NEW YORK: Shaina Taub was in the audience at “Suffs,” her buzzy and timely new musical about women’s suffrage, when she spied something that delighted her.
It was intermission, and Taub, both creator and star, had been watching her understudy perform at a matinee preview last week. Suddenly, she saw audience members searching the Wikipedia pages of key figures portrayed in the show: women like Ida B. Wells, Inez Milholland and Alice Paul, who not only spearheaded the suffrage fight but also wrote the Equal Rights Amendment ( still not law, but that’s a whole other story).
“I was like, that’s my goal, exactly that!” Taub, who plays Paul, said from her dressing room later. “Do everything I can to make you fall in love with these women, root for them, care about them. So that was a really satisfying moment to witness.”
Satisfying but sobering, too. Fact is, few audience members know much about the American suffrage movement. So the all-female creative team behind “Suffs,” which had a high-profile off-Broadway run and opens Thursday on Broadway with extensive revisions, knows they’re starting from zero.
It’s an opportunity, says Taub, who studied social movements — but not suffrage — at New York University. But it’s also a huge challenge: How do you educate but also entertain?
One member of the “Suffs” team has an especially poignant connection to the material. That would be producer Hillary Clinton.
She was, of course, the first woman to win the US presidential nomination of a major party, and the first to win the popular vote. But Clinton says she never studied the suffrage movement in school, even at Wellesley. Only later in life did she fill in the gap, including a visit as first lady to Seneca Falls, home to the first American women’s rights convention some 70 years before the 19th Amendment gave women the vote.
“I became very interested in women’s history through my own work, and writing and reading,” Clinton told The Associated Press. And so, seeing “Suffs” off-Broadway, “I was thrilled because it just helps to fill a big gap in our awareness of the long, many-decades struggle for suffrage.”
It was Taub who wrote Clinton, asking her to come on board. “I thought about it for a nanosecond,” Clinton says, “and decided absolutely, I wanted to help lift up this production.” A known theater lover, Clinton describes traveling often to New York as a college student and angling for discounts, often seeing only the second act, when she could get in for free. “For years, I’d only seen the second act of ‘Hair,’” she quips.
Clinton then reached out to Malala Yousafzai, whom Taub also hoped to engage as a producer. As secretary of state, Clinton had gotten to know the Pakistani education activist who was shot by a Taliban gunman at age 15. Clinton wanted Yousafzai to know she was involved and hoped the Nobel Peace Prize winner would be, too.
“I’m thrilled,” Clinton says of Yousafzai’s involvement, “because yes, this is an American story, but the pushback against women’s rights going on at this moment in history is global.”
Yousafzai had also seen the show, directed by Leigh Silverman, and loved it. She, too, has been a longtime fan of musicals, though she notes her own acting career began and ended with a school skit in Pakistan, playing a not-very-nice male boss. Her own education about suffrage was limited to “one or two pages in a history book that talked about the suffrage movement in the UK,” where she’d moved for medical treatment.
“I still had no idea about the US side of the story,” Yousafzai told the AP. It was a struggle among conflicting personalities, and a clash over priorities between older and younger activists but also between white suffragists and those of color — something the show addresses with the searing “Wait My Turn,” sung by Nikki M. James as Wells, the Black activist and journalist.
“This musical has really helped me see activism from a different lens,” says Yousafzai. “I was able to take a deep breath and realize that yes, we’re all humans and it requires resilience and determination, conversation, open-mindedness … and along the way you need to show you’re listening to the right perspectives and including everyone in your activism.”
When asked for feedback by the “Suffs” team, Yousafzai says she replied that she loved the show just as it was. (She recently paid a visit to the cast, and toured backstage.) Clinton, who has attended rehearsals, quips: “I sent notes, because I was told that’s what producers do.”
Clinton adds: “I love the changes. It takes a lot of work to get the storytelling right — to decide what should be sung versus spoken, how to make sure it’s not just telling a piece of history, but is entertaining.”
Indeed, the off-Broadway version was criticized by some as feeling too much like a history lesson. The new version feels faster and lighter, with a greater emphasis on humor — even in a show that details hunger strikes and forced feedings.
One moment where the humor shines through: a new song titled “Great American Bitch” that begins with a suffragist noting a man had called her, well, a bitch. The song reclaims the word with joy and laughter. Taub says this moment — and another where an effigy of President Woodrow Wilson (played by Grace McLean, in a cast that’s all female or nonbinary) is burned — has been a hit with audiences.
