For Dani Lee Hutch, Music Director of Suffs Tour, a Love of Stories Fuels a Crucial History Lesson

November 1, 2025

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Danielle Lee Hutchison of Local 802 (New York City) says she has always loved a good story. Indeed, it’s one of the reasons she decided to pursue a career in musical theater. As keyboardist and music director for the national tour of the Broadway musical Suffs, Hutchison—who goes by the professional name of Dani Lee Hutch—says she is thrilled to help turn that love of stories into a mobile history lesson of sorts.

Suffs tells the story of the American women’s suffrage movement, focusing on true historical events leading up to the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution in 1920 that gave women the right to vote. “It’s incredibly rewarding to be bringing this story to theaters around the country,” says Hutch. “It’s a crucial part of our nation’s story that often gets overlooked in history classes. It’s amazing to be part of bringing these women’s lives and struggles to light, especially now when their story seems more culturally relevant than ever.”

Hutch adds that it’s inspiring to see how audiences around the country are relating to Suffs. “The fact that it’s an all-female cast and production team is a unique draw. We’ve had groups of League of Women Voters in the audience, Girl Scout troops, and have even had women register to vote after seeing the show. Some had just turned 18.”

Long Road to Going on the Road

Originally from Ohio, Hutch is based in New York City when she’s not on the road with Suffs. She began her life in music early, starting with piano lessons at age 10. “My mom is a piano teacher, so it runs in the family,” she says. Her love of the keyboard developed in tandem with a love for theater, and she was a self-described theater kid in high school. “I sang and acted on stage, and I was a rehearsal accompanist for the productions.” These early experiences gave her some insight into how things work.

“In college, that equal love of theater and piano began to take root, and I was looking for a way to do both,” says Hutch.

She pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in piano performance at Cedarville University. There, a stint as the rehearsal accompanist for a production of Fiddler on the Roof gave her exactly what she had been searching for. “The experience of playing for cast rehearsals and also orchestra rehearsals was a revelation that I could be on both sides of the production. I really loved that,” she says.

Her path became clearer when she undertook studies for her master’s degree at Arizona State University. “ASU was one of only three schools in the country to offer a master’s in musical direction for theater,” she explains. “ASU’s program was a big draw because the degree is a master’s in music, as opposed to fine arts. That distinction meant that I got to take music history courses and orchestral conducting.” Hutch adds that the ASU program is also very selective and only accepts a few people every year. “There were only two of us in the class pursuing the degree. That meant I got to do a ton of vital hands-on work—accompanying, directing productions on the main stage, and lots of side projects.”

Hutch believes that one of the joys of working in musical theater—as well as one of its annoyances—is that there’s not one set way to get into the career. “If you go to school to be a doctor, your path is pretty clearly laid out. For musicians in musical theater, we all have different stories about how we got here. For me, the higher education route held a lot of value. ASU’s program gave me the necessary piano skills and also the rehearsal skills.”

College to Career

After graduating from ASU in 2019, Hutch worked on a cruise ship until the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to that. After years of touring, she finally settled in New York City, the epicenter of American theater. She has since established herself as a fixture on Broadway, with credits including Six, Real Women Have Curves, and Aladdin. Tours have also featured prominently, including two years with the national tour of Wicked on keyboard and as assistant conductor. Most recently, Hutch was part of the Tina national tour. The musical follows the life of Tina Turner, and—like Wicked and now Suffs—is another show telling the story of strong women.

“I took over as Tina’s music director for the last six months of the tour,” says Hutch. “I had been a subconductor to cover vacations, and then I wound up closing the show. Before that, I had been on the road for two years with Wicked. So, I wasn’t sure I wanted to tour again.” Hutch moved to New York City officially over a year ago, and she was loving getting settled into her new life. And then she saw Suffs on Broadway. “It immediately jumped to the top of my list of shows I’d go back on the road for,” she laughs.

Suffs, she says, offered another potential draw for her: “For my next big project, I wanted to be part of the process of building a tour from the ground up, from auditions to being part of the creative team.” Hutch says she got in touch with the Suffs music supervisor, who mentioned the company was going to be hiring staff for the show’s upcoming national tour.

“I submitted audition videos and then had a live interview and audition. Suffs wound up being my first production as music director where I’ve been part of the tour right from the beginning. It has been an incredible experience being able to help shape the touring environment, sense of community, and work culture.”

