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The New Playbill.com

The New Playbill.com

Taryn Profile Photo
Taryn
#1The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 10:20am

Their much overdue website redesign launched today.  I, for one, think it's looking pretty sleek!  Definitely an improvement.  I've just glanced over things, though.

Fosse76
#2The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 2:26pm

The non-moving Playbill banner irritates me, it's too big. When you scroll down the page, it should move off the screen. I hate that it's static.

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ClydeBarrow
#3The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 2:28pm

Does anyone know where the job boards disappeared to? I can't find them anywhere. 


"Pardon my prior Mcfee slip. I know how to spell her name. I just don't know how to type it." -Talulah

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LizzieCurry
#4The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 2:30pm

Aaaaand PlaybillVault just switched over and is BORKED.

 

Example: http://www.playbillvault.com/Show/Detail/4178/The-Secret-Garden


"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt

BroadwayConcierge Profile Photo
BroadwayConcierge
#5The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 2:31pm

I think the new font is ugly/messy and the Vault was perfect just the way it was. Now it is a mess. Welp.

ACL2006 Profile Photo
ACL2006
#6The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 2:35pm

don't care for the redesigned Vault. Agreed that it was fine the way it was.


A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.

Taryn Profile Photo
Taryn
#7The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 2:52pm

Fosse76 said: "The non-moving Playbill banner irritates me, it's too big. When you scroll down the page, it should move off the screen. I hate that it's static.

The banner does shrink for me when you scroll down.  Maybe it's a browser issue going on.

toofunktastic2
#8The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 2:57pm

I'm not really fond of the changes to the vault (at least from what I can see since currently nothing's loaded), and that's what I've primarily used on Playbill.

Mr Roxy Profile Photo
Mr Roxy
#9The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 3:01pm

It is like going into a store you haven't been to in awhile only to find everything has been moved around. Newer is not always better. 


Poster Emeritus

Patash Profile Photo
Patash
#10The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 3:02pm

I went to it to look at seating charts, but didn't know the theatre for the shows I wanted.  On the old site they listed the current show next to the theatre.  Now they don't, so had to leave and go look up the theatres and come back to site. 

It all seems way too large in font and covering the screen.  Like it's designed for elementary school students.

 

BroadwayConcierge Profile Photo
BroadwayConcierge
#11The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 3:05pm

I think I understand the concept of what they were going for, with the fresher look and the contemporary trend of long, scrolly pages (and a font that isn't Tahoma/Verdana/whatever they used to use). But I think they dropped the ball on understanding what users actually go to Playbill.com for—news and information, not for edgy, fun stuff. The redesign of the Vault is what I most condemn because I thought the old Vault was actually gorgeous.

 

#BringBackTheOldPlaybill

tazber Profile Photo
tazber
#12The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 3:10pm

It's so busy and crowded.

 

And that news box in the corner is annoying as hell.

 

I don't like it.

 

It will have to grow on me. It's not we have a choice, right?


....but the world goes 'round

lunch
#13The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 3:10pm

Nice improvement.

But a few glitches out of the gate.  Earlier today this article: http://www.playbill.com/article/watch-renee-elise-goldsberry-discuss-hamilton-grammy-performance

consistently referred to Goldsberry as playing, "Eliza Schuyler."

tazber Profile Photo
tazber
#14The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 3:18pm

I will say that once you get off of the home page it's much better.

 

I like the way the news stories are presented under the NEWS tab.

 

Clyde, there is a JOBS tab under the PLAYBILL masthead.


....but the world goes 'round

LizzieCurry Profile Photo
LizzieCurry
#15The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 3:19pm

lunch said: "Nice improvement.

 

But a few glitches out of the gate.  Earlier today this article: http://www.playbill.com/article/watch-renee-elise-goldsberry-discuss-hamilton-grammy-performance consistently referred to Goldsberry as playing, "Eliza Schuyler.""

 

Mistakes like that are certainly not unique to the new version of the site.


"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt

bfreak
#16The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 3:21pm

This sucks. I don't like the playbill design, and there is nothing on playbil vault when you try and go to it. Sorry to whine, but it's annoying.

neonlightsxo
#17The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 3:26pm

PlaybillVault looks much worse with the new design. They should have left the Vault as it was.

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CATSNYrevival
#18The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 3:29pm

The new website essentially eliminates the need for a second playbill vault website. It seems to be the same website now just with different names. The digital playbills have been integrated into the show pages on the main playbill site.

lunch
#19The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 3:38pm

LizzieCurry said: Mistakes like that are certainly not unique to the new version of the site.

True

 

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CindersGolightly
#20The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 3:45pm

I'm going to start using IBDB instead of PlaybillVault now - I hate the new design. Hate it.


They/them. "Get up the nerve to be all you deserve to be."

Mildred Plotka Profile Photo
Mildred Plotka
#21The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 3:52pm

Hate it!  Playbill.com was the first site I ever visited when I first started internetting in the mid-ish 90's.  There was something comforting about their layout and the small design changes throughout the years never compromised that much.

 

Many of their articles have also been driving me batty over the past year, as well. A large amount of it seems to be written now by gleefully ignorant teenagers with no perspective on the history of Broadway.  Some of their top ten lists or whatever they are are creditworthy.  There also seems to be a 6 degrees of Hamilton slant there currently, as well.  Regardless of your opinion on Hamilton, it's just overkill and seems to be designed to get people to click and produce more advertising revenue.  I'm expecting a clock on Lin Manuel-Miranda's farts next.


"Broadway...I'll lick you yet!"
Updated On: 2/23/16 at 03:52 PM

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Cupid Boy2
#22The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 3:59pm

I really wish they could have left at least the PlaybillVault untouched. The new layout puts too much of an emphasis on photos and videos when a lot of us are far more interested in information. One feature I especially miss on the new PlaybillVault is the list of all of the productions a show has received that used to be on the right side of its page. 

Updated On: 2/23/16 at 03:59 PM

LizzieCurry Profile Photo
LizzieCurry
#23The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 4:00pm

Having a separate PlaybillVault was very handy -- I could ignore most of the news/"news" articles and just look for the info I really wanted.


"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt

VintageSnarker
#24The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 4:02pm

Oh, God no. Now it's just as messy as every other site.

MarkBearSF Profile Photo
MarkBearSF
#25The New Playbill.com
Posted: 2/23/16 at 4:20pm

Not a fan. 

However, I'm looking at it from a computer browser. I imagine this design was optimized for mobile but usable on both.

For my tastes, everything is too big, and I miss having the links I used (Upcoming Shows, Seth, Seating Charts, Playbill Club) easily accessible. Now I need to go to the "hamburger" submenu, which is not as convenient. But I'll get used to it.

 

Updated On: 2/23/16 at 04:20 PM


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