“As much as the show has changed,” she says, “the spine of it is the same. A lot of what I got rid of was just like clearing brush.”
Most of the original cast has returned. Jenn Colella plays Carrie Chapman Catt, an old-guard suffragist who clashed with the younger Paul over tactics and timing. James returns as Wells, while Milholland, played by Phillipa Soo off-Broadway, is now played by Hannah Cruz.
Given its parallels to a certain Lin-Manuel Miranda blockbuster about the Founding Fathers, it’s perhaps not a surprise that the show has been dubbed “Hermilton” by some.
“I have to say,” Clinton says of Taub, “I think she’s doing for this part of American history what Lin did for our founders — making it alive, approachable, understandable. I’m hoping ‘Suffs’ has the same impact ‘Hamilton’ had.”
That may seem a tall order, but producers have been buoyed by audience reaction. “They’re laughing even more than we thought they would at the parts we think are funny, and cheering at other parts,” Clinton says.
A particular cheer comes at the end, when Paul proposes the ERA.
“A cast member said, ‘Who’d have ever thought the Equal Rights Amendment would get cheers in a Broadway theater?’” Clinton recalls.
One clear advantage the show surely has: timeliness. During the off-Broadway run, news emerged the Supreme Court was preparing to overturn Roe vs. Wade, fueling a palpable sense of urgency in the audience. The Broadway run begins as abortion rights are again in the news — and a key issue in the presidential election only months away.
Taub takes the long view. She’s been working on the show for a decade, and says something’s always happening to make it timely.
“I think,” she muses, “it just shows the time is always right to learn about women’s history.”
‘Suffs’ musical with Malala, Hillary as producers has timing on its side
https://arab.news/jzxp5
‘Suffs’ musical with Malala, Hillary as producers has timing on its side
- ‘Suffs’ is a Broadway musical that focuses on the American women’s suffrage movement
- Pakistani Nobel laureate says musical helped her see her activism from a “new lens“
Saudi historical highlights on display at Abu Dhabi Book Fair
- Selections from London-based rare-book dealer Peter Harrington’s offering at the UAE fair, April 26 to May 5
‘The Holy Mosque at Makkah’
With a foreword by former Saudi Minister of Finance Sheikh Mohammed Abalkhail and images by the award-winning African photojournalist Mohamed Amin, this “sumptuous production” tracks the quarter century of restoration of the Sacred Mosque and Holy Kaaba in Makkah in the mid-20th century. “The text contains a historical description of the Holy Kaaba, Masjid al-Haram, a summary of recent construction in the Saudi era, and architectural notes, with the rest of the volume dedicated to Amin’s photographs, presenting detailed views of the diverse and extensive developments,” the book dealer’s notes state. Amin was “the first photographer to be given access to document the Hajj and among the first to photograph sections of the Holy Mosques of Makkah and Madinah. Over three years during the 1970s, he travelled by camel, helicopter, car and on foot to Madinah, Arafat, and Makkah.”
Confidential reports from the First and Third Arab Petroleum congresses
The historical global significance of the first Arab Petroleum Congress in 1959 cannot be understated. It was here that the idea of an oil-producing organization (an idea that eventually turned into OPEC) was introduced. “During proceedings, the influential oil journalist Wanda Jablonski introduced Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Tariki to Venezuela’s Juan Pablo Perez Alfonzo, both of whom were upset by recent price cuts. They rallied delegates to sign the secret Maadi Pact, suggesting a Petroleum Consultation Commission to coordinate producer responses. This laid the groundwork for the 1960 Baghdad Conference, at which OPEC was officially formed,” the book dealer’s notes state. This grouping of documents contains in-house reports from Aramco on that congress, and the Third Arab Petroleum Congress in Dec. 1961, as well as other Aramco-produced materials from 1956-1961.
Photographic archive and reports from the recommissioning of the Hejaz Railway
The book dealer describes this collection as “a unique archive relating to the earliest post-war attempt to reconstruct the Hejaz railway and link Damascus with Madinah.” The last train to travel the full length of the railway was reportedly in 1925, after which “the line south of Mudawwara was washed away, and the conflicts that led to the creation of Saudi Arabia in 1932 dampened collective efforts at reconstruction.” The archive includes previously unpublished photos and original reports issued by the International Resources Engineering and Exploration Group, which was awarded to contract to design the project in 1956. “Coverage is particularly detailed for central and northern Saudi Arabia, especially the area around Mada’in Salih and Khur Himar,” the dealer states, and includes images of the party meeting with local officials including the rulers of AlUla and Tabuk.
