DPAC Celebrates Record-Breaking Seventh Season

By: Aug. 04, 2015
Enter Your Email to Unlock This Article

Plus, get the best of BroadwayWorld delivered to your inbox, and unlimited access to our editorial content across the globe.




Existing user? Just click login.

DPAC has just announced key event statistics for the venue's recently completed seventh season. Total attendance hit a new high mark of 448,998 guests, topping DPAC's last record of 421,000 set in the 2011 / 2012 season. The seventh season also set new records with total events (224 events), total sellouts (112 sellout performances) and number of season seat members (15,167) for the signature series, SunTrust Broadway at DPAC.

Unquestioned as the center for live entertainment in North Carolina, the combination of high profile Broadway, concert and comedy events has also gained DPAC attention on the national live entertainment scene with two of the nation's top entertainment trade magazines ranking DPAC among the most highly attended venues in the country. In their just published July 20th, mid-year edition, Pollstar Magazine lists DPAC as #2 in attendance among reporting theatre venues in America as did Venues Today in their July issue. Since opening, DPAC had been consistently listed among the top five U.S. theatres, but in these newest rankings covering the first six months of 2015, DPAC was topped only by the iconic Fox Theatre in Atlanta.

Pollstar National Attendance Rankings - Theaters: *(January 1-June 30, 2015)

1. Fox Theatre, Atlanta GA - 4,556 Capacity

2. DPAC, Durham, NC - 2,712 Capacity

3. Dreyfoos Hall, West Palm Beach, FL- 2,195 Capacity

4. Broward Ctr. Au-Rene Theater, 2,688 Capacity

5. Carol Morsani Hall, Tampa, FL - 2,610 Capacity

Heading the list of the highest attended shows were Wicked (24 performances at DPAC) and The Phantom of the Opera (16 performances at DPAC).

Top Five Shows -

SunTrust Broadway at DPAC 2014 / 2015 Season*

1. Wicked

2. The Phantom of the Opera

3. Kinky Boots

4. Newsies

5. Motown The Musical

*July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2015

In addition to Broadway blockbusters, DPAC presented 55 concerts, comedy and special events. Concert sellouts featured rock acts like Bob Dylan and John Mellencamp, legends Diana Ross and The Temptations and The Four Tops and Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, jazz band singers Tony Bennett and Harry Connick Jr., R&B icons Erykah Badu and Maxwell, and country singer-songwriter Vince Gill. Plus comedy and special events also played a decisive role in DPAC's season with Dave Chappelle and John Oliver posting record-setting sellouts as well as special performances by David Sedaris and So You Think You Can Dance Tour.

Top Fifteen Concert Events - 2014 / 2015 Season*

1. Diana Ross

2. Bob Dylan

3. Erykah Badu

4. Tony Bennett

5. Maxwell

6. Franki Valli and The Four Seasons

7. Harry Connick Jr.

8. Sarah McLachlan

9. John Mellencamp

10. Mannheim Steamroller

11. Vince Gill

12. The Temptations & The Four Tops

13. Susan Boyle

14. Isley Brothers

15. Chris Botti

*July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2015

Top Five

Comedy Events

2014 / 2015 Season*

1. Dave Chappelle

2. John Oliver

3. Chris Tucker

4. Kids in the Hall

5. Nick Swardson

*July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2015

Top Five

Special Events

2014 / 2015 Season*

1. David Sedaris

2. So You Think You Can Dance

3. Garrison Keillor

4. 50 Shades!

5. Dancing Pros Live

*July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2015

Bob Klaus, General Manager of DPAC, stated, "At DPAC everything we do has the guest in mind and this philosophy has helped us forge a special connection with live entertainment fans since our opening in 2008. And in this past season, North Carolina audiences again helped us set new records. Our focus always starts with great shows and every year DPAC has one of the best Broadway, concert and comedy line-ups of any theater in America. The booking strength of Nederlander and PFM ensured that every big show had DPAC on its list when planning a major U.S. Tour. Add it all together with all of the great new hotels, restaurants and easy parking in Downtown Durham and you have a winning formula that has helped DPAC be ranked as one of the top theaters in the U.S. every year."

Emily McLoughlin, Marketing Director for Concerts and Comedy at DPAC, added, "While we are proud to be ranked among the top venues in the country, our team is even more honored to be named the best place in the Triangle for live entertainment as voted on by the readers and editors of five major regional publications. We've become as famous for the warm and welcome greetings we offer guests as we have for hosting superstar shows. On behalf of the DPAC staff, special thanks to each and every one of our fans for being part of the success of this record-breaking season."



Comments

To post a comment, you must register and login.

 


Join Team BroadwayWorld

Are you an avid theatergoer? We're looking for people like you to share your thoughts and insights with our readers. Team BroadwayWorld members get access to shows to review, conduct interviews with artists, and the opportunity to meet and network with fellow theatre lovers and arts workers.

Interested? Learn more here.


Vote Sponsor


Videos