#MyBroadwayThing: Special Edition Playbills

I haven't shared a #MyBroadwayThing in awhile, but after a recent purchase, I realized I had another one. That purchase was a copy of the Special Edition Playbill for Moulin Rouge! I was like a kid at Christmas when it arrived - I love the show, and I really love the special cover.

Turns out that over the the years I've collected several of them. I have several Opening Night Playbills. These are not to be confused with Playbills that have the opening night date on the top of title page - those you can get if you attend a preview right before or a performance after. I mean the ones with the official sticker on the cover. My first was for Hairspray, then High Fidelity (I actually got that one at the Imperial Theatre. I found a pile of them in the corner on my way out. No, I didn't attend the opening.) For the past several years, Mike and I "toast" the season the purchase of the Opening Night Playbill for our favorite show of the season. Last year's was Hadestown, for the record. 

I also have a few commemorative editions - milestone covers. My three favorites at the 5th anniversary of Wicked (green is my favorite color), and the closing night covers from the original productions of A Chorus Line and Les Miserables.

But these special edition covers are something I hope become a bigger Broadway thing. I guess we have Beetlejuice to thank for it; they've issued three! I especially like the two most recent versions.  If I liked the show more, I'd buy them. It would be cool if other shows did them. But for now, Moulin Rouge! will have to be the one that started #My(newest)BroadwayThing.

#2271

#MyBroadwayThing - Souvenir Programs

They say confession is good for the soul. Sharing my struggles with collecting all things Broadway with you has, in fact, been very cathartic. Today, I bring you #MyBroadwayThing for souvenir programs. They used to be the only merchandise thing I'd buy every time there was one for sale.

Tours or Broadway, if there was a logo emblazoned booklet, my money was at the ready. It all started innocently with a tour of A Chorus Line back in the early 80's. It was a show that changed my life, so naturally, I had to buy a program. It had a centerfold that opened to show the whole line. Then I bought the Mame revival program to commemorate my first Broadway show. I still wasn't buying them at every show. And then...

About a year later, I saw A Chorus Line again. The lady next to me had a program and was thumbing through it before the show started. I glanced over a few times.  It looked just like the one I already had. Until she got to the centerfold. It wasn't the same people on the line as in my program! (Of course it wouldn't be... I was so naive back then.) Well, I had to get one. And thus a new collection began.

Inside the brochures of The Band's Visit and Disney's Frozen

Inside Sunset Boulevard

I have many more than a hundred of them packed away in a box. I do have a few on my bookcase, and I do actually look through those probably twice a year. I've long since stopped collecting them regularly. Between shows that don't have them at all, and shows I see before they come out, my collection wouldn't be complete, anyway. Now, I just buy them occasionally, for shows that mean something extra special to me. My most recent purchases include Frozen (it is a huge, beautifully photographed book), The Band's Visit and Fun Home (both have very interesting articles and great photos, too), and the revivals of Sunset Boulevard (I have every other one they made - Glenn, Betty and the tour!) and Spring Awakening (a stunning production I don't ever want to forget).

Which brings me to the impetus for today's blog - my most recent program purchase - the 30th Anniversary The Phantom of the Opera brochure. Frankly, I can't believe it was only $25.  It is a large, thick book full of articles and color photos of the current cast and several pages on the original cast and history of the show. Now that the show is in its 31st year, I wonder how much longer they'll even have it.

The 30th Anniversary Company

Original Phantom, Michael Crawford (left)
Original costumes sketches by Maria Bjornson

Phantom anniversary artwork through the years.

This weekend, I'm seeing Hamilton and Harry Potter. I've already budgeted for both. They are both special productions, right?

(Photos by J. Kyler)

#1995

#MyBroadwayThing: Lights of Broadway Trading Cards

January 2nd seems like the perfect time to break a New Year's resolution, right? Well, I think I've fallen down another rabbit hole of Broadway collectibles: The Lights of Broadway Trading Cards. 

