Grand Hotel Playbill

The Grand Hotel musical has an extensive background that begins as a 1929 novel turned play turned 1932 feature film, eventually making its way to Broadway in 1989 through 1992. Following the story of the eccentric guests at an upscale Berlin hotel, the audience engages with their drama over the course of a weekend. In 1989, the musical was nominated for 12 Tony Awards and won 5, including Best Direction and Choreography. It ended up having over 1,000 performances before moving to off-Broadway locations like Chicago.

This playbill from the Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place in Chicago, Illinois features a golden, metallic circle that holds the scripted type of the musical’s title. The design, meant to look like a building plaque, is intended to introduce the viewer to the hotel. Just like the guests within the actual musical, it is the first thing they would see before entering their eventful story, informing both of the luxury associated with the hotel through the calligraphic type. The classic, yellow blocking in the top quarter displays the Playbill type, leaving gold and black as the other main colors.