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Are Playbills...always black and white?

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#1

Are Playbills...always black and white?

Posted: 7/24/05 at 11:05am

I've seen 4 shows this week and only Avenue Q has been in color. Last time I was here all of the playbills were in color (Wicked, Avenue Q and I Love You...) Have all of these always been in black and white or are they trying to save money?
"If it walks like a Parks, if it wobbles like a Parks, then it's definitely fat and nobody loves it." --MA
#3

re: Are Playbills...always black and white?

Posted: 7/24/05 at 11:15am

Well, what shows did you see? I know Sweet Charity did a black and white playbill...I'm sure there are others.
(Usually the box office hits are in color)

and by the way Parks, I LOVE your signature. Funniest line in the movie by far.

Updated On: 7/24/05 at 11:15 AM

#7

re: Are Playbills...always black and white?

Posted: 7/24/05 at 11:27am

Some shows begin with color playbill, but later when they remake new copy when they run out of old, it is black and white.

Like my Fiddler on the roof, the first time I saw it, the playbill is colorful. The second time I saw, it became black and white.

I think they tried to save money.

Updated On: 7/24/05 at 11:27 AM

#8

re: Are Playbills...always black and white?

Posted: 7/24/05 at 11:32am

Wicked's playbill is still in color, I think.
http://www.beintheheights.com/katnicole1 (Please click and help me win!) I chose, and my world was shaken- So what?
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#9

re: Are Playbills...always black and white?

Posted: 7/24/05 at 11:39am

Out of my small pile from this season, Woolf, Spamalot, Piazza and Pillowman were all in color. Doubt was the only one in black and white.
"WHEN is the winter of our discontent?" "NOW is the winter of our discontent!" Visit My Blog
#10

re: Are Playbills...always black and white?

Posted: 7/24/05 at 11:39am

Well, I'm in my bedroom where I have playbills hung all over my wall, so I'll list all in black and white and all in color, and I suppose like some others said it may depend on when I saw the show, but here's what I got:

Black and white-Les Miz, The Full Monty, Take Me Out, Cabaret, Rent, Fiddler, Forbidden Broadway, Chicago, The Producers, Phantom of the Opera, La Cage, Little Women, Musical of Musicals: The Musical, Sweet Charity, Altar Boyz, Brooklyn, Jewtopia

Color-Aida, Flower Drum Song, Wicked, Fame on 42nd Street, Avenue Q, Hairspray, The Lion King, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Light In the Piazza, Spelling Bee, Dessa Rose, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Spamalot

"If there was a Mount Rushmore for Broadway scores, "West Side Story" would be front and center. It snaps, it crackles it pops! It surges with a roar, its energy and sheer life undiminished by the years" - NYPost reviewer Elisabeth Vincentelli
#11

re: Are Playbills...always black and white?

Posted: 7/24/05 at 12:09pm

It isn't just neccessarily b&w and then colour. Colour comes in ranges. Most printing companies have4 colour, 16 colour, 254 colour options etc. (Obviously the more colours the more expensive it is to print), so there will be a difference in price between "Avenue Q" which only use a couple of colours (two in fact - black and orange), to that of say "Hairspray" or "Spamalot" which use multiple colours in various shades.
#13

re: Are Playbills...always black and white?

Posted: 7/24/05 at 2:09pm

Okay kids. When a show first begins previews and for several weeks after the opening, a show gives out colored Playbills. When the show has been running a month or less, to save money, they begin having their Playbills printed in black and white to conserve costs. Shows that are making a lot of money, such as the Big W, tend to keep having theirs printed with the colored cover. Those shows can afford to put a little more money in to their's.
#18

re: Are Playbills...always black and white?

Posted: 7/24/05 at 2:25pm

Doubt had a black & white Playbill cover Off-Broadway, but the Broadway cover is still color.
"Gif me the cobra jool!"
#19

re: Are Playbills...always black and white?

Posted: 7/24/05 at 2:26pm

OK - I was gonna say.

The show has been selling out.

Carrie, in previews, was B&W. Opening night was color. Don't know about the rest.

Aida was in color. Then even had Deborah cox, as herself, on the cover.

Dracula was in colo during Previews. B&W after.

Producers used to have Matthew and Nathan on the cover. (Most old playbills had the actors or the lead.)

Les Miz 10th Ann and Final show were in color.
Mama Korey

The Beauty Is: Kelli O'Hara Online

#21

re: Are Playbills...always black and white?

Posted: 7/24/05 at 3:38pm

to add to the "many shows begin in color and then in order to save money, print in b&w," rent was originally in color also.
#22

re: Are Playbills...always black and white?

Posted: 7/24/05 at 3:39pm

actually, that makes a lot of sense. I saw DRS 6 times(hehe) and have 5 color playbills but the last time I went it was b&w. I thought it was cool to have a different one, but that would explain it. The Lion King is still in color, and my Aida playbill I got in...2003 I believe and that was in color. The rest I suppose are still fairly new.
"If there was a Mount Rushmore for Broadway scores, "West Side Story" would be front and center. It snaps, it crackles it pops! It surges with a roar, its energy and sheer life undiminished by the years" - NYPost reviewer Elisabeth Vincentelli
#23

re: Are Playbills...always black and white?

Posted: 7/24/05 at 3:40pm

When we saw DOTV, we got the standard B/W one but as I was leaving I saw some in color by the aisle seat in the last row so I took one

I also remeber the tri color ones of years gone by. I also have a color one from Episode 1 of Warp. #2 & # 3 never made it as # 1 was roasted by the critics & went into hyperspace never to be heard from again
Poster Emeritus

Updated On: 7/24/05 at 03:40 PM

#24

re: Are Playbills...always black and white?

Posted: 7/24/05 at 3:41pm

i remember les mis used to do the colors all crazy for certain anniversaries and special dates. that was fun :)

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