It really was just a matter of time.  I mean, they feature the artwork of my favorite theater caricaturist, Justin "Squigs" Robertson. I went all in, too. I got an "official" binder and several dozen packs of cards from two series: Spring 2018 and The Megamix. I am actually pretty close to a full set of the Spring 2018 cards, and I'm doing pretty well with The Megamix series, too. (That set, as the names suggests, is quite large.) They also have downloadable coloring pages and checklists, which I use. The cards aren't cheap - at $5 a pack, it works out to a dollar a card - though if you order 10 packs at a time, you get an 11th free.

There's something about these that takes me back to my days as a kid when I collected Wacky Packages cards. There's that thrill of anticipation when you open the pack and see what cards you got. Naturally, you hope for no duplicates. And it is super exciting to get a card that represents a personal favorite - I literally squealed when I got my Angela Lansbury card. And my Stephen Sondheim.

My favorites of each series are the ones that represent shows (the Grand Hotel card is a particular favorite) and folks from "the Golden Age," which are done in a very classy black and white. Then there are the really special, "very rare" cards. I already have the lenticular Evan Hansens and Tevyes cards. Probably my absolute favorite, though, is the very first card I pulled out of the very first pack I opened - a foil card commemorating the BCEFA Flea Market and Grand Auction. It is beautiful and would make a lovely poster. Plus, what are the odds that that card would be my very first??!!

A little more than a week ago, their newest series, Autumn 2018 went on sale. Here's a question, readers: if I ordered some packs of those on December 31st, does that mean I broke my resolution after all?

Website: http://www.thelightsofbroadway.nyc/

Side note: I have several doubles from both the Spring 2018 and Megamix series that I am willing to trade for cards I'm missing, or even selling them if you don't want to trade.  Email me: jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com

(Promotional material courtesy of thelightsofbroadway.nyc. Photo and drawing credit: Justin "Squigs" Robertson. Collection photos by J. Kyler)

#1974

#MyBroadwayThing: Playbill Binders

I must be finding it therapeutic to share my obsession with all things Playbill with you, loyal reader. Today's #MyBroadwayThing is all about Playbill binders. I have two kinds, both of which are on sale HERE. And there are pros and cons to both.

from the Playbill Store

The Basic Binder

• Pros: They are inexpensive. They hold a fair (if variable) number of contemporary Playbills. They are easy to assemble, too.
• Cons: They don't offer much in terms of archival protection. The metal rods that hold the magazines in place don't rust, but they do - for lack of a better term - "dry out" and lose their smooth sheen over time. And, being covered in vinyl, some of the books have puckered inside corners.

Note the pucker/wrinkle in the lower left corner.
Note the binding rods and assembly at the top (it's the same at the bottom).
Note that the State Fair booklet from 1994 has no yellowing!

Jeff Recommends: This is a great way to keep your collection if you are a casual collector and/or if you are a theater fan on a budget. I have 18 of these, and I like them for being able to easily thumb through them. And while they might not preserve them to archival quality, even my oldest Playbill from 35 years ago only has minimal yellowing.

from the Playbill Store

The Ultimate Binder

• Pros: The quality of the entire binder is top-notch. From the hard board cover, with its textured black coating to the very strong 3-ring binder assembly, the book itself is excellent. The sleeves, made of tick polypropylene, include archival quality backing boards, which prevent the magazines from curling. The Playbills are pristine even years later. I also like being able to keep my ticket and any inserts on the other side for easy viewing.
• Cons: They are not cheap. One costs more than twice a Basic Binder. While each binder comes with 18 sleeves, it can fit up to 24, and extras cost more. Also, with this set up, you have to take the Playbill out of the sleeve if you want to look at the inside. That runs the risk of damage.

Note the "D-Rings" and the way the cover opens to allow the binder to lay flat when open.
Note on the left how the clear sleeve and whit backing board allows the ticket to be visible.
Note on the right how flat the Playbill lays in the sleeve and how the corners are maintained.

Jeff Recommends: Despite their expense, if you are a serious Broadway collector, these are well worth the money. This is truly a case of "you get what you pay for." I am currently filling my 10th! I know some people optimize the sleeves by putting one magazine on each side of the backing board, but I have ruined a couple trying to stuff them in, plus I like using the back for my ticket and inserts. I also like that the sleeves are slim and light. I bring them with me to the show and slip the pristine magazine in when I sit down - no damage!

