PLAYBILL

'''Playbill''' is a monthly U.S. magazine for theatregoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most Playbills are printed for particular shows. Articles within the Playbills change monthly to reflect new shows and artists performing in plays, musicals or special attractions. Playbills also contain a cast list, cast photos, cast biographies, song lists and who performs the songs (if a musical), and a list of scenes for a particular show.
Playbill was first printed in 1884 for a single theatre on 21st St. The publication is now used for nearly every Broadway show, as well as many off-Broadway productions. Outside New York, Playbill is used at theatres throughout the United States, including in Boston; Chicago; Cincinnati; Columbus, OH; Dallas; Houston; Indianapolis; Miami; Minneapolis; Philadelphia; Phoenix; St. Louis; San Diego; San Francisco; and Washington, DC. Circulation is currently just below 4,000,000, comparable to magazines such as Time.
In 2006, Playbill began releasing records on Playbill Records, an imprint of SonyBMG. Releases included Brian Stokes Mitchell's eponymous solo CD and two compilations of showtunes: Scene Stealers, The Men and Scene Stealers, The Women.
Many Playbills are considered collectors items, especially if signed by a performer in the show. On the opening night of a Broadway show, Playbills are stamped with a seal on the cover. The opening night date appears on the title page within the magazine. Special "Opening Night" Playbills can also be purchased on the Playbill website. These are sealed in a bag and have an "Opening Night" seal on the front page.
Playbill also operates www.Playbill.com, a free internet news service which offers breaking news about the theatre industry, focusing on New York shows but including regional, touring and international stage happenings. It is read by show fans and theatre practitioners alike, and is updated as news happens.

Contents

Competition with Stagebill

External links

Competition with Stagebill

Playbill competes with a similar publication called Stagebill. For decades Playbill concentrated on legitimate Broadway and off-Broadway theaters, while Stagebill focused on concerts, opera, and dance in venues such as Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.[1] This "truce" was broken when Disney contracted Stagebill for their musical The Lion King at their newly-owned New Amsterdam Theatre. The main point of contention was control over advertising content: Playbill itself is distributed free to theaters, relying on advertising revenue that is completely under its authority. The Ford Center for the Performing Arts also commissioned Stagebill for their inaugural production of Ragtime, presumably to keep out other automakers ads.[2]
In response, Playbill began to produce Showbill, a sister publication that allows greater advertising control for the show's producers, for a fee.[3] Disney began using Showbill for The Lion King late in its run at the New Amsterdam; when it moved to the Minskoff Theatre, which it does not own, it was obligated to use Playbills, as are other Disney productions at other theaters.[4] In another circumstance, the producers of the Broadway revival of ''Cabaret'' wished to keep the atmosphere of a sleazy nightclub at its Studio 54 venue, and insisted on handing out Playbills ''after'' the performance. Playbill, sensing missed exposure for its advertisers, instead offered the show's producers Showbill instead.[5]

External links

★ Official website of ''Playbill'' magazine