Playbill is a monthly U.S. magazine for theatregoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of Playbill are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door. Each issue features articles focusing on artists, new plays and musicals or special attractions. This "wraparound" section is the same for all Playbills at all venues each month. Within this wraparound, the Playbill contains listings, photos and biographies of the cast; biographies of authors, composers and production staff; a list of scenes, as songs and their performers (for musicals); and a brief description of the setting for the particular show. It also lists the number of intermissions and information for the theatre housing the production.
In lieu of the cast and show information, the subscription edition of Playbill contains listings of Broadway and Off-Broadway productions and news from London productions and North American touring companies.
Playbill was first printed in 1884 for a single theatre on 21st Street in New York City. The magazine is now used at nearly every Broadway theatre, as well as many Off-Broadway productions. Outside New York City, Playbill is used at theatres throughout the United States, including in Baltimore; Birmingham, Alabama; Boston; Chicago; Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; East Lansing, Michigan; Houston; Indianapolis; Los Angeles; Miami; Minneapolis; New Orleans; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Pittsburgh; St. Louis; San Diego; San Francisco; and Washington, D.C.. Circulation as of September 2012 was 4,073,680.
Stephenson Blake is an engineering company based in Sheffield. The company was active from the early 19th century as a type founder, remaining until the 1990s as the last active type foundry in Britain, after which it has diversified into specialist engineering.
The type foundry began operations in July 1818 by silversmith and mechanic William Garnett and toolmaker John Stephenson, financially supported by James Blake. That November, news came that the breakaway Caslon foundry (formed when William Caslon III left the original firm and acquired Joseph Jackson Foundry in 1792§ {Caslon foundry 1716; 1764; etc. §) was put up for sale by William Caslon IV. In 1819 the deal was concluded and Blake, Garnett & Co. were suddenly in charge of one of England’s most prestigious typefoundries. In 1829 Garnett left to become a farmer. The company was renamed Blake & Stephenson in 1830, but Blake died soon after. It became Stephenson, Blake & Co. in 1841- 1905. John Stephenson died in 1864, the year after he handed control to his son Henry. In 1905 the firm purchased Sir Charles Reed and Sons Ltd. It was then known as Stephenson, Blake & Co., and Sir Charles Reed and Sons between 1905 - 1914. In 1914, without any change in proprietorship, the business was converted into a private limited liability company. The early 1900s the foundry had ventured into steel making and tool production, which would prove to be the core business of the current firm Stephenson, Blake and Co.,Ltd from until 2004 when Tom Blake (5th Generation) retired.
It's a little bit fUnny Lord, this feeling inside
I'm not one of those who can easily hide
I don't have much money but, boy, if I did
I'd buy a big mansion where we both could live
If, if, if I was a sculpture Lord, honey, but then again, no
(then again no, no)
Or a man who makes potions in a travelin' show
I know it's not much, I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do
You gave me a gift Lord, and I'm gonNA sing it for you
And you can tell everybody that this is your song
(this is your song)
It may be a quite, quite simple, but that's how it's done
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind
What I wrote down in words, words
How wonderful life is when you're in the world, world, world
If, if, (if), if I was on a rooftop
I'd kick off my shoes (kick off my shoes , kick my shoes off)
I'll write a few verses and then I get the blues
But the sun's been quite, quite kind while I wrote this song
It's for people like you and people like me
I wanna, I wanna keep turnin' on
So excuse me, so excuse me
So excuse me forgetting, but these things I do Lord
(these things I do Lord)
You see, you see I've forgotten if they're green or blue
Anyway the thing is, anyway the thing is, what I really mean
You've got the sweetest eyes, you've got the sweetest eyes
The clearest eyes I've ever seen, I hope you got back
I hope you, I hope you got back and tell everybody
That this is your song (this is your song)
It may be quite, quite simple, but now that's how it's done
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind
But I wrote down in words Lord, words
I'm doin' it for how wonderful it is when you're in the world, world, world
If, if, (if), if I sat upon a rooftop I'd kick off my shoes, oh yeah
(kick off my shoes, kick my shoes off)
I'll write a few verses and then I get the blues
But the sun's been quite, quite kind while I wrote this song
It's for people like you, people like me
I wanna, wanna keep turnin' on, so escuse me, so escuse me
So escuse me forgetting, but these things I do
(these things I do Lord)
You see, you see I've forgotten if they're green or blue, baby
And anyway the thing is, anyway the thing is, what I really mean
You are the sweetest eyes, the sweetest eyes
The sweetest eyes I've ever seen
I want you to go back, go back and and tell everybody
That Billy Paul's got a song (Billy Paul's got a song)
I'm, I'm gonna sit upon a, a rooftop and kick off my shoes
I'm gonna write it (write it), write it (write it), write it (write it)
I might come out with the Gospel (Gospel), the blues (blues),
The jazz (jazz), the rock and roll
I'm gonna, got to, got to write me a simple song for everybody
Because this is my song (this is my song)
It may be quite, quite simple but that's the way it's done
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind
What I wrote down in words, words
You come back, you try to try again, try again
Tell everybody that Billy Paul's got a song
(Billy Paul's got a song)
It may be quite, quite simple but that's how it's done, baby
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind
what I wrote down in words
Hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it ooooh