Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC)

[bullcity76]

Durham needs a rising tide...In other words, the more entertainment and arts that open downtown...the more people that will spontaneously come just for fun and/or culture.

BTW, there are several (currently vacant) potential venues for a variety of nightclub and restaurant/lounge concepts.

[Atlside]

Here's a Flickr photo of the latest images

[Atlside]

Here's the latest view of the new center via a Flickr photo.

[DPK]

That's a lot of cement.

[JDC]

Whoa. I've missed a lot on here.

There are controls in place that are intended to protect the interests of both downtown Durham theatres. The city and staff of both venues have met extensively throughout the last year or so and have a pretty good understanding of how to operate with respect to one another. Lucky for both that they're not very close in size, so the DPAC will likely attract "bigger" acts that could fill 2000+ seats while the Carolina, at about 1000 seats, will continue to present musical and comedy acts like Steven Wright, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, Lou Reed, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Ani DiFranco, Joe Sample, Arlo Guthrie, DL Hughley, etc. AND fulfill its mission as a non-profit theatre by producing the lesser-known (children's shows, international artists, and so on...), AND continue to lease to local institutions (Durham Symphony, NC Youth Tap Ensemble, Cat's Cradle, etc.)

Each theatre has a pretty good idea of what shows fit their venue, but as an artist's popularity (and fees) change, an up-and-comer that appeared at The Carolina Theatre in 2005 might be better suited to appear in the DPAC in 2009. Like John Legend.

A little insider info: Summer is the slow season at the Carolina, hence the shutdown. Staff spends most of its time preparing for the NC Gay & Lesbian Film Festival and gearing up for the upcoming season of Carolina Theatre-produced live events, which typically goes from September through May or June.

Anyway, I think the new theatre could be a good thing for Durham in long term. There will be some difficulty attracting some people to mean, scary downtown Durham as there always has been, and the two theatres may not be on the same track at all times. But Durham's reputation on the national scale will grow, and all venues in the area will benefit.

[Atlside]

Here's a more up to date photo of the center via Flickr.

[NCMike1981]

wow thanks! It almost looks retro from that angle to me for some reason

[DanRNC]

^Booking as been going well for the DPAC as of late. Not my cup of tea but this place should be packing them in soon enough.

Events

[Atlside]

The center is now open and their website is now up:

http://www.dpacnc.com

Here are photos from the official website

2,800 seats

View of the DPAC looking out from the Stage

View of the Stage from the Grand Tier

View of the Stage from the Orchestra

View of the Stage from the Balcony

View of all seating areas

Panoramic View of the auditorium

The Plaza lobby in the BlueCross BlueShield Atrium

The Star Terrace lobby in the BlueCross BlueShield Atrium

Exterior of the Center from Blackwell Street

Exterior of the Center from Magnum Street

The parking deck at the Durham Performing Arts Center from Flickr

The parking deck at the Durham Performing Arts Center from Flickr

[DanRNC]

The parking deck ornamentation looks pretty good from 147-I had originally thought the concrete was painted.

[dmccall]

Looks good. I wonder if the people in the jail could hear a rock concert going on in there.

[Atlside]

Here is a nice find from Flickr.

[dmccall]

Great photos. If I ever get thrown in jail in Durham, I'll definitely request a SW corner room.

[cthayes75]

I went two weeks ago to the Anthony Bourdain lecture/speech and the place was really nice.

They had TONS of people out helping patrons get in/out of the parking garages and then directing them from the garage to the DPAC.

Beer/wine was reasonably priced, acoustics were good. A lot of stairs though...

[RaleighRob]

Good news: DPAC's making more money than expected: http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/6355519/

(And that doesn't include money spent at hotels, restaurants, bars, etc by people visiting for a show. Definitely a win for Durham it appears!)

[RALNATIVE]

Way to go DPAC!

 

Durham Performing Arts Center currently ranks fourth among top U.S. entertainment venues..

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/blog/2014/01/dpac-maintains-top-ranking-among-venues.html

 

 

The top five theaters and their seating capacities:

 

1. Radio City Music Hall, New York, N.Y. – 6,015 capacity

2. The Colosseum At Caesars Palace – Las Vegas, Nev. – 4,300 capacity

3. Orpheum Theatre – Minneapolis, Minn. – 2,600 capacity

4. DPAC – Durham, N.C. – 2,712 capacity

5. Nokia Theatre L.A. Live – Los Angeles, Calif. – 7,100 capacity

[DanRNC]

I remember when many folks in Durham opposed the construction of this place fearing it would kill the Carolina Theater. I read somewhere recently that it actually has helped the Carolina dramatically. Will be interesting to see what the expansion looks like. 

[BullDurhamer]

Aloft Hotel at DPAC