Are Playbills...always black and white?

[Parks]

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?

[ljay889]

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

Parks is mad at me..

[Unknown User]

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

[Katecab99]

Posted: 7/24/05 at 11:21am

it depends...i'm know some shows stay in color, but some are only in color on opening night.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/24/05 at 11:23am

why is that cutie parks mad at you?

[Plum]

Posted: 7/24/05 at 11:23am

I haven't gotten a single black-and-white Playbill this season, but I have seen some of them in the ushers' piles on the floor.

[sanda]

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

[dancingthrulife04]

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

Wicked's playbill is still in color, I think.

[Liz_Bennet]

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.

[wickedrentq]

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

[Urban]

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.

[gavrochegirl]

Posted: 7/24/05 at 2:03pm

Well, when I went to RENT, Wicked, and Les Miz here in California, all of them were in color.

[PJ]

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.

[Thenardier]

Posted: 7/24/05 at 2:16pm

Is Wicked in B&W now?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/24/05 at 2:16pm

I didnt think it was yet, Thenard.

[gavrochegirl]

Posted: 7/24/05 at 2:17pm

BSO- I went to the national tour in L.A....tis' in color.

[PJ]

Posted: 7/24/05 at 2:21pm

Wicked in NY is still in color, too.

[magruder]

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

Doubt had a black & white Playbill cover Off-Broadway, but the Broadway cover is still color.

[Thenardier]

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.

[Liz_Bennet]

Posted: 7/24/05 at 3:22pm

magruder- I got a black and white Doubt playbill two weeks ago...

[kitkatgirl54]

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.

[wickedrentq]

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.

[Mr Roxy]

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

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

[kitkatgirl54]

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 :)

[Thenardier]

Posted: 7/24/05 at 3:42pm

DRS is in b&w now?

How sad!