Off-Broadway Playbill Question

[Razz77]

Posted: 12/8/04 at 7:19pm

Does anyone know why some off-broadway shows have PLAYBILLS and some just have programs? I would think there would be some kind of reason for this. I know the shows at Dodger Stages use Playbills, as does the York Theatre Co -- and I would assume MTC and Roundabout's off-broadway houses use playbill. However, when I saw "Bug" recently and "Sarah Jones Bridge and Tunnel", there were just regular playbills.

A random question, I know.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 12/8/04 at 7:25pm

Playbills are rather expensive (especially color ones), so for off-Broadway shows that are trying to keep down weekly running costs (as well as all off-off-Broadway shows), they'll often go with a less expensive program service (or simply xerox their own).

[Swiftynifty15]

Posted: 12/9/04 at 9:16pm

Do all Broadway Shows have to have Playbills?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 12/9/04 at 9:18pm

Disney has their own programs for their shows, I believe, but everyone else subscribes to Playbill.

[Swiftynifty15]

Posted: 12/9/04 at 9:18pm

Disney still uses a Playbillformat.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 12/9/04 at 9:26pm

I know The Lion King didn't at one point.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 12/9/04 at 9:32pm

Yes. The Lion King had "Stagebill"

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 12/9/04 at 9:40pm

Back in the Cabaret days, they switched to Stagebills, but then they switched back to Playbills. Never could figure out why.

[Swiftynifty15]

Posted: 12/9/04 at 9:43pm

I mean Lion King uses a Showbill but isn't it made by Playbill?

[timote316]

Posted: 12/9/04 at 10:48pm

My friend and I went hunting for Playbills one day: Aida gave us Playbills, Lion King gave Showbills. The Showbills were exactly the same (same ads and everything), except slightly bigger.

And yes, it was made by Playbill

[jmaclover]

Posted: 12/9/04 at 10:52pm

Just like Dreamworks is Disney...

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 12/10/04 at 3:42am

Yes, THE LION KING and 42ND STREET use ShowBills - they're the same as playbills, except they don't have any of the articles in them - they only have articles about that show in them.

What someone said was that THE LION KING (when it first opened) and CABARET used to use Stage Bills, which look NOTHING like playbills - I have them each from those shows, and they are a bit strange.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 7:30pm

42nd street uses playbill...

[Swiftynifty15]

Posted: 12/24/04 at 7:46am

42nd Street uses another format because they are at the Ford Center. So there Playbill's probably don't advertise for like Lexus and Disney Has articles about Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and dud have Aids

[Razz77]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 12:25am

Thought I would pull this thread up rather than start a new one -- what are off-broadway shows doing now as far as playbills? I saw "Souvenir", "White Chocolate", and "The Baltimore Waltz" recently and they all had Playbills...does anyone know what shows like A Number, Spelling Bee, and HurlyBurly are using?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 12:31am

Spelling Bee is using Playbill.
A Number is using New York Theatre Workshop's standard program (a nice, but inexpensive pamphlet listing production bios and theatre sponsors and donors -- about 20 pages with no ads or articles).

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 12:47am

Showbill and Playbill are by the same company, it just depends on the car ads (I believe Ford sponsers Showbill and Cadillac sponsers Playbill)