The musical Suffs, a feminist production co-produced by Hillary Clinton and Malala Yousafzai, is set to close its Broadway run in early 2024, primarily due to financial struggles. According to The New York Times, the show, which tells the story of the women’s suffrage movement, has not been able to recover the $19 million needed to keep it afloat.
Despite critical success and Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score, Suffs struggled to consistently fill its seats and compete with other major Broadway productions like Sweeney Todd and Moulin Rouge!.
During the week of October 6, the musical grossed only $679,589, which is well below what a Broadway production of its size typically requires to sustain operations. The attendance woes weren't new—by May 5, the show had only filled 81% of its seats.
These numbers placed it in the bottom 23% of all Broadway shows in terms of audience draw, a clear indication of the uphill battle Suffs faced in its short run.
After its final Broadway performance on January 5, 2024, the musical is set to hit the road for a nationwide tour, starting in Seattle in September 2025. While this may signal the end of its run on one of the biggest stages, its journey isn’t over, and it may find a new life in theaters across the country.
Adding a layer of controversy to the show’s legacy, Suffs faced protests in July from radical feminist groups. These protesters disrupted a performance, accusing the musical of "rehashed white feminism" and claiming it failed to represent a more diverse and intersectional approach to modern feminist issues.
Despite the criticism, Suffs still earned strong praise from critics, with its blend of historical narrative and political relevance resonating in a divisive cultural climate.
Clinton’s involvement in the production also generated attention, particularly when she used her introduction at the Tony Awards to reflect on her 2016 presidential defeat, tying her personal political journey to the broader history of women’s fight for equal rights.
Her comment, “I know a little bit about how hard it is to make change,” connected the suffrage movement with contemporary political struggles, underscoring the relevance Suffs hoped to capture. But the harsh realities of Broadway economics ultimately prevailed, forcing this critically acclaimed yet financially struggling production to close its doors—at least for now.