Playbill stopped publishing song lists?- Page 1

[IAMREADING]

Posted: 8/4/19 at 8:50pm

Hi! Forgive me if discussed, I tried to search. I have noticed that when I see shows lately the Playbill does not list the songs (in order, by act). I really like to look at this during the show to see how far along we are, how long until intermission, etc. The shows I have seen recently without are Oklahoma! and The Cher Show. These shows are not in previews. Does anyone know what happened?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/4/19 at 9:08pm

It's at the discretion of the production if they want to include the songs. The production is allotted a certain number of pages; if they go over, they have to buy more.

That said, once previews of a new show are over, I've never understood why shows don't list a songs, unless it's something like Passion or Les Mis (almost entirely sung with a lot of interstitial songs) or something involving spoilers. There's the old Marvin Hamlisch anecdote about how the Chorus Line song was originally titled "T!ts and A$s," and it never got much of a laugh because they gave away the punchline in the playbill; title was changed to "Dance: Ten, Looks: Three" and it got the laugh.

Updated On: 8/4/19 at 09:08 PM

[ggersten]

Posted: 8/4/19 at 9:35pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "That said, once previews of a new show are over, I've never understood why shows don't list a songs, unless it's something likePassionorLes Mis(almost entirely sung with a lot of interstitial songs) or something involving spoilers. There's the old Marvin Hamlisch anecdote about how the Chorus Linesong was originally titled "T!ts and A$s," and it never got much of a laugh because they gave away the punchlinein the playbill; title was changed to"Dance: Ten, Looks: Three" and it got the laugh."

And the same thing allegedly happened with Legally Blonde when the song list replaced "Gay or European" with "There Right There"

 

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 8/4/19 at 10:58pm

ggersten said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "That said, once previews of a new show are over, I've never understood why shows don't list a songs, unless it's something likePassionorLes Mis(almost entirely sung with a lot of interstitial songs) or something involving spoilers. There's the old Marvin Hamlisch anecdote about how the Chorus Linesong was originally titled "T!ts and A$s," and it never got much of a laugh because they gave away the punchlinein the playbill; title was changed to"Dance: Ten, Looks: Three" and it got the laugh."

And the same thing allegedly happened with Legally Blonde when the song list replaced "Gay or European" with "There Right There"

I don't know about how it was listed in the playbill, or if it was change or not. But, on the cast album, the track was always labeled, There, Right There. 

While it's not uncommon to see a list of songs/scenes in order, there is one that comes to mind that had a different spin on things. The Playbill for Mamma Mia did list the songs, however, they listed the songs that were in the show in alphabetical order rather than the order that they were in in the show. 
"

 

[northlandfan]

Posted: 8/4/19 at 10:58pm

Same for Moulin Rouge !
No song list in playbill....,

[Emmaloucbway]

Posted: 8/4/19 at 11:07pm

There's a song list in the Ain't Too Proud Playbill, but it's listed alphabetically and not in show order. 

[copskid949]

Posted: 8/4/19 at 11:15pm

Islander_fan said: “
I don't know about how it was listed in the playbill, or if it was change or not. But, on the cast album, the track was always labeled, There, Right There.
"

Actually the cast album was released a few months after the show’s opening night. There was definitely time for that change to take place considering the show was first performed in California before Broadway previews. In fact, the demo recording with Kerry Butler still uses the old name.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/4/19 at 11:44pm

Hamilton also lists all the songs, but not who sings them.

And then there's the ENCORES! way of doing it, where they list the actor who sings the song instead of the character.

It's starting to feel like something of another era to open a playbill and see the scenes and songs listed (and a Setting at the top of the page).

[CapnHook]

Posted: 8/5/19 at 1:06am

How about you just sit back, be an active listener, and watch the show. Why do you need to distract yourself and others during the show?

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 8/5/19 at 1:46am

It does seem like it's becoming more common to do it alphabetical (for jukebox shows) or not at all. I find it super annoying. I'm not reading it during the production but like to look it over before the show and at intermission. Yes, I know I could look on my phone but it's handier to have it in the playbill.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 8/5/19 at 2:08am

Sometimes I like to count the number of songs before Act 1/Act2 so I can mentally keep track of where we are in relation to intermission or curtain call. Of course, if I’m truly captivated I usually don’t keep track of such things. I usually lose count at some point anyway. Lol. I was definitely counting songs during a local production of Titanic. As great as the cast and production was, I was ready for that shop to finally hit that iceberg and subsequently sink. Lol

[Chowd95]

Posted: 8/5/19 at 6:15am

I hate it when people pull out their phones to check the Playbill to see how many songs are left in an act. If you're bored or that worried about beating the bathroom line then just get up. It's a lot less disruptive than shining a light in a dark theater.

