Does Charlotte Need a Bigger Performing Arts Center?

[JacksonH]

The Belk Theater at the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center is probably the crown jewel of performing arts venues in North Carolina, and has been since it opened in 1992.  It has a seating capacity of 2,118.  But in Greensboro, the new Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts is scheduled to open and its theater will seat 3,000 -- considerably more than the Belk Theater.   Will this new venue 93 miles down the road be competition for the Belk Theater that might cause Charlotte to lose out on future off-Broadway productions?  (Note also that ,further down the road, the Durham Performing Arts Center has a seating capacity of 2,712.)  

http://www.apicellabunton.com/project/steven-tanger-center-for-the-performing-arts/

[tozmervo]

Bruntly, the answer is no. Greensboro will not be competitive for first-run Broadway tours. Industry folks have told me that Belk theater is a favorite of touring shows and is often one of the most profitable stops on tours. When the Belk Theater can't accommodate a show (which is rare), Blumenthal sends it down to Ovens, which has it's own update/overhaul in the works. It's also worth pointing out that most Broadway shows aren't intended for excessively sized theaters. The largest theater near Times Square is the Gershwin, which has just shy of 2,000 seats.

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, tozmervo said:

Bruntly, the answer is no. Greensboro will not be competitive for first-run Broadway tours. Industry folks have told me that Belk theater is a favorite of touring shows and is often one of the most profitable stops on tours. When the Belk Theater can't accommodate a show (which is rare), Blumenthal sends it down to Ovens, which has it's own update/overhaul in the works. It's also worth pointing out that most Broadway shows aren't intended for excessively sized theaters. The largest theater near Times Square is the Gershwin, which has just shy of 2,000 seats.

Honestly between Ovens, Belk, Booth, Knight, McGlohon, Duke Energy Theatre, Stage Door and soon Carolina Theatre, I think Charlotte does pretty decently. Does Charlotte Ballet have a performance space?

[HighRiseHillbilly]

2 hours ago, tozmervo said:

Bruntly, the answer is no. Greensboro will not be competitive for first-run Broadway tours. Industry folks have told me that Belk theater is a favorite of touring shows and is often one of the most profitable stops on tours. When the Belk Theater can't accommodate a show (which is rare), Blumenthal sends it down to Ovens, which has it's own update/overhaul in the works. It's also worth pointing out that most Broadway shows aren't intended for excessively sized theaters. The largest theater near Times Square is the Gershwin, which has just shy of 2,000 seats.

Anecdotally speaking, just last night I was thoroughly disappointed that a show I want to see has already sold out. It's not the type of show that everyone is scrambling to see, so my immediate thought was that the performer low-balled himself and will hopefully move the show to Ovens due to "popular demand".

I honestly haven't paid attention to how often this has been done before, but I want to selfishly add a "yes" vote now that I've been left out in the cold.

One thing I have noticed, though, has been that Greensboro and even Raleigh often land some very nice shows that don't seem to make it here. These tend to be larger, musical acts that need a stadium, but I just want to rant because I'm still mad that I can't get tickets to my thing next month....

[CharlotteWkndBuzz]

11 minutes ago, HighRiseHillbilly said:

Anecdotally speaking, just last night I was thoroughly disappointed that a show I want to see has already sold out. 

Telling my secret here (not really lol), but if you sign up for Blumenthals email club, they send members early alerts to purchase tickets ahead of time for your particular event. Also, I would check the ticket site every day. People change seats, return tickets, etc all the time and depending upon how many tickets you need, availability usually pops up occasionally. Sounds like this is a one nighter event you're looking into. 

[HighRiseHillbilly]

2 minutes ago, CharlotteWkndBuzz said:

Telling my secret here (not really lol), but if you sign up for Blumenthals email club, they send members early alerts to purchase tickets ahead of time for your particular event. Also, I would check the ticket site every day. People change seats, return tickets, etc all the time and depending upon how many tickets you need, availability usually pops up occasionally. Sounds like this is a one nighter event you're looking into. 

Yeah, some cities are getting two nights, but we get one. This info is definitely appreciated. Thank you. 