A collection of magic lantern slides by Harry St John Bridger Philby & Alec Horace Edward Litton Holt
The British intelligence officer Philby — who served as an advisor to Saudi Arabia’s founder, King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud — and the engineer and explorer Holt travelled 600 miles together in 1922 through the desert via Al-Jawf province in Saudi Arabia “at the height of increasing tensions between Ibn Saud and the Hashemites.” These 23 slides were, the book dealer believes, likely used to illustrate the presentation the pair gave about their journey before the Royal Geographic Society in the UK on Feb. 12, 1923. “The collection shows Holt and Philby in Arab dress; Ford cars and aeroplanes at Jidd, desert scenes, a Ford condenser, and ploughing for landing fields, among others.”
Aramco educational PR pack
In an attempt to attract US students and graduates in the Sixties and Seventies, Aramco produced several collections of promotional material that included posters much like this one, which it distributed to schools and universities in the States. “The lively posters explore the history of Saudi Arabia and the company’s operations, each illustrated with photographs of historical figures (including T. E. Lawrence), company personnel and oil wells, and Saudi architecture,” the book dealer states.
‘Adaptability’ at SAMoCA shows ‘the similarity between clay and humans’
- Exhibition showcases ceramic works by 11 Arab artists
RIYADH: The Saudi Arabian Museum of Contemporary Art in Riyadh is currently hosting “Adaptability,” an exhibition of work in clay by 11 artists from five different Arab countries, each offering their unique perspective on our relationship with the material. The show runs until May 20.
“This exhibition beautifully illustrates the adaptability of clay, showcasing human creativity and our capacity for enduring change across cultures and civilizations,” curator Samer Yamani told Arab News. “It shows the similarity between clay and humans: We both are so strong, but fragile, and the higher the fire gets, the stronger we get — we adapt to new circumstances and new things happening in life; we are able to innovate and to be present.”
The show is laid out in three circles. The inner one includes work that expresses inner thoughts and emotions; the middle explores topics related to communities, culture, and life; the outer circle addresses heritage, urbanism, and sustainability.
“Clay is such a malleable material that you can shape through many different forms — hand-made, technological, mechanical… so it’s interesting to see all the different ways that the various artists have used or thought about clay; some more technical, some to express more emotional stories. The dialogue between the different ways of thinking with the same material is very interesting,” participating Jordanian artist Sama Alsaket told Arab News.
Alsaket’s piece, found in the middle circle, is titled “Shades of Terracotta” and was constructed from five different types of clay sourced from her home country. Combining her background in architecture with visual art, her work is intended to spark discourse around handmade, digital, and industrial processes.
“My work focuses on researching the different kinds of clay in Jordan and documenting traditional techniques there,” she said. “Through exploring these kinds of clay, which are iron-rich and usually used for terracotta, I was thinking about how to translate a vessel which is usually made out of terracotta and used to store water into something that is vertical. I was also thinking about how to leverage the different qualities and characteristics of terracotta in architecture.”
She added: “Riyadh seems like such an amazing platform for artists and they’re trying to shape and think about what contemporary art in the Middle East is.”
Egyptian artist Hana El-Sagini’s “The Doctor’s Desk” also features in the exhibition.
“It’s a reflection on illness as a female,” El-Sagini told Arab News. “I was a cancer patient and as a Middle Eastern Muslim woman you kind of protect your body and it’s very sacred, but once you become a patient, things totally change. You become this object they need to fix, which is very noble of them, but it’s a very overwhelming experience for us. Anyone who’s going through adversity goes through surreal ideas of reality versus illusion and ‘Is this really happening to me?’ Like with heartbreak, or the death of a loved one, or illness — all of these — you find yourself in a surreal state. This is why there are a lot of fingers in the work.”
The work is playful as well, she added. “I’m Egyptian, so I need to have that dark humor.”
El-Sagini is better known as a painter. In fact, “The Doctor’s Desk” is her first ceramic work.
“It was the right medium for this work: it’s fragile, it’s real, it’s malleable, raw, and very expressive,” she said. “It’s not perfect. It’s kind of a reflection on the human form.”
