Ron Nickell Playbill collection
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Ron Nickell Playbill collection
- Date
- 1952-1971
- Extent
- 0.45 Cubic feet
- Subjects
- Entertainment events
- Plays.
- Theater--20th Century
- Theater.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically.
- Preferred Citation
- 2013ms0669: [identification of item] Ron Nickell Playbill Collection, 1952-1971, University of Kentucky Special Collections.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Ron Nickell was born on July 11 1941, in Lexington, Ky., to James Paul Nickell and his wife, Jeannette Sparks Nickell. James Paul Nickell was a University of Kentucky alumnus who worked as the vice president of a Lexington, Ky. clothing store.
- Ron Nickell attended the University of Kentucky and began his radio career as a DJ in Lexington. Throughout his career, Nickell worked as the manager of the WHOO-AM Orlando (Fla.) radio station and as vice president of Bluegrass Broadcasting. In 1990, Nickell moved to Colorado where he managed radio stations in Steamboat Springs, Gunnison, Breckenridge. While in Colorado, he also managed the Radio Colorado Network. This collection was donated to the Univeristy of Kentucky Department of Theatre by James Paul Nickell in honor of Ron Nickell.
- James Paul Nickell died on April 13 2004.
- Ron Nickell died on May 15, 2011, in Longmont, Colo., and is survived by two sons who live in Kentucky.
- Playbill is a monthly U.S. magazine for theater patrons, first printed in 1884. Although there is still 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; photos and biographies of the cast; biographies of authors, composers and production staff; and information for the theatre housing the production. The magazine is now used at nearly every Broadway theatre as well as many Off-Broadway productions. Playbill is also used in theatres outside of New York City. In total, Playbill maintained a circulation of 4,073,680 subscriptions as of September 2012.
- Scope and Content
- The Ron Nickell Playbill Collection (dated 1952-1971; 0.45 cubic feet; 52 items) is comprised of Playbills from various Broadway theaters in New York City. The Playbills are primarily for plays and musicals that were promoted by the New York Times, such as The Pajama Game, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Bye Bye Birdie, Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf, Barefoot in the Park and Funny Girl. Many of the Playbills feature the works of prominent theatre artists George S. Kaufman, George Abbott, Tennessee Williams, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Elia Kazan, Jo Mielziner, Jerome Robbins, Peter Brook, and Peggy Clark. Within the Playbills there are advertisements for luxury items such as cigarettes, cars, and clothing; additionally, there are advertisements for other Broadway productions. The back section of the Playbills features biographical information on the cast and creative team of that production; these are often accompanied with a photo of the artists.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- Property rights reside with the University of Kentucky. The University of Kentucky holds the copyright for materials created in the course of business by University of Kentucky employees. Copyright for all other materials has not been assigned to the University of Kentucky. For information about permission to reproduce or publish, please contact Special Collections.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