[tozmervo]

To be clear, I was only referring to Broadway shows. I totally agree that we keep getting passed over by musical acts

[videtur quam contuor]

1 hour ago, CharlotteWkndBuzz said:

Telling my secret here (not really lol), but if you sign up for Blumenthals email club, they send members early alerts to purchase tickets ahead of time for your particular event. Also, I would check the ticket site every day. People change seats, return tickets, etc all the time and depending upon how many tickets you need, availability usually pops up occasionally. Sounds like this is a one nighter event you're looking into. 

I am on the Blumenthal email list and was pleasantly surprised when tickets to Hamilton were available thru the list. I bought Grand Tier Circle, middle, tickets, full price but at my leisure, no lottery. I sat behind Johnny and Deborah Harris. I had assumed nothing was going to be available but they contacted me thru the list. 

[DH17]

I can say from a classical music perspective that both auditoriums (belk and knight) are well-occupied every night they perform. I would love a bigger venue Uptown however to help attract more world-class classical performances from touring musicians and orchestras.

[Hushpuppy321]

The Belk Theater is in for a major overhaul that will begin sometime in the near future (I think in another year or two).  Not sure if the venue will get more seats though.  Someone in the know help me out.

Raleigh and Durham venues are very nice and competitive to Charlotte’s in seating, upgrades and decoration.  

[Guest]

Quote

Blumenthal Performing Arts believes that the performing arts are vital to our community, our economy, our education, and our workforce of tomorrow — and that everyone in our community benefits from Blumenthal as a locus of inspiration, creativity, joy, and celebration. When the Cesar Pelli-designed NC Blumenthal Performing Arts Center was built in 1992, it was a breathtaking example of the confluence of function and design.

Now, more than two decades later, it is time to update this crown jewel of Charlotte to accommodate not only the energy of the growing city but also its emphasis on the arts and community. Specifically, we envision an entrance that welcomes and embraces visitors of all types — from the arts aficionado to the passer-by with a piqued interest — who might discover something new, starting on the outside plaza with its cafe meeting place for fellowship and conversation.

The entrance itself, proudly and prominently situated at the corner of 5th and Tryon Streets, will offer greater street access, inviting pedestrians to come inside and be amazed, while at the same time providing heightened visibility and ease of use for pickup and drop-off. Inside, guests will find an arts facility updated to be worthy of a world-class city, with expanded space for hospitality and pre- and post-show enrichment activities.

The project objective is to create added vibrancy and community spaces on North Tryon with a café that invites pause, outdoor performance stage to entertain, expand hospitality space to steward and cultivate private support from stakeholders, improve access between floors with updated elevators and a new stairway, and to create a striking architectural landmark on the Square.

The project scope includes the Belk lobby expansion out toward Tryon St to create an entirely new façade, added event space above the plaza, HVAC improvements to Belk Theater, creation of a new double helix stairway in the rotunda with a public art installation at its base, expanded restrooms, new catering kitchen, new entrance, and digital marquees to enliven Tryon St and 5th St.

These necessary enhancements will reinvigorate Blumenthal Performing Arts Center — and Uptown Charlotte — as a destination for incomparable arts experiences that are accessible to all. This will be a significant project to kick-off the revitalization of the North Tryon Street corridor.

 

[CLT>]

On 2/4/2019 at 12:13 PM, ricky_davis_fan_21 said:

  

God those renderings are awful....

 

The Knight  Theatre was specifically designed to be the home of Charlotte Ballet.

 

The reason Charlotte gets lots of broadway productions is that the Blumenthal actually invests in shows before they make it to Broadway, and so guarantee that at least those shows will run here, and with that vehicle has proven that Charlotte is a great market for Broadway shows.

 

 

[cityboi]

I don't think the new performing arts center in Greensboro will affect Charlotte at all. The cities are over 90 miles apart. Greensboro 's new venue will affect DPAC in Durham. Those two cities are about 55 miles apart and currently a percentage of DPAC visitors are from Greensboro and the Triad.  So there will be a small drop in attendance in Durham. Charlotte....no.  Most people here don't drive to Charlotte for Broadway, they go to Durham because its much closer.