Playbill On-Line extends a warm welcome to theatre fans who got home computers or online subscriptions as holiday gifts, and are exploring the online world for the first time.
Here's what you'll find on Playbill On-Line, the biggest, most widely used and most comprehensive online theatre information service. Some of the items are hyperlinked for your convenience. Others can be reached by clicking on the menu bar at left:
THEATRE NEWS: Breaking stories about casting coups, exciting new productions, the emergence of hot new stars and plays, the doings of stars, firings, hirings, etc.
LISTINGS: Complete listings for more than 1400 professional theatres, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, National Tours, Regional Theatres, plus theatres in London, Canada and Brazil.
TICKET SALES: Buy tickets online to dozens of shows on Broadway, Off Broadway, and around the U.S. (Available on the website only: http://www.playbill.com). THE PLAYBILL CLUB: Membership is free, and you get discounts to shows throughout the US and Canada, exclusive opportunities to buy tickets before they go on sale to the public, discounts on subscriptions, theatre merchandise and more!
FEATURES: The best interviews, profiles and trend pieces from the front of the Playbill programs and the monthly Playbill theatre magazine. Plus interviews written expressly for the online service.
WHO'S WHO: Database of actors, plays, playwrights, directors, songwriters, designers, culled from Who's Who section of Playbills throughout the country. (Not available on all services.)
PLAYBILL CRITICS CIRCLE: On Playbill On-Line, the users are our theatre reviewers. Post YOUR review of prominent shows for everyone to read.
Q&A: Weekly Theatre polls, surveys, contests and trivia games.
BULLETIN BOARD: Members write their own reviews of shows, share knowledge, and post trivia questions to Playbill theatre expert, Louis Botto. (Available in Playbill On-Line's forums on America Online and CompuServe only. Keyword: Playbill.)
CELEBRITIES ONLINE: Favorite stars and personalities from the present and past answer members' questions live. Among those who have already appeared: Tommy Tune, Anthony Rapp, Betty Buckley, Patrick Stewart, Carol Channing, the cast of "Beauty and the Beast," Kathleen Turner, Davis Gaines, Leiber & Stoller, Matthew Broderick, and many more. (The chats themselves are available in Playbill On-Line's forum on America Online only. Keyword: Playbill. Transcripts are posted on the website.)
RECORDINGS: News, information and announcements about forthcoming and current recordings, videos, CD-ROMS and books on theatre.
AUDIO CLIPS: We recently launched our library of downloadable audio clips from cast albums. (Available on the website only: http://www.playbill.com).
PRODUCTION PHOTOS: From Broadway, Off-Broadway and National Tours.
"SMART" MAPS: From the biggest to the smallest theatre in the U.S. -- all can be located on our interactive mapping system. Click on the "Map" button at the end of each listing. (Available on the website only: http://www.playbill.com).
TEEN THEATRE CLUB (Available on the online services only.)
PLAYBILL COVERS
AWARDS DATABASE: Who won the Tony Award for Best Actress in 1954? Find out here. Every winner of Tony, Drama Pulitzer, and a half dozen other national awards.
THEATRE CHAT: Real-time theatre talk on topics created by the members themselves. (Available on online services only.)
RESTAURANT DIRECTORY: For the Broadway theatre district.
SPECIALTY FORUMS: Organized discussions on theatre news events, emerging technologies, and other issues of concern to theatre people. (Available on online services only.)
SEATING CHARTS FOR BROADWAY THEATRES: (Available on the website only: http://www.playbill.com).
CASTING NEWS
NEWSLETTERS: News from theatre organizations like the Drama League, the National Performing Arts Network, as they come in.
LONDON THEATRE TOURS: Playbill On-Line staffers escort groups of theatre lovers to the West End, then spend a week seeing shows and posting the guests reviews online. Next tour: April 6-13, 1997.
SURVEY OF THEATRE SCHOOLS: Registration information and updated curricula.
COMING IN 1997:
PLAYBILL MALL: Posters, recordings, books, t-shirts, mugs, jackets much more, from an online catalogue.
INDUSTRY: A package of online services tailored to the needs of theatre professionals: Audition scenes for actors, Resume photo exchange, Online conferences, Clearing house for theatre parties, etc.
HOTEL RESERVATIONS
SURVEY OF THEATRE SCHOOLS: Registration information and updated curricula.
MORE INTERNATIONAL THEATRE LISTINGS: Tokyo, Italy, Germany, Australia, Israel etc.
AND LOTS MORE IN THE WORKS!
Here's how to contact us through e-mail:
Managing Editor Robert Viagas: [email protected]
Associate Editor Katia Lundy: [email protected]
Webmaster Andrew McGibbon: [email protected]
Regional Database Manager Blair Glaser: [email protected]
New York Database Manager Andrew Ku: [email protected]
Reporter David Lefkowitz: [email protected]
Senior Editor Louis Botto: (care of) [email protected]
Publisher Philip Birsh: [email protected]
Intern Andrea Prince: [email protected]
-- By Robert Viagas
