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The Right Is Ours! Reviews
Stage and Cinema- Recommended
"...The Right is Ours!, a world premiere new musical which opened yesterday at the Sierra Madre Playhouse, tells the story of the friendship between women's rights pioneers Elizabeth Cady Stanton (Emily Abeles) and Susan B. Anthony (Anna Mintzer), starting with their meeting in 1851, and concluding with their deaths over 50 years later. Keeping the discussion of women's rights focused, Adryan Russ (music and lyrics) provides a satisfying variety of songs that includes anthems, power ballads, and some lighthearted fun."
Stage Scene LA- Somewhat Recommended
"...Tuneful songs and terrific performances do their utmost to overcome a by-the-numbers book and workshop-level production values in the Sierra Madre Playhouse World Premiere of The Right Is Ours, aka The Suffragette Musical."
Stage Raw- Somewhat Recommended
"...Schwartz has previously dabbled in autobiographical drama, co-writing a play about John Wilkes Booth and authoring another about famed abolitionist and Civil War surgeon Dr. Mary Walker — both solo shows seen last year at the Playhouse. Here, portions of the book are taken directly from Stanton and Anthony’s actual speeches and writings. As a primer on the early suffrage movement, the play holds considerable interest. However, as a disciplined and cohesive work of theater, it falls short. A pall of amateurism overhangs the production itself (which is puzzling, as so many involved have solid and extensive professional credits), while the merits of Russ’s intermittently pleasant music are undercut in this otherwise unimaginatively chronological effort."
Haines His Way- Recommended
"...Adryan Russ wrote the lyrics and music for the songs. Most are quite short, seemingly barely a minute. They don’t add much to the development of the story but then they don’t take up much time. There are a few standout numbers. The opening “Seneca Falls” is lively and gives Kay Cole a chance to add some choreography to the show. “Be A Friend” and “Family” are lovely ballads for the two newly minted friends to share and “Bloomers” gives the cast a chance to have some fun along with a costume change. Schofield gets to deliver the impassioned “Ain’t I A Woman?” The prerecorded music all starts to sound alike after 90 minutes of hearing it. The creators have their hearts in the right place in wanting to tell this story, they just need to refine the result. The Right Is Ours! needs a lot of work before it earns my whole-hearted vote."