What is the difference between black and white & color playbills? I just started getting serious about collecting playbills and I am not sure if there is some significance between the different covers. Can some people share their knowledge on this subject matter? Thanks
Rich
Cost?
When the show first opens they're in color, but after a little while they usually go to black in white to save money.
About a buck per playbill, I would say.
Why do some shows have different designs for their playbills? Like Chitty has one that's just a white background, then another that has clouds.
Yeah--color printing is REALLY expensive.
if a show starts to lose moeny, the color of the playbill is sometimes the first to go. black and white is cheaper.
And some shows are NEVER in color.
the phantom of the opera...haha.
I thought that it was, in the very beginning. I could have sworn the OBC had a red rose in addition to the mask...
i think you're right, I have feel like I have seen some with the rose or maybe it was just the poster?
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/9/04
I know WICKED and AVE Q are still color.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/21/05
I never understood why it went to black & white though. I mean, only the show's logo is in black & white while the rest of the magazine is still in color. I can't imagine it would cost that much more. I used to think it was an artistic decision because the show was on Broadway, to distinguish it. I know it's cost-related, I just can't imagine that it would cost so much more.
Featured Actor Joined: 10/4/05
That's because the cover is by the show and the inside is the actual magazine. Color covers are really expensive and usually a show has color when it opens and after 6 months to a year will switch to b&w to save costs. The exceptions are event shows or shows with smaller houses. Think how disappointing it would be, for example, to get a Wicked PLaybill WITHOUT the green on it? Q's color scheme is really kind of the same. It's such a colorful show...and also it's running costs are low enough that the producers can shill out the few bucks. So why not?
I know someone in printing and they said when the rest of the magazine is in color, a color cover isn’t THAT much more expensive when their ordered in as large quantity as playbill prints. They said it would be about 15-30 cents more depending on the number of colors in the logo. Shows like Q with only 1 color are cheaper than Chitty or Scoundrles which have many colors.
I dont think it is a cost issue. As they print the yellow Playbill screen even when they are black and white. Some shows go back to color later in a run.. it may come with major cast changes... I am really unsure of this.
Unles a show's one color logo is Cyan, Magenta, Yellow or black... it will cost the same as full color to mix the custom pantone color match.
or when they decide their current logo sucks.
Like the original Lennon one.
"I dont think it is a cost issue. "
Yes, it absolutely IS.
Really because my contract with Playbill has no verbage about color relating to the cost. Maybe yours is different.
When I went to Wicked last Sunday, the Playbill was still in color.
well theoretically shows like wicked and q could actually use special screening (god knows wicked can afford it) so that its still 3 color passes (pink, green, and black) as opposed to the standard 4 (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) which would cut down on costs.
as opposed to say... chitty which would require the 4 color process to pull off the look
I have not seen a NYC Off-Broadway production before and was wandering for shows like SWIWS if you get a playbill or not? And if so is it in color or black and white?
Understudy Joined: 8/9/05
Pink Green and Black would not allow the yellow for the Playbill Logo.
Well, I guess if the show is making a large profit it jsut stays in color. Hairspray, Lion King, Wicked, Piazza, Spelling Bee.
Some have a lot of color, others don't.
Did I see an ASU in b/w. I thought I did, I have the color one and saw it a month or so before it closed.
MackieManiac- oh duh i forgot that, for some reason in the back of my head i thought that "playbill" part was preprinted
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