Touring Life and Responsibilities

Living one’s life constantly on the road with a touring show is not for the faint of heart—but Hutch says she thrives in the touring environment. “I love all the travel, and I love getting to explore new cities all across the country,” she enthuses. “It’s a thrill getting to play in so many different venues and historic theaters.”

One pleasant surprise she discovered is how close you can get with your touring company. “When you’re on the road, your work friends are also your social friends because you all share the same weird schedule. You don’t have what I call the ‘separation between church and state.’ It can be great getting to know these people really well, all of us going through stuff together.” But constantly being in each other’s business, she says, can present its own challenges.

“Another thing I’ve learned to appreciate is that the biggest constant is change. Our housing, commute to the venue, and even time zone differs on a weekly basis. There are also cast changes, and rehearsal schedules can be different depending on the need. You learn to go with the flow and take it a week at a time, which is also a good life lesson in general.”

The show’s schedule generally adheres to a regular pattern. Mondays are travel days. “For me, my routine is get to the hotel, figure out my housing, get a lay of the land as much as possible, go grocery shopping, and figure out how to get to the theater,” she says. Tuesday is the long day. “We will have five hours of orchestra rehearsal in the morning, a sound check in the afternoon, and then the show opens on Tuesday night. It’s a pretty grueling day.” Once the show is up and running, Hutch says subsequent rehearsals are dependent on what’s needed (e.g., for a cast change), but the typical run is nightly except Mondays with a five-show weekend, two shows each on Saturday and Sunday.

On and Off the Job

Constant work and travel can mean constant stress, unless that is managed. “I love to go on walks, which also helps with my love of exploring cities,” says Hutch. “We are lucky to have gyms available in most cities, and I stay connected with friends and family back home, which is crucial for my mental health.” When possible, Hutch also travels with her dog. “Maintaining his routine helps me maintain mine,” she says. “I actually got him when I was on the road with Wicked, so he’s a seasoned tour dog.”

Hutch adds that she has also enjoyed learning how to play the hotel and airline points game, which will come in handy after tour. “Also, it’s fun in every theater to sign the wall tag after our performances there. I’ve had one repeat city, and going back to see my name on the wall was a fun full-circle moment.”

With eight shows a week, keeping the music fresh is yet another challenge. “I always try to find different moments to highlight each night, and working with local musicians in each city is terrific because they all play differently. Also, this is a show where the orchestra is in the pit, so I can hear and see the audience and immediately connect with their reactions.”

Unique Show Gets Unique Tour

The story of Suffs attracted the attention of no less a personage than Secretary Hillary Clinton, who served as one of the show’s producers. Clinton insisted on the full Broadway orchestration for the national tour of Suffs, bucking the trend of shows touring with reduced orchestration. Hutch believes that audiences can tell the difference. “As a musician, I love the fact that the original orchestration has so many intentional choices, and that still really shines through on the tour,” she says. More importantly, as she mentioned earlier, the full orchestration allows the hiring of local musicians in each city.

Suffs travels with four musicians: two keyboards, bass, and drums. In addition to Hutch conducting from the keyboard, Kerrianne Brennan of Local 802 also plays keyboards; Daniel Santiago of Local 802 is the drummer; and Ed Hamilton of Local 369 (Las Vegas, NV) is the tour’s bass player and librarian. 

“At each stop we pick up eight local musicians. If we’re in a city with a local keyboard 2 sub, we’ll pick up nine,” Hutch explains. “I think utilizing locals is important for several reasons. All three shows I’ve toured with hired local musicians, and I’ve always enjoyed getting their perspectives on whichever city we’re in. It also keeps the show fresh, having different individual musical ideas. Most importantly, it’s a great way to keep the local unions involved.”

In the end, says Hutch, the success of any show comes down to its ability to connect with its audiences. “Suffs is very relevant to what’s happening today, and because these are stories of real people who lived, we strive to be faithful to their lives. All of us involved with the production have worked hard to make sure that vision stays true.” She adds that Suffs is a relatively new show. Many audiences didn’t have a chance to see it on Broadway, and her job on tour is to give them that experience.

“This show is so powerful and moving, and it’s also ironically comforting to see that what these women experienced 100 years ago has many parallels to what we’re experiencing in our current political climate. It gives me hope that if these women made it through, then we can also make it through, and positive change can happen,” says Hutch.

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