DPAC the first to debut Broadway-bound musical

DPAC will be the first venue to debut Harry Connick, Jr.'s musical "Cole Porter."

Posted 10:43 a.m. Aug 12, 2019 — Updated 2:08 p.m. Aug 12, 2019

Jeff Hogan, anchor/reporter,

and

Rick Armstrong, producer

DURHAM, N.C. — New awards and recognitions keep coming for the Durham Performing Arts Center. Now, the venue will be the first place anyone can see a new musical celebrating 20s and 30s composer and songwriter Cole Porter.

According to Candice Terrell, the assistant director of marketing at DPAC, with an array of awards and recognitions, the 2018-2019 season was one to remember.

"First of all, we won the IBEA award, which is the best theater in the country," Terrell said. "We love the exposure of the local awards, including WRAL.com's Favorite Venue. We're always the top 10, and we were recently the top 5."

The greatest satisfaction, Terrell said, is in filling DPAC's seats.

DPAC celebrates another record-breaking season

"This year, we are coming off our best year ever," Terrell said. "We've had over 530,000 people walking into our venue. We have a team here at DPAC that works very hard daily on bringing something for everyone."

A record 536,710 guests attended 163 sold-out performances at the Durham Performing Arts Center for the theater's twelfth season.

DPAC's most attended shows of the 2018/2019 season, in order of popularity, were Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, CATS, Miss Saigon and Anastasia. The season ran from July 1, 2018 to June 30.

According to officials, DPAC held a total of 240 concerts, comedy and theater events in that period, with an average of 2,249 guests attending each show. The theater seats 2,712.

WIN TICKETS: Harry Connick, Jr. - A Celebration of Cole Porter

For the upcoming fall season, DPAC fans are eager to see the musical Aladdin in addition to a unique opportunity to beat New York audiences in the debut of Harry Connick, Jr.'s musical "Cole Porter."

"No one has seen the show," Terrell said. "It is coming right here to DPAC -- on Sept. 21 and 22 -- right here in Durham before it goes to New York."

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