Best and Worst: Ghalyah Al-Sharif talks styling, travel and trends
DUBAI: The Saudi beauty content creator talks styling, travel, and trends.
Best TV show or film you’ve ever seen?
“Breaking Bad.” It’s an absolute masterpiece with thrilling twists, unforgettable characters and brilliant writing that kept me hooked from start to finish.
Worst TV show or film you’ve ever seen?
“The Room.” It was honestly hard to get through because of the awkward acting and the storyline that did not make sense at all to me.
Best personal style moment so far?
My green outfit at the Make Up For Ever event during Ramadan was definitely a standout. I feel like the rich color of the dress really captured my personality and made me feel so confident and elegant.
Worst personal style moment?
Honestly, I can’t think of one. I always take time to choose outfits that make me feel confident and comfortable in my own skin.
Best accessory for a little black dress?
A pair of bold statement earrings. A sleek, structured clutch can also instantly elevate the look while keeping it chic and sophisticated.
Worst accessory for a little black dress?
Anything overly flashy can distract from the elegance of the dress and throw off the entire vibe.
Best fashion trend of 2025?
Classic suits. I love them. They’re so powerful and timeless. They give off an effortlessly elegant look that works for so many occasions.
Worst fashion trend of 2025?
I hate neon colors. They can be too loud and difficult to style in a way that feels polished or flattering.
Best advice you’ve ever been given?
“Be open to new ideas.” Personal and professional growth starts with curiosity and the willingness to evolve. It’s something I strive for every day.
Worst advice you’ve ever been given?
“Don’t try too hard.” If you’re passionate about something, you should give it your all without holding back.
Best book you’ve ever read?
“The Four Agreements” (by Don Miguel Ruiz). It’s such a powerful life-changing read that shifted my mindset and helped me find more inner peace.
Worst book you’ve ever read?
“The Secret.” Yes, the intentions were positive, but I just found it overly simplistic and lacking practical depth.
Best thing to do when you’re feeling low?
I love to write down my thoughts and emotions. It really helps me process what I’m going through and gently releases any negativity I might be holding on to.
Worst thing to do when you’re feeling good?
Procrastinate. It can really ruin any positive momentum and just leave you feeling like you haven’t accomplished anything.
Best holiday destination?
Bali. It’s incredibly peaceful, visually stunning, and has this unique spiritual energy that always makes me feel inspired.
Worst holiday destination?
Honestly, I’ve been lucky so far. Every trip I have taken has offered something memorable and enjoyable. I learn a lot from each trip.
Best subject at school?
Art. It allowed me to express myself creatively and tap into my imagination in a way that felt natural and fulfilling.
Worst subject at school?
Math. I never really clicked with numbers, and it always felt more like a challenge than something I actually enjoyed.
Best thing to do to ensure you have a productive day?
Start the day with a clear plan and an organized mindset. It makes a huge difference in staying focused and achieving your goals.
Worst thing to do when trying to be productive?
Scrolling through social media. It’s such a time drain and makes it harder to gain focus again.
Printmaking takes center stage at JAX District exhibition
- Live screen-printing studio teaches public about processes
- Curator urges support and opportunities for local creatives
RIYADH: In a corner of JAX, Riyadh’s art district, there is an open-door policy for art enthusiasts and culture aficionados to explore the diversity of the printmaking world.
At Printworks — hosted by the Personage concept store and studio —artists, designers and architects are presenting their print-based creations to the public.
The aim is to celebrate the work of the artists and engage the public.
When curator Koren Dasoar and guest curator Dana Qabbani came together for the project, they had the aim of “really doing things that are not just for the sake of it.”
Dasoar told Arab News they are not seeking “applause, but really are conscious of people’s feelings, supporting people and building quality.”
They saw a gap in the art community: a space that caters to emerging artists.
Qabbani told Arab News: “Speaking with all of the young artists and the established ones, people are down.
“People feel they’re not doing enough to appear enough … We felt that there’s a disconnect, even with all the amazing things that’ve been happening in the scene.”
Dasoar added: “We shouldn’t wait for a large format activation or event to happen for creativity to happen.
“It’s about it being constant small- to mid-scale activities that allow people that have a growing creative practice to be able to constantly create and showcase.”
Printmaking itself is a unifier of crafts, the curators say.
