Wed, June 29, 2022
DPAC Draws Over 450,000 Guests in Comeback Season
DPAC (Durham Performing Arts Center) wrapped up its 2021 / 2022 season this past Saturday night with acclaimed singer-songwriter Amos Lee, ending what many are calling DPAC’s comeback season.
Beginning with English pop group Squeeze on August 2nd, the 2021 / 2022 season saw 453,945 guests attending DPAC’s 204 performances. Highlights included the much-anticipated return of HAMILTON, which sold out every one of its 24 performances, Chris Rock’s three sellouts, and concert sellouts from artists normally seen only in larger venues, including Jason Isbell, Lauren Daigle, 2Cellos, and Charlie Wilson.
In addition, the just completed season saw DPAC welcoming its five-millionth guest since opening in 2008. In celebration of reaching this attendance milestone, the five-millionth guest won a concert and comedy superstar package featuring tickets to ten shows of their choice and received a special welcome featured on social media.
Pollstar National Rankings
In its just published mid-year special edition, Pollstar Magazine’s Top 200 Theatres rankings show DPAC in the #2 spot (Tickets) and #5 spot (Gross Sales) among U.S. Theatres. This places DPAC among the top venues in the country, including iconic theaters such as Radio City Music Hall in New York City, Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, and the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.
Operated under the direction of Nederlander and PFM, DPAC has been ranked among the top-ten theaters in America every year since 2010.
Pollstar Top U.S. Theater Venues based (Tickets Sold)
|
|
U.S Theatres – Location |
Capacity |
|
1. |
Radio City Music Hall – New York, NY |
6,015 |
|
2. |
DPAC – Durham, NC |
2,704 |
|
3. |
Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN |
2,362 |
|
4. |
Fox Theatre – Atlanta, GA |
4,665 |
|
5. |
Chicago Theatre – Chicago, IL |
3,600 |
|
6. |
Paramount Theatre – Seattle, WA |
2,807 |
|
7. |
Providence Performing Arts Center – Providence, RI |
3,100 |
|
8. |
The Anthem – Washington, DC |
6,000 |
|
9. |
The Theatre at Resorts World – Las Vegas, NV |
5,000 |
|
10. |
Microsoft Theater – Los Angeles, CA |
7,100 |
Bob Klaus, General Manager of DPAC, said, “We love live shows. And we’re proud of being able to bring live entertainment back into people’s lives here in North Carolina. There’s a magic and energy that happens when people come together and we’re thankful to all the fans of Broadway, concerts, comedy, and our special events that were part of this season.”
DPAC also continued to be recognized with “Best of” awards voted by readers and viewers of INDY Week, Durham Magazine, WRAL-TV and WRAL.com as the region’s best venue for live entertainment.
Broadway Leads the Way
The 2021 / 2022 season again saw hit Broadway shows among DPAC’s bestselling events, making up 121 performances out of DPAC’s 204 events. The return of the blockbuster HAMILTON topped the list of Broadway events, welcoming more than 64,000 guests.
DPAC’s signature series, Truist Broadway at DPAC’s biggest shows were Hadestown, the winner of eight Tony Awards, followed by the critically acclaimed revival production of My Fair Lady.
|
|
|
|
|
*July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022 |
Concerts, Comedy & Special Events
Along with DPAC’s line-up of Broadway musicals, the center also presented a diverse array of concerts, comedy, and special events throughout the 2021 / 2022 season.
DPAC presented a total of 67 concerts, comedy, and special events this season. Returning DPAC fan-favorite, Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit topped the list of concerts, followed by Lauren Daigle’s The Behold Christmas Tour, which featured DPAC as one of only three intimate tour stops at theaters across the U.S. Completing the top five concerts of the season were Joe Bonamassa, Bonnie Raitt, and Charlie Wilson.
In what was a record setting year for comedy at DPAC, Chris Rock brought three sold-out shows to DPAC this season, earning him the top spot on the list of comedy events, followed by Nate Bargatze and Tom Segura. The top-selling special events included Theatre in the Park’s A Christmas Carol, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, Alton Brown Live, Celtic Woman, and Dr. Jordan B. Peterson.
Top Five Concert Events – 2021 / 2022 Season*
- Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit (2 performances)
- Lauren Daigle (2 performances)
- Joe Bonamassa
- Bonnie Raitt
- Charlie Wilson
Top Five Comedy Events - 2021 / 2022 Season*
- Chris Rock (3 performances)
- Nate Bargatze (2 performances)
- Tom Segura (2 performances)
- Hasan Minhaj (2 performances)
- Bert Kreischer (3 performances)
*July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022
Top Five Special Events - 2021 / 2022 Season*
- Theatre in the Park’s A Christmas Carol (6 performances)
- Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Alton Brown Live (2 performances)
- Celtic Woman
- Dr. Jordan B. Peterson
*July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022
Brad Saks, Director of Programming – Concerts and Comedy, said, “We’re again honored to be listed among the very best theaters in the country. No venue worked harder to be ready to reopen and it was great to see audiences respond to the variety and diversity of stars and artists on stage at DPAC. As good as this season was, we are already hard at work to ensure our 2022 / 2023 season is even better.”
Link to Venue Photos: https://bit.ly/2021-22VenuePhotos
Link to Broadway B-Roll: https://bit.ly/2021-22BroadwayBRoll
Link to Concert Photos: https://bit.ly/2021-22TopConcerts
Link to Comedy Photos: https://bit.ly/2021-22TopComedyShows
Link to Special Event Photos: https://bit.ly/2021-22TopSpecialEvent
###
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. Ranked annually among the top-ten theaters in America by three leading national magazines that cover live entertainment events and venues, DPAC was nominated in 2020 for Theatre of the Decade by Pollstar Magazine.
With a mission of presenting one-of-a-kind live entertainment events, DPAC truly has “something for everyone,” hosting 450,000 to 550,000 guests per year to its 200+ performances. Each season, the stage at DPAC comes alive with 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), since 2011 DPAC has been listed as the #1 performing arts organization in the region by the Triangle Business Journal.
For more information, please visit: www.DPACnc.com.
