The clean graphic style—limited to red, black, and white—gives the poster a strong visual presence. The minimalist illustration and oversized lettering were part of a distinctive Broadway marketing campaign that remains recognizable to theatre collectors today.
The lower margin reads Shubert Theatre, 225 West 44th Street, confirming this as a Broadway engagement window card rather than a touring poster.
Condition shows light handling consistent with theatre display use. There are visible creases, some edge wear, and light surface impressions, particularly along the upper edge and in the white areas of the paper. Despite these signs of handling, the colors remain strong and the poster presents very well.
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PRODUCTION & HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Big: The Musical opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre in New York City on April 28, 1996, and closed on October 13, 1996, after 22 previews and 193 performances. Based on the popular 1988 motion picture, the musical followed the story of a young boy who magically becomes an adult overnight.
The Original Broadway Cast starred Daniel Jenkins as Josh Baskin and Crista Moore as Susan Lawrence. The principal cast also included Jon Cypher as Mr. MacMillan, Barbara Walsh as Mrs. Baskin, Gene Weygandt as Paul Seymour, Brett Tabisel as Billy Kopecki, and Patrick Levis as Young Josh.
The musical featured a book by John Weidman, with music by David Shire and lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr. Direction was by Mike Ockrent, with choreography by Susan Stroman. Scenic design was by Robin Wagner, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Paul Gallo, and sound design by Steve Canyon Kennedy. The Broadway production was produced by James B. Freydberg, Kenneth Feld, Laurence Mark, Kenneth D. Greenblatt, Pachyderm Entertainment, Fuji Television Network, Inc., and Kyodo Tokyo, in association with F.A.O. Schwarz.
Although the musical featured an accomplished creative team, its Broadway run was relatively brief compared with other film adaptations of the era, giving surviving Broadway promotional materials a degree of scarcity.
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WHY THIS IS A STRONG COLLECTOR PIECE
Because Big: The Musical ran for only a limited period on Broadway, original theatre advertising materials such as window cards are encountered less frequently than those from long-running shows. Posters from productions with shorter runs were often produced in smaller quantities and were typically discarded after the engagement ended.
This example also features one of the more memorable Broadway poster designs of the 1990s, directly referencing the famous piano scene from the film. The bold graphic composition and oversized typography give the piece strong display appeal while tying it closely to the musical’s central concept.
For collectors of Broadway memorabilia—especially those interested in film adaptations, short-run productions, or the work of notable theatre artists like Susan Stroman and William Ivey Long—this poster represents an appealing and increasingly difficult-to-find piece of 1990s Broadway history.
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SIZE & SHIPPING
Approx. 14 x 22 inches
Ships flat in a sturdy box for safe delivery.
