2015 Attendance Rankings Place DPAC Among America's Top Theatres

DURHAM, NC- January 14, 2016 - Once again, DPAC has placed among the top theaters in the U.S. as tracked by three leading national magazines that cover live entertainment events and venues in the U.S. In their year-end published attendance and sales rankings, Pollstar, Billboard and Venues Today all placed DPAC among the top five venues in the U.S. among reporting venues of its size and type. DPAC's 2015 calendar year featured 233 events which drew a record setting 484,527 guests and 104 sellouts. 2015 represents DPAC's seventh year of operation under the direction of Nederlander and Professional Facilities Management (PFM).

Pollstar 2015 Attendance Theatre Venues				Billboard Magazine 2015 Gross Sales Venues under 5,000 Seats				Venues Today 2015 Attendance Venues 2,001 to 5,000 seats
	Venue	Capacity			Venue	Capacity			Venue	Capacity
1.	Radio City Music Hall New York, NY	6,015		1.	The Colosseum at Caesars Palace - Las Vegas, NV	4,148		1.	The Colosseum at Caesars Palace - Las Vegas, NV	4,148
2.	The Colosseum at Caesars Palace - Las Vegas NV	4,148		2.	The Fox Theatre - Atlanta GA	4,678		2.	The Fox Theatre - Atlanta GA	4,678
3.	The Fox Theatre - Atlanta GA	4,678		3.	DPAC - Durham, NC	2,712		3.	DPAC - Durham, NC	2,712
4.	DPAC - Durham NC	2,712		4.	The Beacon Theatre - New York NY	2,900		4.	The Beacon Theatre - New York NY	2,900
5.	The Beacon Theatre - New York NY	2,900		5.	Straz Center for The Performing Arts - Tampa, FL	2,610		5.	McCaw Hall - Seattle WA	2,953

"It's no accident that DPAC is listed among the top venues in America every year," said Bob Klaus, General Manager at DPAC. "With the resources of Nederlander and PFM, DPAC now competes to host every major live entertainment event in America that is playing venues of our size. We've always had one goal in mind and that is to be our guests' favorite place for live entertainment. Everything we do, from booking the biggest Broadway, concerts and comedy shows, to welcoming every guest with what has come to be known as 'The DPAC Experience', is done with our guests in mind."

Broadway Leads the Way

Heading the list of the highest attended shows in 2015 was Wicked which drew almost 65,000 guests to 24 sellout performances in January. In September Beautiful - The Carole King Musical drew almost 30,000 guests as part of DPAC's signature series, SunTrust Broadway at DPAC.

"At DPAC, we know our fans love Broadway and Broadway lies at the heart of our success," stated Rachel Traversari, Senior Director of Marketing at DPAC. "Fans of live theater know they can count on DPAC to bring the newest hit shows direct from Broadway before they play any other theaters in the region. Many of DPAC's Broadway shows are not only the premiere engagement in North Carolina, but often times the premiere engagement in all of the Southeast. We're the home of the biggest Broadway blockbusters, from Wicked to The Book of Mormon to Disney's The Lion King and we're not done yet by any measure. At the Nederlander offices in New York our team is already lining up commitments for the biggest new shows that will fill our stage from 2016 to 2020 and beyond."

2015 - Top Five Broadway shows at DPAC

1. Wicked

2. Beautiful

3. Kinky Boots

4. Newsies

5. The Illusionists

Something for Everyone

In addition to Broadway blockbusters, DPAC again delivered an incredible variety of events that truly offered 'something for everyone'. Concert sellouts featured rockers Mark Knopfler and Hall and Oates, R&B superstars Mary J. Blige and Jill Scott, legends like Diana Ross, Frankie Valli and Bob Dylan,plus world-renowned authors and speakers David Sedaris, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Garrison Keillor. Comedy also played a big role in DPAC's year with Jerry Seinfeld and the John Cleese - Eric Idle shows each selling out multi-performance engagements.

"Every day we're on the phone with the biggest talent agents and concert promoters in the world. As much as we value the many Broadway shows we present, DPAC is equally known in the region and across the country for the 50 to 60 concert and comedy events that come to DPAC each year," said Taki Pappas, Director of Programming for Concerts and Comedy at DPAC. "Whether it's the newest singer-songwriter performing in our intimate setting where concerts sound the best, to hosting a superstar act that normally plays larger arenas and amphitheaters, the experience at a DPAC concert or comedy event cannot be beat."

2015 - Top 15 Concerts at DPAC

1. Mark Knopfler

2. Diana Ross

3. Hall & Oates

4. Frankie Valli

5. Bob Dylan

6. Mary J. Blige

7. Jill Scott

8. Erykah Badu

9. Tony Bennett

10. Jackson Browne

11. Harry Connick Jr.

12. Sarah McLachlan

13. Gladys Knight & The O'Jays

14. John Mellencamp

15. Patti Labelle

2015 - Top Five Comedy Events at DPAC

1. Jerry Seinfeld

2. John Cleese/Eric Idle

3. Brian Regan

4. Chris Tucker

5. Bill Maher

2015 - Top Five Special Events

1. Theatre in the Park's A Christmas Carol

2. American Dance Festival

3. David Sedaris

4. Carolina Ballet's Nutcracker

5. Neil deGrasse Tyson

Download videos from DPAC's top five Broadway shows:

http://bit.ly/DPACBroadway-Jan2016

Download photos from DPAC's top concerts and comedy shows: http://bit.ly/2015DPAC_ConcertsComedy
Download photos of DPAC including both interior and exterior shots:

http://bit.ly/DPAC15Venue

About DPAC

Since its opening in 2008, DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center, has become the center for live entertainment in North Carolina. Recognized for its contemporary design, DPAC features 2,700 seats, intimate sightlines and state-of-the-art sound and video. Listed five times in the top five in Pollstar magazine's annual worldwide theater attendance rankings, DPAC is currently the #4 ranked theater in the U.S.

With a mission of presenting one-of a-kind live entertainment events, DPAC truly has 'something for everyone,' hosting 200 performances a year, including spectacular touring Broadway productions, high-profile concert and comedy events, family shows and the heralded American Dance Festival. Owned by the City of Durham and operated under the direction of Nederlander and Professional Facilities Management (PFM), DPAC has been listed six consecutive years as the #1 performing arts organization in the region by the Triangle Business Journal. For more information please go to www.DPACnc.com

 

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