I have an even cheaper and fully archival way to keep them.  I have hundreds of them stored this way. I'll share that with you soon!

#1898

#MyBroadwayThing: Playbill Merch 2: The Trays

If you read my blog with any frequency, you know that I have my Broadway "things." I'm pretty sure many of you do, too. And as many of you know, I have a particular affinity for anything Playbill-related. I'm not just talking about keeping the little magazines the ushers hand out, either. I have lots of stuff with that black and yellow logo on it.  Maybe the most unique thing I have in that collection is actually a pair - Playbill trays!

I'm not sure if there are/were more of these in the series, but I'll take what I can get! Thank you, eBay... There is a lot here to chew on, though.

Both seasons represented (1977-1978 and 1978-1979) are a few years before my first "on" Broadway shows. But I did see many of these shows on national tour, and later in revivals. In any case, I love the history these represent.  I think it is important to know about Broadway history from all different periods. These trays are a cool way to learn a little - and to serve drinks on Tony Awards night. (OK, so I have never done that...)

The 1977-1978 Tray

Front

June 1, 1977 - May 31, 1978

84 Productions

Back

Famous Shows: Ain't Misbehavin', Dancin', Deathtrap, Annie, Grease, A Chorus Line

Shows Then Playing Now/Recently: Hello, Dolly!, Chicago, On the Twentieth Century

Most Interesting Title: A Star Wars Laser Concert Live

The 1978-1979 Tray
Front

June 1, 1978 - May 31, 1979

69 Productions

 Back

Famous Shows: They're Playing Our Song, Sweeney Todd, Ballroom, Dracula

Shows Then Playing Now/Recently: The Elephant Man, The King and I 

Most Interesting Title: Murder at the Howard Johnson's

Can you imagine seasons with 85 and 69 shows? How awesome, right? And thank you, Sanka, for sponsoring these fun keepsakes! "Good Theatre, Good Dining, Good Coffee" is a philosophy I can really get behind.

(Photos by J. Kyler) Click the pictures to enlarge them!

#MyBroadwayThing: Show-Specific Merch

As you may have guessed from my previous #MyBroadwayThing blogs, I'm a collector.  And so it follows that over the last three and a half decades, I've done my fair share of show merch collecting. I buy far less of it these days, mostly the occasional souvenir program of a newly beloved show. But I remain interested in it, even if I don't buy much anymore.

I am particularly interested in merch that references some thing or some aspect of a show; I'm less interested in the "standard" merch: t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pins, magnets. (Full disclosure: I have at least one of each of those...).

Two of my favorite show specific pieces that I actually own are my Show Boat playing cards (does anything say riverboat gambling like playing cards?) and Starlight Express poker chips from the Las Vegas production (does anything say Vegas like poker chips?) Note: neither of the items pictured below are my personal items.

One of my all-time shows, Next to Normal had one of my favorite of such items: a pill case.

Current shows certainly have their share of show-specific merch, some obvious, some clever:

YOU, TOO, CAN DRESS LIKE YOU ARE IN THE SHOW:

Hello!: Dress like a Mormon; Stick it to the man!: School of Rock

Dress like your favorite undersea squirrel!

A BRONX CHEER AND WHAT BAKING CAN DO

Nothing says "Broadway" like a pennant and an oven mitt

HOW ABOUT A TRIP TO EMERALD CITY?

What all the chicest Ozians are wearing this season...

TWO SHOWS ON 44TH STREET FEATURE MUSIC BOXES

Why not take a replica home with you? Both the Phantom and Anastasia would approve!

DO YOU FEEL THE MUSIC?

You can conduct your own band at home, just like Twefiq!

Start your own band at home!

DRINK YOUR WAY TO MARGARITAVILLE

(I hear you may need to use all of the above just to get through it...)

HMMM....SHOW CARDS YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOU NEEDED

Are you as self-absorbed as Evan Hansen?

If you aren't from Greenville, SC, do you need to waste your shot on this Hamilton poster?

I'm sure I'll have more blogs about show merch. Some day, I might even share my adventures as a merch seller for Wicked and Phantom...