2016-17 Season Places DPAC Among America's Top Five Theaters
By: BWW News Desk Jul. 17, 2017
DPAC (Durham Performing Arts Center) concluded its successful ninth season after entertaining almost 460,000 guests during the 2016/2017 season.
In DPAC's ninth season of operations under the direction of Nederlander and PFM, the theater held 223 events, with 93 sellouts and a total attendance of 458,326 guests. DPAC's average attendance per event was higher than last year, and total attendance was the venue's second-best ever for a season.
While Triangle publications and organizations have consistently rated DPAC as the region's best venue for live entertainment, the theater also has been nationally highlighted as one of the country's most highly-attended venues. In Pollstar Magazine - one of the top live-entertainment trade magazines - DPAC just placed 4th among U.S theater venues in the 2017 mid-year rankings among reporting venues.
Looking at attendance totals for the just completed 12-month season, DPAC appears with some of the most famous and iconic venues in America.
Pollstar Ticket Sales - U.S. Theater Venues: *(July 1, 2016-June 30, 2017)
1. Radio City Music Hall - New York, NY
2. The Axis at Planet Hollywood - Las Vegas, NV
3. Fox Theatre - Atlanta, GA
4. The Colosseum at Caesars Palace - Las Vegas, NV
5. DPAC - Durham, NC
This season continued the showcasing of high-profile Broadway, concert and comedy events that has made DPAC the unequivocal center for live entertainment in North Carolina. Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I - one of Rodgers & Hammerstein's finest works and winner of four 2015 Tony awards including best musical revival - topped the list of Broadway shows. In second place was Finding Neverland, the story of Peter Pan creator J.M. Barrie came in second, followed by the holiday smash Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas with 10 performances, including a collaboration with the Autism Society of North Carolina and Duke Health for DPAC's first-ever sensory-friendly performance.
Top Five Shows -
Broadway at DPAC
2016/2017 *
1. The King and I
2. Finding Neverland
3. Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas
4. Something Rotten!
5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
*July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017
DPAC presented a total of 223 performances this season including concerts, comedy shows and special events. Top-selling concerts featured blues rock guitarist, Joe Bonamassa, who has sixteen #1 Billboard blues albums; folk-rock legend and Nobel Peace Prize winner Bob Dylan; the legendary Tony Bennett and R&B veterans Earth, Wind & Fire.
Comedy icons Steve Martin and Martin Short's two-night run of their hit show, "An Evening You Will Forget For The Rest Of Your Life" with the Grammy-Award winning bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers, led a strong season of comedy at DPAC that also featured Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Trevor Noah and Jay Leno. Special events included a live-action Paw Patrol show, an special evening by Neil deGrasse Tyson and Love Jones - The Musical, a musical stage adaptation of the renowned 1997 film.
Top Fifteen Concert Events - 2016/2017 Season*
1. Joe Bonamassa
2. Bob Dylan
3. Tony Bennett
4. Earth, Wind & Fire
5. Il Divo
7. The Temptations & The Four Tops
9. Mannheim Steamroller Christmas
10. The Piano Guys
11. Steve Miller Band
12. Vince Gill
13. Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman - An Evening of Yes Music
14. Celtic Woman
*July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017
Top Five
Comedy Events
2016/2017 Season*
1. Steve Martin, Martin Short & Steep Canyon Rangers
2. Chris Rock
3. Adam Sandler
4. Trevor Noah
5. Jay Leno
*July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017
Top Five
Special Events
2016/2017 Season*
1. Paw Patrol
2. Love Jones The Musical
3. Neil DeGrasse Tyson
4. Julianne and Derek Hough - Move Beyond Live On Tour
5. Dan TDM
*July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017
Bob Klaus, General Manager of DPAC, said, "As one of the nation's top theaters, we strive to give all or guests an exceptional live entertainment experience. Thanks to the booking strength of Nederlander and PFM, DPAC offers one of the best Broadway, concert and comedy line-ups in America, while Durham's thriving downtown has great restaurants and convenient parking that help make a night at DPAC an outstanding overall experience."
Rachel Traversari, Senior Director of Marketing, added, "We are honored that DPAC is consistently being named as the best place in the Triangle for live entertainment - and we are especially grateful for the continued support of our guests, who are the reason we go all out to provide such quality live entertainment. On behalf of all the DPAC staff, thank you to our guests for sharing in the success of another incredible season."
About DPAC
Since its opening in 2008, DPAC 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 eight times in the top ten in Pollstar magazine's annual worldwide theater attendance rankings, DPAC is now 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 for seven 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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