Tsilala Brock To Make Broadway Debut In Suffs

Bermudian actress Tsilala Brock will be making her official Broadway debut in Suffs, a musical about suffrage produced by Hillary Clinton and Malala Yousafzai.

“In this all-femme cast she will be playing Dudley Malone, a real-life character, the Assistant Secretary of State to Woodrow Wilson who publicly resigned from office to persuade Wilson to shift his stance on women’s suffrage. He became a lawyer for the women’s movement and eventually found a partnership with Suffragist Doris Stevens along with a newfound sense of purpose,” a spokesperson said.

“Tsilala grew up in Bermuda, studying at United Dance Productions and under the tutelage of Marcelle Clemons. She left at age 15 for boarding school in Canada and would return throughout the summers to participate in Troika Productions. Most notably Beauty and the Beast and the second run of The Color Purple. She’s a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University with a BFA in Drama and has been working in theater since 2014. Recent credits include Book of Mormon 2nd National Tour, Parable of the Sower [NYUAD], and Suffs Off-Broadway Production [The Public].

The official press release from the production said, “Today, casting has been announced for Suffs. The new original musical will begin performances at the Music Box Theatre on March 26 with an opening night set for April 18.

“Suffs will star book writer, composer, and lyricist Shaina Taub in the role of Alice Paul, making her only the second woman in history to write the book, music, lyrics and star in her own Broadway musical. .

“Suffs will also star Tony Award winner Nikki M. James [The Book of Mormon] as Ida B. Wells, Tony Award nominee Jenn Colella [Come From Away] as Carrie Chapman Catt, Grace McLean [Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812] as President Woodrow Wilson, Hannah Cruz [MCC’s The Connector] as Inez Milholland, Kim Blanck [Signature Theatre's Octet] as Ruza Wenclawska, Anastacia McCleskey [Waitress] as Mary Church Terrell, Ally Bonino [Broadway debut] as Lucy Burns, Tsilala Brock [The Book of Mormon National Tour] as Dudley Malone, Nadia Dandashi [Broadway debut] as Doris Stevens, and Tony Award nominee Emily Skinner [Side Show] as Alva Belmont/Phoebe Burn.

“Rounding out the company are Hawley Gould [Lincoln Center Theater’s Camelot] as the Alternate for Alice Paul, Jaygee Macapugay [Here Lies Love] as Mollie Hay, and Laila Drew as Phyllis Terrell/Robin [Broadway debut]. The ensemble will feature Dana Costello [Pretty Woman] as well as Jenna Bainbridge, Monica Tulia Ramirez, and Ada Westfall making their Broadway debuts. The cast will also include Christine Heesun Hwang [Les Misérables National Tour], Kirsten Scott [Jersey Boys], Housso Semon [Girl From The North Country], and D’Kaylah Unique Whitley [Dear Evan Hansen].

“As previously announced, Jill Furman and Rachel Sussman will serve as lead producers of Suffs, with Hillary Rodham Clinton and Malala Yousafzai serving as two of the musical’s co producers. From the singular mind of Shaina Taub, this “remarkable, epic new musical” [Variety] boldly explores the victories and failures of a struggle for equality that’s far from over.

“It’s 1913 and the women’s movement is heating up in America, anchored by the suffragists — “Suffs,” as they call themselves — and their relentless pursuit of the right to vote. Reaching across and against generational, racial, and class divides, these brilliant, flawed women entertain and inspire us with the story of their hard-won victory in an ongoing fight. So much has changed since the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment over a century ago, and yet we’re reminded sometimes we need to look back, in order to march fearlessly into the future.

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