moor and former slave. Unbeknownst to the hapless Rodrigo, the lieutenant Cassio and his paramour Bianca, they are all being set up by Iago. In fact, no one is spared in Iago’s quest to discredit Othello as he uses both the women and the men in his murderous quest.
Leaning into today’s incel zeitgeist, Iago conscripts these chest-thumping cluster of jarheads to do his bidding as he manipulates Othello with outright lies and flattery convincing the general that his beloved wife Desdemona is cheating on him. A purloined ladies’ handkerchief is all it takes to consummate Iago’s power grab – setting up Othello’s jealous rage and murder of his beloved, and truly chaste bride.
The length and breadth of who, what and how Iago subverts to undermine his superior is incontestably Machiavellian. Plots and subplots undermine friendships and question marital devotion until we are left to wonder why the hell Iago’s wife Emilia won’t spill the beans about her husband Iago’s nefarious plot and tell Desdemona the truth before the horrific slaughter of the two women.
 The cast of Othello (Photo/Teresa Castracane).
Wendell Pierce was made to play this role. His character portrayals in edgy dramas have proven undeniably riveting – Death of a Salesman, Treme, The Wire, Clybourne Park and so many more power roles in film, TV and onstage. His performance here is the glue that cements the entire cast.
Heavy metal music ushers in many of the scenes and the soundscape of armies at war creates the modern military ethos. Paired with Godwin’s crisp staging, it contributes to the overall effect, and I couldn’t help but reflect on aspects of our current state of political drama – its subterfuge, hegemony and flouting of established law to achieve power and control. Oh, Iago, how clearly we see you and your victims in our daily news feed.
Godwin loves to paint scenes with ghastly amounts of gore and, if you’re a fan of crime drama whose fascination by the American public is just as popular today as it was to the audiences of classic playwrights, you won’t want to miss a beat in this reimagining of the classic tale.
Relevant and riveting.
 Olivia Cygan (Desdemona) and Wendell Pierce (Othello) (Photo/Teresa Castracane).
Starring Wendell Pierce as Othello with Ben Turner as Iago; Olivia Cygan as Desdemona; Lucas Iverson as, Cassio; Daniel Velez as Roderigo; Giovanna Drummond as Bianca; Melanie Field as Emilia; Todd Scofield as Duke of Venice; Derek Garza as Montano/Senator Romano; Joey Collins as Brabantio/Salarino.
Ensemble: Jon Beal, C. J. Craig, Sofia Hernandez Morales, Claire Hilton, Anna Marzullo, Vish Shukla, Cole Sitilides, James Whelan and Em Whitworth.
Scenic & Co-Costume Design by Susan Hilferty with Co-Costume Designer Sarita P. Fellows; Lighting Design by Amith A. Chandrashaker; Sound Design by Christopher Shutt; Composer Shiloh Coke; Fight Choreographer Robb Hunter; Fight Captain Jon Beal; and Dramaturg Drew Lichtenberg.
Through June 28th at Harman Hall, 610 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004. For tickets and information call the box office at 202.547.1122 or visit www.ShakespeareTheatre.org.
What’s Onstage in the DMV for July and Early August 2026
Jordan Wright
June 16, 2026
 Cedric Neal (Leading Player) and the cast of Pippin at Signature Theatre (Photo/Daniel Rader)
Signature Theatre www.SigTheatre.org
Pippin through Jul 26
What Became of Us through Jul 26
Play On Aug 12 – Oct 5
Contemporary American Theatre Festival 2026 Season Shepherdstown, WVA Jul 10 – Aug 2 www.CATF.org
Shakespeare Theatre Company www.ShakespeareTheatre.org
Twelfth Night (in repertory) Jul 15 – Jul 25
Macbeth (in repertory) Jul 16 – Jul 25
The Little Theatre of Alexandria www.TheLittleTheatre.com
Catch Me If You Can Jul 17 – Aug 8
Adventure Theatre MTC www.My.AdventureTheatre-MTC.org
Sleeping Beauty: The Time Traveler through Aug 23
 Beetlejuice via Broadway at the National (Photo/Michelle Grace Hunder)
Broadway at the National www.BoxOfficeTicketSales.com
Beetlejuice Jul 7 – Jul 19
The Notebook: The Musical (DC premiere) Aug 8 – Aug 30
Woolly Mammoth www.WoollyMammoth.net
We The Woolly: Remixing 25 Jul 1 – 31
Dead Inside Jul 9 – Aug 3
Arena Stage www.ArenaStage.org
CrazySexyCool – The TLC Musical through Aug 9
Dominion Stage www.DominionStage.org
First Date – The Musical Jul 17 – Jul 25
MetroStage www.MetroStage.org
Celebrating America’s 250th in Song one night only July 27
 Legally Blonde: The Musical via Port Tobacco Players
