Let's talk merch. — Page 2

i collect show shirts. so i always buy one.
and have started to always buy window cards as well, as i like to frame them and have them signed also. =)
if i really am loving a show, i'll get the program also.

but sometimes i go nuts if i'm obsessed. like at jersey boys and spring awakening. theatre splurges happen, it's okay.

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Speaking of soft shirts, I love the gray logo shirt at Spring Awakening. It is the most comfortable shirt I own. I bought the cast recording at the show, knowing full well I could get it cheaper at a store. But I knew I wouldn't be going into a music store while in NYC and we have a severe lack of musical cd options in my town.

I was pretty happy with the shirts option at Les Miserables, also. When I saw the tour in 2001 they had this ugly gray shirt with Cosette's face taking up the whole front. I thought it was tacky looking. I like the one I got this year better. The black shirt with a smaller version of Cosette, the French colors, and the NYC skyline. To me, it doubles as a Les Mis and a New York souvineer.

I take it that all of you folks who regularly buy tons of this stuff don't live in Manhattan?

I hardly have enough room to keep my Playbills in my apartment, let alone anything else that is not for daily purposeful use.

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Usually a souvenir program, but that's only if I really love the show. Other than that, nothing. I could care less if I walked around wearing a show logo or a catchphrase. (Though I was tempted to buy the Great Big Stuff t-shirt at DRS. Didn't have enough money, plus I only would have worn it once.)

I have the killer rabbit from Spamalot, his name is Monty. I have an umbrella from Wicked. I wanted the umbrella from Spamalot but my mom couldn't find it anywhere. I also have Bruiser from Legally Blonde and the green monkey from Wicked.

I tend to collect the stuffed animals and name them after characters, actors, or nicknames for characters. My monkey is named Chistery, my other monkey from Drowsy Chaperone is named Bob Martin (well, that can go either actor or character. But I meant actor.), and my cow from Rent is named Pookie.

I buy a shirt from every show I go to pretty much. I buy the programs every once in a while, but I usually see shows before they make the progams.

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Depends on the show. When I was in high school and came up with a group on a study tour (saw ACL, Starlight, Les Mis, and The Fantasticks) and then I bought the programs for every show where they were offered. Now I'm a lot pickier. When I saw Wicked the first time ~ the ticket was a birthday present from my parents ~ I bought myself (as a belated present) the Elphaba necklace and earrings set (I've since lost the earrings...still have and sometimes wear the necklace).

Since I've been in NYC though, I haven't bought a lot. I bought (though not at the show cause they didn't do the at show merchandising) the window card for The Vertical Hour which is signed by the whole cast and will be framed at my next paycheck. And the last time I saw Spelling Bee I bought the "Can you please use that in a sentence?" t-shirt because really, what teacher doesn't need that? But I'm now very picky about what I buy.

I do have signed playbills from every time I saw TVH (10), from Grey Gardens, from A Moon For the Misbegotten, and from The Year of Magical Thinking. Those are getting frames as well. Though gradually.

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Updated On: 4/10/07 at 01:49 PM

I try not to buy merchandise, because I'm a horrible little packrat of a person who loooooves to get complete sets of things. If I buy one of those shiny lovely souvenir brochures for one show, I have to buy them for every show, and I spent enough on the damn tickets, frankly. It's a pretty easy MO to stick to here in the UK, because I have to pay out money for a prograame, but sometimes my Playbills look a little sad next to my programmes.

However, I'm a sucker for a cool t-shirt, especially if it's a show not around in the UK. I don't necessarily like the show logo stuff so much, but I love my I-L-O-V-E shirt to pieces, and I thought my 'Wicked' baseball tees were pretty awesome until the West End transfer. (I still like them and wear them, I just won't take them within thirty miles of London now. ^_^) Although sometimes I will like a show logo shirt. My favourite and my best is my 'Sweeney Todd' one. Also I'd really really really love a 'Spring Awakening' logo babydoll, but BroadwayNewYork.com won't ship internationally, and eBay and Dress Circle just plain don't have 'em. I really really wish I'd decided to buy one while I was actually, y'know, IN New York, as opposed to a week later. XD

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One show I totally slurged at was Grey Gardens. So much good stuff! And I made sure to buy a window card for each show I saw in NY.

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"Yeah, I shelled out 25.00 for a WEDDING SINGER program at the Marquis Theater Store."

That is INSANE!! I got mine for $15 at the Circle Theatre or Theatre Circle store, whatever it's called. And this was AFTER the show had closed.

I basically do playbills, magnets, shirts, and programes signed by the OBC if they are available. Plus I have considered doing window cards, but I have no idea what to do with them! Suggestions welcomed. Haha.

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Updated On: 8/5/07 at 01:59 PM

I always get a t-shirt. When I don't have to wear my work clothes (ie., plain button up blouses and slacks as I work in an office) then a show shirt is what I have on.

Updated On: 8/5/07 at 04:16 PM

I used to buy t-shirts every show I go went to, but then I realized that I never wore them, so I've stopped that. I still like my "GREAT BIG STUFF" shirt cause it goes with a dress shirt that I allready had, and I like the Wicked shirt featuring the "defying gravity tour" list on the back. I also have a Phantom sweatshirt that glows in the dark, and I will definatley be buying one of those cool Xanadu t-shirts! I absolutely love getting window cards and getting them signed by the cast. I usually frame them and hang them up around the house. Programs are nice too.

Updated On: 8/5/07 at 04:37 PM

shiz_student94, yes, they are selling the Legally Blonde souvenir program (w/ white drawstring bag) at the theatre.