You might notice that this month, everyone’s Playbills look slightly different. The cover might be in black and white; it could even have a decidedly ’70s vibe. This is because Playbill is celebrating our 140th anniversary! 

We have teamed up with every show on Broadway to design four special covers for each show, commemorating different eras of Playbill—and wow, have we had some different looks! Despite the different designs, one thing has remained true in our 140 years, and it connects you with someone all the way back in 1884: you were handed a Playbill as part of the theatregoing experience! These assorted Playbill covers not only showcase the different eras of our magazine, they represent eras of Broadway: from the Golden Age ’40s and ’50s, to the experimental 60’s, and the groovy ‘70’s. 

So, if you go to a Broadway show, you might see a cover that was inspired by Merrily We Roll Along (the 1934 play).

Or by Damn Yankees (1955).

Or by Mame (1966).

Or by A Little Night Music (1973).

So this month, you're not just receiving a Playbill, you're experiencing a bit of time travel.

We are very aware at how much of a massive team effort this was to put together. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to each producer on Broadway this month; without their participation, this initiative would not have happened! We’d also like to thank AKA, The Pekoe Group, SPOTCO, RPM, Serino Coyne, and Situation Interactive for their creativity for this celebration.

We hope the special four-part nature of these covers encourages you to come back again and again to the theatre to collect them. Please strike up a conversation with a stranger to trade covers, and get to know the essential ushers and front-of-house people in charge of passing them out (please be kind to them and do not ask for more than one). If you would like to see the full collection of covers, please visit this page. If you want to get all the designs of a particular show, visit PlaybillStore.com to purchase a poster of a show's collection, with proceeds going to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

We are forever grateful that Playbill continues to play such an important part in your theatregoing experience. Some of you are old enough to recognize these designs, and to you, we say, “Welcome back.” To others, we hope you enjoy a glimpse into our history and the storied history of Broadway.

With gratitude,

The Birsh Family