Port Tobacco Players www.PTPlayers.com
Legally Blonde: The Musical Jul 10 – Aug 2
Faction of Fools www.FactionofFools.org
Leftover Lazzi: A Commedia Cabaret Jul 23 – Aug 3
Actors Theatre at the ARTfactory www.VirginiaArtFactory
Beyond Therapy Jul 24 – Aug 2
Keegan Theatre www.KeeganTheatre.com
The Play That Goes Wrong through Jul 12
The Puppet Company www.ThePuppetCompany.org
The Three Billy Goats Gruff Jul 11 – Aug 10
 Mean Girls via Toby’s Dinner Theatre
Toby’s Dinner Theatre www.TobysDinnerTheatre.com
Mean Girls through Aug 23
Olney Theater Center www.OlneyTheatre.org
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder Jul 2 – Aug 23
Carla Hall in Please Underestimate Me through Jul 12
Imagination Stage www.ImaginationStage.org
Pete the Cat through Jul 26
McLean Community Players www.McLeanPlayers.org
1776 Jul 17 – Aug 2
1stStage Theatre www.IstStage.org
Logan Festival of Solo Performance Aug 20 – 30
 The Immigrant via Synetic Theater
Synetic Theater www.SyneticTheatre.org
The Immigrant Jul 31 – Aug 2
Round House Theatre www.RoundHouseTheatre.org
Adrift – A Medieval Wayward Folly Jul 16 – Aug 2
Creative Cauldron www.CreativeCauldron.org
Passport Music Festival – through Sept 13
Scena Theatre www.AtlasArts.my.salesforce-sites.com
No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre through July 19
Maryland Ensemble Theater www.MarylandEnsemble.org
How to Train Your Dragon the Musical, Jr. Jul 30 – Aug 2
 The Colored Museum via Silver Spring Stage
Silver Spring Stage www.SSStage.org
The Colored Museum through Jul 19
Rorschach Theatre www.RorschachTheatre.thundertix.com/events
American Apparitions – A Psychogeographies Project through Sept 19
Compass Rose Theater www.CompassRoseTheater.org
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Jul 31 – Aug 8
Nu Sass Productions www.Nusass.com
Brönte Sister House Party Aug 14 – Sept 12
The Colonial Players www.TheColonialPlayers.org
10 Minute Play Festival Jul 17 – Jul 26
Laurel Mill Playhouse www.LaurelMillPlayhouse.org
Four Old Broads on the High Seas July 10 – Jul 19
The Great Gatsby Brings a Dazzling Musical Extravaganza Full of Glamour and Pizazz to the National Theatre
The Great Gatsby – A New Musical
Broadway at the National DC
Jordan Wright
May 13, 2026
Special to The Zebra
 Cast of the First National Touring Company of The Great Gatsby. (Photo/Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)
The Broadway hit musical The Great Gatsby is a razzamatazz retro showcase for the glitz and glamour of the Jazz Age. Set in the Roaring Twenties when flappers wore short skirts and thumbed their noses at the proprieties of the Victorian Era, danced the Shimmy and the Charleston too. All when Prohibition meant having a secret password to enter a speakeasy, where mobsters and rum-runners hobnobbed with robber barons and East Coast aristocracy. Opening with the allure of a green light from a lighthouse on the shoreline of the Long Island Sound where the bay separated the swells from the elite, this lavish production draws from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel of the same name.
Those with a proper pedigree lived in posh East Egg, a reference to the landed gentry of East Hampton, while the nouveau riche and their shady neighbors lived in West Egg, where the residents were new money. Knowing Fitzgerald’s life and works can deepen your connection to this story as it parallels his life in New York City and his passionate romance with the Southern belle and darling debutante, Zelda, his muse, whom he would later wed. Here is where I urge you to read the book and everything this iconic American author ever wrote. It will deepen your understanding of the period and Fitzgerald’s genius for capturing the gilded life.
Brought to the big stage after four movie versions (hello, Robert Redford and Leonardo DiCaprio who each played Jay Gatsby), the show manages to pack in 22 numbers, a 26-person cast, crime drama, emotional breakups, a murder, a mansion, slinky flappers and a massive chorus line backed by a terrific orchestra. In other words, it’s an extravaganza.
 Jake David Smith (Jay Gatsby). (Photo/Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)
Directed by Marc Bruni; with book by Kait Kerrigan, music by two Broadway veterans, composer Jason Howland and lyricist Nathan Tysen, this show is a paean to the big productions from that era from Florenz Ziegfeld to George White to Earl Carroll with all the elements of sass and pizazz from the Great White Way in its heyday.
