NY shop selling playbills

Nope. For obvious reasons, there has never been a store in NYC that 'sells Playbills for Broadway shows.

Playbills are given free -- they are not 'for sale' Any theatre will provide you with a complimentary copy just for the asking and yes... that would mean you would have to walk to each theatre in order to do this, you lazy f**k.

A lot of bullies on this board. But at least this one replied before calling me a "lazy f**k".

Wow I didn't know they will just give you a playbill if you simply ask. That's awesome! I assume you would just ask at the box office?

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I thought this thread title said 'stop' and I thought Playbill was ending! Perish the thought.

Box offices will not always hand out playbills. If you wait until a show is letting out you can walk in and grab one while everyone is leaving, though.

Is there a store that sells OLD playbills?

'Cause I just don't need that one to Nefertiti anymore...

I've found it difficult before a show to walk up and get a Playbill if I don't have a ticket, but sometimes if you wait by the stage door you can ask one of the stars to grab you one.

Most recently this worked for me with Ricky Martin, who not only got me a Playbill, but autographed it and gave me a kiss on the cheek for asking.

BroadwayMan5,

Don't let anyone bully you. There IS a place in New York you can buy Playbills, in fact there are two.

The first is the famous sidewalk book sellers that are located between 72nd and 73rd Streets on Broadway. They have 3 or 4 boxes FILLED with them and you can sort through them as long as you'd like. Some old and super vintage, and some from shows that are running on Broadway right now. He sells them for $1 a piece. I found a Cats playbill here last week signed by Laurie Beechman.

The second is another sidewalk book seller on Columbus Avenue in the West 60's near the ABC Studios. This seller has two crates of playbills that are mainly from the 1940s - 1980s. I found an original Pippin playbill here and an Ethel Merman Gypsy one. He sells them for $3 a piece. Also has a huge collection of old Life magazines for $10, I bought the one that featured Gwen Verson on the cover advertising Damn Yankees.

Both sellers are there every single day. If you don't see the crates of Playbills just ask and they will pull them out for you. I'm sure it's okay to purchase from these sellers as they have been operating for years and would have been noticed and shut down by now if they were illegal.

A great example of one man's junk is another man's treasure.
Hope this helps.

Updated On: 4/19/12 at 01:18 PM

Thanks a lot for the help downstagecenter.

Musicman_bwayfan

You had to bring up a thread from 2012?

You have posted this in at least 7 threads. Why?

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When I was in the city the other day before Matilda, i walked down to Kinky Boot's theatre with every intention of purchasing a full size program and was hoping I could snag a Playbill while doing so. I asked the lady at the box office and she said the merch booth was closed, but she checked around the office for a Playbill and didn't have any. But she said she would have given it to me if she had.

But it all worked out in the end---I got a program at One Shubert Alley and picked up a Kinky Boots Playbill that someone had aimed for the garbage can with but didn't make it. And its in pretty good conditon.

I also tried to get a Jekyll & Hyde Playbill at the Maquis this spring. The ushers were standing the lobby holding them, and I asked nicely, but the lady said no.

And a couple of months ago, I was with my dad while he purchased tickets to Once. I wouldn't get to see the show so I asked for a Playbill. They gave me two, complete with At this Performance slips. Mind you, my dad had just dropped $250 to buy tickets.