Playbill or Showbill?

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 5/24/07 at 10:55pm

Whats the difference. My hairspray one says PLAYBILL and TLK one i have says SHOWBILL.

[AnnaK<3LMIP]

Posted: 5/24/07 at 10:56pm

I *think* that because Playbill is copyrighted, some companies don't want to pay the extra money for using the logo..so they use Showbill instead.

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 5/24/07 at 10:57pm

sounds like disney.

[folkyboy]

Posted: 5/24/07 at 10:58pm

search

[Julian2]

Posted: 5/24/07 at 10:59pm

The Playbill company prints the Showbill for the New Amsterdam theatre because Disney owns that theatre. Its JUST like a Playbill except the name, and the inside is more disney centric.

[AnnaK<3LMIP]

Posted: 5/24/07 at 11:01pm

Oh ok, it's just because I've seen community shows and high school shows that use "Showbill"

[Julian2]

Posted: 5/24/07 at 11:02pm

I don't think so, because I've seen community Playbills too, but I'm not sure.

[morosco]

Posted: 5/24/07 at 11:03pm

I think Showbills don't have cigarette or liquor advertisements. Those ads wouldn't sit well with Disney.

[AnnaK<3LMIP]

Posted: 5/24/07 at 11:04pm

Yeah Julian, someone explained to me once that it's just the logo of "Playbill" is copyrighted so instead of paying some large amount of money, they can pay less for "Showbill" logo. But alas I do not know for sure.

[morosco]

Posted: 5/24/07 at 11:14pm

Actually....aren't the Disney ones called Stagebill?

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 12:18am

i knoe that popins is showbill and i think when lion king was IN new amsterdam, it was showbill. i was gonna post a topic like this but i was afraid everyone would just attack me.

[Jellylorum]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 12:18am

Talkin' Broadway article:
Playbill? Showbill? Stagebill?

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 1:39am

Mary Poppins is a Showbill.

Showbill and Playbill are virtually the same format (perhaps besides the type of ads displayed and some features). They have the same exact layout on the cover and the font is the same.

What other shows on Broadway don't use Playbill?

Also my Lion King one is a Playbill...when it was at the New Amsterdam, it was Showbill. Why doesn't Disney use Showbill for TLK and BatB? Is it perhaps a New Amsterdam thing?

[Julian2]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 1:40am

Its because they own the theatre, that's the only reason they're allowed to do it.

[mallardo]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 3:06am

It can't be just a Disney thing. "42nd Street" used Showbill.

[MaronaDavies]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 3:49am

It's not a Disney thing at all, no. The New Victory also used Showbills their first season, and there have been other places that have used them too. The difference is the (lack of) advertising and the cost to the production, as far as I know.

For what it's worth, Disney does NOT own the New Amsterdam. They just have a very long lease.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 3:59am

People here are throwing around facts that are just not true.

SHOWBILL and PLAYBILL are the same company. The same people run them. They are owned by the same people.

The difference is that SHOWBILLS are more expensive. They do not contain the articles that all the Playbills contain. They only contain a few articles pertaining to the show you are actually seeing. There is some advertising, but it's limited.

Disney isn't the only company to use SHOWBILLS.

RAGTIME and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR also used Showbills.

It has nothing to do with copyright. They're the same company.

[Tom148502]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 11:29am

More useless trivia:

My program for the original production of SWEET CHARITY at the Palace Theatre was title "STAGE." Stage Magazine was a publication of the Palace Theatre.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 11:37am

Yes. And, eary in the run, CABARET and THE LION KING used "Stagebill."