Gorgeous Art Deco-influenced sets by the marvelous Paul Tate dePoo III, who earned a well-deserved Outer Critic’s Circle award for “Outstanding Scenic Design”, are stunning, and I’m tossing bouquets to costume designer Linda Cho, who won for “Outstanding Costume Design” for her designs of lavish silks, satins, feathers, hats and mountains of crystals and sequins to the switched up gangster dancers in black trench coats. And an armful of red roses to choreographer Dominique Kelly, who turned the dancers inside out with flips and throws, a knockout tap competition between two male dancers that lit up the theater, and a host of chorines’ legs kicked high into the stratosphere. Another wowza moment reveals a royal blue 1920’s convertible driven on stage and later a jaw-dropping yellow Rolls Royce.
All you need to do is sit back and watch the romances and marriages self-destruct while the fast set is feasting on lobster and champagne and burning up the stage like firecrackers. Ain’t it grand?
Flashy and splashy with buckets of pizazz!
 Cast of the First National Touring Company of The Great Gatsby. (Photo/Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)
Starring Jake David Smith as Jay Gatsby; Senzel Ahmady as Daisy Buchanan; Joshua Grosso as Nick Caraway; Leanne Robinson as Jordan Baker; Lila Coogan as Myrtle Wilson; Will Branner as Tom Buchanan; Tally Sessions as George Wilson; Edward Staudenmayer as Meyer Wolfsheim; Joann Gilliam as Catherine and Gilda Gray; Alli Sutton as Mrs. McKee; D’Marreon Alexander as Mr. McKee and Bystander #1; Anna Gassett, Josiah Hicks, Tyler Johnson-Campion, and Macy McKown as The Sugars; Shai Yammanee as Cop; Valeria Ceballos as Bystander #1; plus Joi D. McCoy, Maya Petropolis, Tim Quartier, Ryan Vogt in the ensemble. Partygoers include Kyle Caress, Rosie Granito, Kurt Kempner and Charlotte McKinley.
Lighting Design by Cory Pattak; Hair Design by Charles G. LaPointe and Rachel Geier; Orchestrations by Jason Howland and Kim Scharnberg.
Through May 24th at The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC 20004. For tickets and information call the box office at 202.628.6161 or visit www.BroadwayatTheNational.com
What’s Onstage in the DMV For June and July 2026
Jordan Wright
May 13, 2026
 Suffs via Broadway at the National (Photo/Joan Marcus)
Broadway at The National www.TicketMaster.com
Suffs Jun 16 – 28
Beetlejuice Jul 7 – 19
Shakespeare Theatre Company www.ShakespeareTheatre.org
Othello through Jun 28
Woolly Mammoth www.WoollyMammoth.net
A Fine Madness through Jun 28
1st Stage www.1stStage.org
Indecent Jun 4 – 21
Dominion Stage www.DominionStage.org
Dead Air through Jun 13
 The Play That Goes Wrong via Keegan Theatre (Photo/Cameron Whitman)
Keegan Theatre www.KeeganTheatre.com
The Play That Goes Wrong Jun 6 – Jul 12
Workhouse Arts Center www.WorkhouseArts.org
The Sponge Bob Musical through June 14
Mosaic Theater www.MosaicTheater.org
Bad Kreyòl through Jun 13
Precarious Jun 4 – 28
Folger Theatre www.Folger.edu
How Shakespeare Saved My Life Jun 9 – Jul 12
IN Series www.INSeries.org
The Song of Sakuntala Jun 6 – 14
 Nick Fradiani as Neil – Then and The Noise in A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical (Photo/Jeremy Daniel)
Hippodrome Baltimore www.Baltimore.Broadway.com
A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical Jun 23 – 28
Signature Theatre www.SigTheatre.org
Pippin through Jul 26
What Became of Us Jun 16 – Jul 26
Broadway in the Park at Wolf Trap Jun 20
Arena Stage www.ArenaStage.org
The Motion through Jun 14
CrazySexyCool The TLC Musical Jun 12 – Aug 9
The Puppet Company www.ThePuppetCompany.org
The Little Prince Jun 5 – Jul 6
Imagination Stage www.ImaginationStage.org
Pete the Cat Jun 17 – Jul 26
 (pray) via Baltimore Center Stage
Baltimore Center Stage www.CenterStage.org
(pray) Jun 12 – Jul 5
Toby’s Dinner Theatre www.TobysDinnerTheatre.com
Mean Girls – The Musical Jun 12 – Aug 23
Olney Theater Center www.OlneyTheatre.org
Carla Hall in Please Underestimate Me Jun 3 – Jul 12
A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder Jul 2 – Aug 23
Providence Players of Fairfax www.ProvidencePlayers.org
I Love You Because Jun 12 – 27
Round House Theatre www.RoundHouseTheatre.org
Sally and Tom through Jun 28
 Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going to Happen via Studio Theatre
Studio Theatre www.StudioTheatre.org
Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen
Jun 4 – July 12
Purlie Victorious through Jun 21
NextStop Theatre www.NextStopTheatre.org
Once through Jun 21
Adventure Theatre www.My.AdventureTheatre-MTC.org
Sleeping Beauty – The Time Traveler Jun 17 – 29
Everyman Theatre www.EverymanTheatre.org
Emma through Jun 14
Yellow Door Concert Series www.YellowDoorConcertSeries.com
Eric Williams and Justin Mendez Jun 28
44 The Musical Spoofs the Obama Presidency With This Utterly Irreverent, Totally Original, Clever, Witty, Heartwarming and Ridiculously Hilarious Elixir Now at the Klein Theatre
44 The Musical
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Klein Theatre
Jordan Wright
April 25, 2026
 Cast of 44 The Musical at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre. (Photo/Jenny Anderson)
Warning: Do Not Read This Review – Go!
