National Tour Playbills

[spicegirlsaloud]

Posted: 10/24/11 at 4:22am

Just out of curiosity I was wondering which cities/theatres use the standard playbill with the yellow playbill banner at the top for national tours

so far I know of
- The Pantages in Los Angeles
- The Orpheum Theatre and The Curran in San Francisco
- Most Chicago Theatres
- Hobby Center and Theatre under the Stars in Houston
- ASU Gammage in Tempe


Does anyone know of others that use it?

[AvenueQResident]

Posted: 10/24/11 at 8:01am

I'm pretty sure the Civic Theatre in San Diego does them.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/24/11 at 8:28am

In Florida:

Broward Center for the Performing Arts (Fort Lauderdale)
Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Arsht Center (Miami)
Kravis Center (West Palm Beach)
Tampa Bay Center for the Performing Arts

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 10/24/11 at 8:46am

Most shows at Music Hall at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas.

[never_has_been]

Posted: 10/24/11 at 8:50am

THe Aronoff Center in Cincinnati Ohio
The Murat Theatre Indianapolis Indiana
Oriental Theatre, Bank of America Theatre, Cadillac Theatres in Chicago

I guess I had always thought it had something to do with whether or not a tour was Equity, but I suppose I have been wrong to think that. With the exception of Legally Blonde at the Schuster Center in Dayton Ohio, all of the non-Playbill programs I have are from small theatres in Indiana that do not host any Equity shows. Is there any correlation at all to Equity?

[AlfieByrne]

Posted: 10/24/11 at 10:09am

I've seen Non-Equity Cats tour with Playbills, so I'm guessing that the Equity status has nothing to do with it.

[rorschach37]

Posted: 10/24/11 at 11:52am

The Hippodrome in Baltimore

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/24/11 at 11:56am

I know you asked which places use them but I will give you a place that doesn't. The Denver Center gives patrons an Applause magazine at each show.

[gschuber]

Posted: 10/24/11 at 2:38pm

--The National Theatre in Washington, DC
--Jersey Boys and Phantom in Vegas (don't remember the names of the hotels where they are playing, but I got Playbills at each)

I know you didn't ask this, but The Kennedy Center gives Playbills (printed by the Playbill company), but they are not the standard with the yellow banner. They have the playbill logo in a box on the corner and usually either the logo of the production or a photo of a performance.

Ford's Theatre used to give them a couple of years ago, but stopped when they remodeled.

I wish Playbill would list the theaters which use their magazine (including off-broadway).

[spicegirlsaloud]

Posted: 10/24/11 at 2:40pm

The Opera House in Boston uses them

Theatres in Toronto do not. Mirvish theatres use "Programme" and Dancap theatres use "Dancap Experience Magazine"


Wondering if anyone knows if these theatres use it

- The Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas
- The Opera House in Detroit Updated On: 10/24/11 at 02:40 PM

[dragonlp86]

Posted: 10/24/11 at 6:34pm

The Mahalia Jackson in New Orleans does.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 10/24/11 at 6:51pm

The use of Playbill for a touring house's program printing has nothing to do with union status. Playbill is a printing company/publisher. Touring houses may choose to have their programs printed by them, may do it in house on their own, or may contract with another company.

Tours will send their program info to each venue as part of their advance package. The local presenters will then send that info to whichever company they have contracted with to print their programs.

[spicegirlsaloud]

Posted: 10/25/11 at 2:06am

Someone had told me that the Aronoff Center in Cincinnati doesn't use them. Does anyone know for sure?

[philly03]

Posted: 10/25/11 at 2:40am

Forrest Theatre in Philly does, but the Academy of Music (where most tours do) does not.

TBPAC/Straz Center does not use playbills, unless they had different things for WONDERLAND both years, as well as the tours that were also printed in the programs for those months.

I think that the touring houses owned/operated by the NYC theatre owners... For example the Forrest is owned/operated by the Shuberts.

Also: The Walnut Street Theatre uses normal playbills, as does the Alley Theatre in Houston, but for WONDERLAND they also had a small box at the bottom corner that said "PLAYBILL" in the typical font.

[My Oh My]

Posted: 10/25/11 at 3:34am

For years and years all theatres in Los Angeles gave out Performing Arts magazines. They were the size of Playbills in the 70's and 80's. Then they were standard sized magazines until they switched to the current Playbills.

[never_has_been]

Posted: 10/25/11 at 7:37am

My program from Avenue Q at the Aronoff Center is indeed Playbill. It is from spring 2009, so it is possible that it may have changed since then.

[staunchcharacter]

Posted: 10/25/11 at 9:36pm

Meyerson in Dallas does the little yellow playbill box thing. The Majestic and the Music Hall in Dallas use full regular playbills.

[spicegirlsaloud]

Posted: 11/13/11 at 2:44pm

Went to see Wicked at the Aronoff Center. They do use them

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 11/13/11 at 3:31pm

My Oh My -
I think you're a bit off on the Performing Arts magazines. All the ones I have from about pre-1988 are the magazine sized ones, and then post 1988 are regular Playbill sized.

[gypsy4]

Posted: 11/13/11 at 3:39pm

this is the format that my Local Venue uses I've always liked it!
Playbill

[gypsy4]

Posted: 11/13/11 at 3:40pm

this is the format that my Local Venue uses I've always liked it!
Playbill

[flyinghighwithwicked]

Posted: 11/13/11 at 4:08pm

Opera House in Detroit does not. It is called "Playgoer"

[spicegirlsaloud]

Posted: 12/14/11 at 6:00pm

Does anyone know if the Plaza Theatre in El Paso Texas uses playbills?

[SweeneyPhanatic]

Posted: 12/14/11 at 8:04pm

The Fox Theatre in Atlanta uses a local publication called "Encore Atlanta." It usually has an artsy photo of some part of the Fox on the cover, but the last two times Phantom came through it featured a show-specific cover. I believe the cover in 2005 featured the shattered logo and a big mask, and in 2009, the normal small mask in the corner of blackness. [end details nobody asked for]

Their website, where you can see how the cover varies by venue.

Updated On: 12/14/11 at 08:04 PM

[willep]

Posted: 12/14/11 at 10:07pm

Does anyone know if the Plaza Theatre in El Paso Texas uses playbills?

I am 99% sure that they do not.