[dmwnc1959]

Posted: 8/5/19 at 6:43am

CapnHook said: "How about you just sit back, be an active listener, and watch the show. Why do you need to distract yourself and others during the show?"

 

^ ^ ^ This. I had a young lady sitting next to me once that when every single time a song started she would open her show program, tilt it this way and that trying to read it, so she could see which song it was and where we were in the show. It was incredibly distracting and really took you out of the moment of the show constantly. 

[dmwnc1959]

Posted: 8/5/19 at 6:44am

Chowd95 said: "I hate it when people pull out their phones to check the Playbill to see how many songs are left in an act. If you're bored or that worried about beating the bathroom line then just get up. It's a lot less disruptive than shining a light in a dark theater."

 

^ ^ ^ And this. Soooo agree. :)

 

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 8/5/19 at 7:19am

Like others said, it's entirely up to the production, not Playbill, and it's been happening for quite some time (the first show I remember seeing with no song list was Avenue Q 16 years ago, although I'm sure it happened before that as well). But it does seem like this is becoming more and more common, which is probably why it feels like such a new thing.

[IAMREADING]

Posted: 8/6/19 at 1:15am

CapnHook said: "How about you just sit back, be an active listener, and watch the show. Why do you need to distract yourself and others during the show?"

? 

 

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 8/6/19 at 1:18am

IAMREADING said: "CapnHook said: "How about you just sit back, be an active listener, and watch the show. Why do you need to distract yourself and others during the show?"

?"

I believe CapnHook is referring to the bolder section of your original post:

 

Hi! Forgive me if discussed, I tried to search. I have noticed that when I see shows lately the Playbill does not list the songs (in order, by act). I really like to look at this during the show to see how far along we are, how long until intermission, etc. The shows I have seen recently without are Oklahoma! and The Cher Show. These shows are not in previews. Does anyone know w

 

[bdn223]

Posted: 8/6/19 at 11:51am

Miles2Go2 said: "IAMREADING said: "CapnHook said: "How about you just sit back, be an active listener, and watch the show. Why do you need to distract yourself and others during the show?"

?"

I believe CapnHook is referring to the bolder section of your original post:



Hi! Forgive me if discussed, I tried to search. Ihave noticed that when I see shows lately the Playbill does not list the songs (in order, by act). I really like to look at this during the show to see how far along we are, how long until intermission, etc. The shows I have seen recently without are Oklahoma! and The Cher Show. These shows are not in previews. Does anyone know w

"

As previously stated its up to the production itself to decide. For Oklahoma! I imagine this was a decision made my Daniel Fish for one of two reasons. One is that the production is done in the round with the houselights on for most of the production, causing the entire audience to be visible to the actors performing on stage. Mary Testa has stated in interviews that this can either create magical and thrilling moments of interaction or become a distraction for the actors. For the later shes stated that she or a fellow cast member can be in the middle of a scene and look up and come face to face with an audience member ruffling through their playbill, taking the actor out of the moment of their performance. The argument could be made that by removing the song list, it helps prevent this, by removing the distraction. The other possible reason is to manipulate the audiences sense of anticipation. The revival moves the Dream Ballet from the end of Act I to the beginning of Act II. As Oklahoma! is a standard done all over the country, the production takes the stance that the audience already knows the story and score akin to a Shakespeare play.Thus by shifting the closing Act I to the the beginning of Act II it changes the tension being felt by audience members who were anticipating another song to end the first Act. If the production had included a song list in the playbill it would ruin this surprise.

The second reason I stated is likely why many jukebox musicals directors as of late had decided to not include a sequential song list, or a song list at all in the playbill. They want audiences to be focused on the story playing out on the stage, and not simply waiting for their favorite song. When I saw Mamma Mia! you could literally feel a burst of electricity shoot through the audience when the first chords of the title song were played. This is all the more apparent as most jukebox musicals don't have an underscore building into a character bursting into song. A similar feeling came across the audience during Escape to Margaritaville when Fins and Cheeseburger in Paradise were performed. By including a song list in the playbill, you loose that sense of surprise and excitement in audiences when they don't know when their favorite song is going to be performed. 

