Let’s face it, merchandise at shows is often completely lame. You have your T-shirt and then … maybe some other T-shirt. And a mug, let’s not forget the mug. So it’s always nice to see a show that goes above and beyond the call of duty. “Boeing-Boeing,” for instance, had snazzy flight bags in colors matching those worn by the stewardesses in the play. The current champ is “The Pee-wee Herman Show” (reviewed in today’s paper).

The night I went to the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, the merch table was mobbed by hipsters of all ages, and that’s something you don’t often see on Broadway. I saw several people carrying their loot in bulging bags — clearly they just went and asked for one of each. I didn’t buy anything, but particularly admired the set of fridge magnets and the tree ornaments. The old-fashioned lobby cards are quite nice as well. Of course merch is well suited to such a visually driven production, but still: Why can’t more shows offer inventive, nicely designed ancillary products? There’s only so many mugs one can own.