Why are some Playbills Black and White Instead of Colour?

[Lumiere2]

Posted: 5/1/17 at 2:32pm

Hi. I'm a fan from Canada who just came back from a weeklong trip to see plays in NYC this past week.

I have a collection of Playbills and always wondered - why are some playbills for certain shows only in black and white? I'm not talking about shows whose logos are black and white, but shows with color logos that hand our playbills that are.

For example, I went to see Chicago and The Little Foxes this week, and while both posters are in color, the playbill covers were only in black and white.

It can't be to save on printing costs because the Playbill banner is yellow, and the advertising on the back is always in full color. And it can't be because of a rotating cast (if it's the original or not) because I've had this problem with both original and replacement casts.

I've always been curious if there was a reason, but I find it really disappointing for anyone who collects their Playbills enthusiastically, and takes pride in their collection. Does anyone know why this is?

For the sake of my argument, let me tell you what I saw last week between Wednesday, April 25th and Sunday, April 30th.

Shows with Color Playbills: The Lion King, Oslo, Miss Saigon, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Shows with Color Posters but Black and White Playbills: The Little Foxes and Chicago (A friend of mine saw Phantom of the Opera, and that playbill was also black and white)

We also saw Sunset Boulevard and The Price, but those show posters are supposed to be monochromatic.

Last year on my annual trip I also saw Fun Home, Something Rotten and Spring Awakening, and they all also had this problem in 2015/2016.

So what's going on? Does anyone know??

[carolinaguy]

Posted: 5/1/17 at 2:36pm

The main reason is cost. Color costs the production more, so some shows choose to save that money. Yes, Playbill provides the yellow banner but to have a full-color show logo laid out is more expensive.

Updated On: 5/1/17 at 02:36 PM

[JSquared2]

Posted: 5/1/17 at 2:40pm

There is a huge cost difference involved.  In general, color Playbills cost the producer approximately $2500 per month extra --- while b/w are free (meaning no surcharge for the cover).  That's why shows usually only absorb this cost for the first few months of the run --- when the industry and other VIPs are most likely to attend.

[Lumiere2]

Posted: 5/1/17 at 3:03pm

That makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the answer!

But then that still doesn't answer for some playbills - like The Little Foxes last week. It just opened ten days ago, and is currently selling above 95% capacity. How come they aren't in colour? That seems silly.

And as a follow up question for my future planning - do preview performances affect whether or not the playbills would be in full color or not? As in, the very earlier you attend a show the likelier it is you'll get a full color copy?

[A0326T]

Posted: 5/1/17 at 3:10pm

I like color playbills myself. If B/W I cut a colored ad or pamphlet or brochure and neatly paste it in the playbill. It looks just as good on my scrapbook.

[carolinaguy]

Posted: 5/1/17 at 3:21pm

The Little Foxes could be because Manhattan Theatre Club is a non-profit organization and they just choose not to pay the extra for color. They may have a high percentage of seats filled, but the average ticket price is generally lower because of the subscription sales. I'm pretty sure my Playbills from MTC's The Father and Airline Highway were B&W as well.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 5/1/17 at 10:52pm

I don't feel like digging through my Playbills to find the MTC ones to check but I think they're mostly b&w. Roundabout also does the b&w Playbills.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 5/1/17 at 11:51pm

Most shows start out with color playbills. And then change shortky thereafter to save color printing costs. That said, Wicked's playbill remains green I believe and Kinky Boots remains red because they are important colors to the musical  

Then you have Waitress that started with color playbills in March of last year, changed to black and white in July after the June rainbow playbills (supporting the gay community) ... only to switch back to color for Sara's playbills last month. I'm guessing they'll go back to black and white after she leaves. 

[Marianne2]

Posted: 5/1/17 at 11:57pm

I do recall the Venus in Fur and Murder Ballad Playbills being in black & white. And Roundabout's always are too.

And any color advertising in them is from the advertiser.  They pay to have their ads included.