 

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 8/6/19 at 12:40pm

I like to see a song list because sometimes I want to purchase one or two of the songs and not the entire cast recording so I use it for the song names. Plus I find it's a nice reference to have in the future. But I never read the Playbill during the actual show. 

[dmwnc1959]

Posted: 8/6/19 at 3:17pm

RWPrincess said: "I like to see a song list because sometimes I want to purchase one or two of the songs and not the entire cast recording so I use it for the song names. Plus I find it's a nice reference to have in the future.But I never read the Playbill during the actual show."

 

I’ve downloaded approximately 18 shows in the past few years and listened to most of them ad nauseam pre-show. LOL Still listen to a few of them time and time again while at work.

Also rarely ever read the Playbill (or show program when it’s on tour), but do glance at it beforehand. Never during the show.

I have asked on this forum which song ENDS Act 1 so that I know that the rush to the restrooms is coming.

 

[IAMREADING]

Posted: 8/6/19 at 6:28pm

Miles2Go2 said: "IAMREADING said: "CapnHook said: "How about you just sit back, be an active listener, and watch the show. Why do you need to distract yourself and others during the show?"

?"

I believe CapnHook is referring to the bolder section of your original post:



Hi! Forgive me if discussed, I tried to search. Ihave noticed that when I see shows lately the Playbill does not list the songs (in order, by act). I really like to look at this during the show to see how far along we are, how long until intermission, etc. The shows I have seen recently without are Oklahoma! and The Cher Show. These shows are not in previews. Does anyone know w

"

Oh ok, thanks! I had no idea it was rude to look at the Playbill during the show. I don't take out my phone. Why not pass them out on the way out of the theatre ala Broadway cares buckets? You're totally right I should just sit back and enjoy the show but I kind of suck and often get bored and ancy at the theatre. 

 

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/6/19 at 8:07pm

Yes, it's quite rude. So are many other actions. Flipping through a Playbill and reading means you are not paying attention to the work being put forth in front of you and are not doing doing YOUR part by participating fully as an attentive audience member. TRUST, when someone is working VERY hard to give you a great performance and they look out and see that you are reading and ignoring them, it doesn't feel very good... YES, they can see you from the stage and often from backstage as well.

Certain shows HAVE passed them out at the end of the show for artistic reasons but that is not readily feasible for a production. At the end of the show, you have only half the ushers. Also, There is often important information for an audience member contained in the Playbill that they should have BEFORE the show (not after or during), and Actors Equity requires the audience to have information about the actors in the show and the audience must be notified of any understudies BEFORE the performance in at least two ways, and the program is one of the ways to inform the audience.

 

"I kind of suck and often get bored and ancy at the theatre."
 

First, "anTSy". Second, that is wonderful to admit but perhaps you should work harder on improving yourself and being better rather than expecting an entire industry to meet you where you are by stooping to allow you to "suck:.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/6/19 at 8:45pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "That said, once previews of a new show are over, I've never understood why shows don't list a songs, unless it's something like Passion orLes Mis (almost entirely sung with a lot of interstitial songs) or something involving spoilers."

Can I just say I wish Passion had published a song list. Only because it would have been amusing to open up to that page and see "First Letter," "Second Letter," Third Letter" letter, letter, letter...! Just saying. (No disrespect. I adore Passion.)

[Fosse76]

Posted: 8/6/19 at 11:13pm

broadwayguy2 said: "First, "anTSy". Second, that is wonderful to admit but perhaps you should work harder on improving yourself and being better rather than expecting an entire industry to meet you where you are by stooping to allow you to "suck:."

Some shows are boring. Being bored doesn't mean you need to improve yourself. 

[arsol]

Posted: 8/7/19 at 6:15am

Emmaloucbway said: "There's a song list in the Ain't Too Proud Playbill, but it's listed alphabetically and not in show order."

That said, once previews of a new show are over, http://https://xender.vip/ https://discord.software/ https://omegle.onl/ I've never understood why shows don't list a songs, unless it's something like Passion or Les Mis (almost entirely sung with a lot of interstitial songs) or something involving spoilers. There's the old Marvin Hamlisch anecdote about how the Chorus Line song was originally titled "T!ts and A$s," and it never got much of a laugh because they gave away the punchline in the playbill; title was changed to "Dance: Ten, Looks: Three" and it got the laugh.

Updated On: 8/9/19 at 06:15 AM