Already a winner of seven Broadway World Awards, 44 The Musical opens on Barack Obama’s election night as sung by the character, Voice of the People (Summer Nicole Greer), whose powerhouse soulful intro kicks off POTUS’s time in the White House. I’ve seen it with lead actor, T. J. Wilkins and again with his understudy Marqell Edward Clayton each playing the role of Obama and they are equally extraordinary.
As told by his loyal Veep and adoring White bro and loveable, laughable sidekick Joe Biden (Tony Award-winning material Chad Doreck) in this crazy, wild, utterly irreverent, clever, witty, heartwarming and hilarious musical is the elixir we need to counter the every goddamn five minutes of dizzying, politically fraught BREAKING NEWS! headache-inducing, news cycle we’re living in. Here’s our soul-soothing, deliciously snarky skewering of 44’s political enemies also known as the GOP. This musical lights up the stage infusing a blend of lampoon and burlesque with lightning-quick comic shtick and a heart-warming romance delivered by top-tier singers. You couldn’t ask for more.
 Cast of 44 The Musical (Photo/Jenny Anderson)
Briliantly directed, co-produced, written and composed by Eli Bauman, the cast of familiar characters includes Obama’s ever-lovely, “when they go low, we go high” wife, the beautiful Michelle (pitch-perfect Howard University grad, Sy Smith) and rival Hillary Clinton (Jenna Pastuszek totally nailing the sister side of the equation), along with Obama’s familiar nemeses – a slithery Mitch McConnell (Larry Cedar); don’t-remind-anyone-he’s-Latino Ted Cruz (Michael Uribes); a polar bear-hating Sarah Palin (Summer Collins), a lace parasol-toting Linday Graham (Jeff Sumner) and Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain (Dino Shorté) as their token Republican Black brother. They are a multi-talented cast of scene stealers in the best way possible.
Eager to upend Obama’s presidency and undermine hs signature programs, this band of loonies form a cabal called W. H. A. M. – an acronym for White, Heterosexual, Affluent Men. A dim-witted, pole-dancing, sexy babe Palin fronts for the female vote while Cain is the goofy group’s absurdly transparent attempt at racial inclusion. In an effort to be superfly and get the youth vote, the men go all Flavor Flav in clock neck chains and track suits and you could easily lose it watching McConnell fronting in Calvin Klein underwear.
 Cast of 44 The Musical (Photo/Jenny Anderson)
As Obama’s charisma soars and Michelle’s charm and savvy dazzle, Act 2 takes us to his second term as the ridiculous personal attacks prevail. Who doesn’t recall the tan suit debacle contrived by Republicans and Fox News pundits? Here called Faux News with a send-up presented by two ditsy identical blondes in matching skimpy dresses as a “Wonder Bread sandwich” for Herman Cain.
A wowza score by Bauman features 24 catchy numbers including soulful ballads and a Gospel trio to counterpoint the wacky political parodies. Perched the box seats is the kick ass House of Vibe All Stars band led by Musical Director and Co-Producer Anthony “Brew” Brewster.
 Cast of 44 The Musical (Photo/Jenny Anderson)
You’ll leave the theater merrily singing the raunchy-perfect tribute tune “M. F. O.” – short for mother-f***in’ Obama. Major kudos to Miss James Alsop’s brilliant choreography because this cast has hoofers as well as belters.
Terrific production values with costumes by Matthew Hemesath; Scenic Design by Julio Himede and Yellow Studio; Lighting Design by Nathan W. Scheuer and Natali Arco; Sound Design by Jonathan A. Burke; Wig & Hair Design by Brian Strumwasser. Co-Lead Produced with Bauman Monica Saunders-Weinberg.
Through May 10th at the Klein Theatre, 450 7th Street, Washington, DC 20004. For tickets and information call the box office at 202.547.1122 or visit www.44TheObamaMusical.com.
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