It “makes you use your hands physically, and therefore the process is longer than just clicking ‘print’ and having the artwork come out.
“There is more of a practice; it’s more sacred because it slows you down. You’re making the art in slow motion,” Qabbani said.
Dasoar explained: “Print is something that I feel is completely interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and cross-medium.
“It’s something that has value in the context of artists, architects, industrial designers, product designers, and even the broader creative spectrum of writers, printers, poets.
“Print is a medium that is far-reaching. It also is something that, from a functional standpoint, allows that to be a degree of repetition, meaning that we can create repeats.
“But it’s also something that I think is quite interesting in the contemporary context, for that it takes different mediums from different practices, funnels it through a digital and non-digital medium, and translates it into something that is physical.”
The initiative aims to bring people back to a core idea of loving creativity and making art, or simply having the desire to create.
For aspiring artists to truly thrive, “there needs to be multiple points of contemplation and multiple points of creation,” Dasoar said.
“There is space for everyone, and we have a shared responsibility to support talent, nurture growth, and create opportunities for success.”
These notions manifested in Personage having an open-door policy for such events.
In this edition, the featured artists include Hayat Osama, Naif Alquba, Mohammed Zkria, Abdullah Al-Amoudi, Salman Najem, Abdullah Al-Khorayef, the sibling-led collective TwoMeem, and Shaddah Design Studio’s Il Mushtarayat.
The program allows members of the public to see how their purchased pieces are produced, as each print is made-to-order. The event also creates a space to ask questions in a more conversational setting.
“Community isn’t built in rows of chairs,” Dasoar said.
Printworks functions in two sections. The first is in existing artworks created by the artist, studio, designer or practitioner, ranging from risograph prints, screenprints, and photographic print.
The other section is an on-site, live screen-printing studio where members of the public are able to drop in and learn more about the artists, the ink, and the printing process itself.
All the works, including the print-on-demand pieces, which will be available on a limited-run basis, are part of an exhibition running until the end of April.
“We have a portion of the artists that are just in the exhibition segment, and we have several artists that have been the collaborators on the screens that are on the print and demand,” Dasoar said.
The event has talks and workshops by various creatives including Dasoar and Cristian Checcanin, the art director at TOLD, the agency behind the design of Saudi Arabia’s riyal logo.
While this is the first edition of Printworks, the goal is to create an event every month with a new, diverse set of artists and curators who can bring in fresh ideas and concepts.
This type of activation is connected to a core pillar of Personage’s mission and identity.
As a space that exists at the intersection of concept store, creative studio, and cultural platform, Personage is fundamentally about bringing people together — bridging disciplines, creative practices, and perspectives.
“We believe that the creative industry truly blossoms when we support its practitioners, while also allowing patrons and buyers to grow, connect, and engage through experiencing — and investing in — the outcomes of creativity.
“In this way, we nurture both the creators and the community that surrounds and uplifts them,” Dasoar said.
Gigi Hadid honored by family, friends on her 30th birthday
DUBAI: The internet is abuzz with celebrities, designers, family and friends sending birthday wishes to US Dutch Palestinian model Gigi Hadid as she turns 30.
Gigi’s younger sister, Bella Hadid, shared a carousel of photos on Instagram to celebrate her birthday. “IT’S GIGI DAY EVERYONE SAY IT WITH ME. HAPPPYYY 30th BIRTHDAYYYY JELENAAAA,” she wrote.
The post featured a mix of baby and childhood photos, runway moments and family memories.
Yolanda Hadid, Gigi’s mother, took a moment to reflect on her daughter’s 30-year journey. “Thirty years went by in a flash, 10,950 days to be exact but there hasn’t been one day without you on my mind,” she wrote, sharing photos of Gigi from babyhood to recent moments.
She added: “As you know giving birth to your first born is life changing, it really marks the first day of the rest of your life as you transition from womanhood into the blessing of motherhood. Today is your special day and I want to say thank for choosing me to be your mommy and for all the love, light and reflection you have brought into my life.”
Italian designer Donatella Versace also shared a birthday message, posting a few images with Gigi and writing: “Happy Birthday to my Taurus twin, @gigihadid! I wish I was with you on this special day. I am sending you kisses and so much love - today and always. Love you!”
American fashion designer Thom Browne posted a picture of Gigi on the brand’s page, sending her well wishes as well.
Fan pages also shared short tribute videos to celebrate the supermodel’s special day.
