DPAC - Durham Performing Arts Center

I really am not sure how to go about reviewing DPAC. My wife has been multiple times to see shows like Wicked, Les Mis and Phantom of the Opera. I personally could care less for musicals, so I graciously opted out and we were all the better for it. On a cultural level, I feel lucky to have DPAC. It's great to have a venue in which to share the arts to a broader population at a reasonably convenient and affordable means.

Alright, so recently Groupon had a special for the ballet, Giselle. I have never been to a ballet, other than the Nutcracker (but I don't think that really counts) so I thought, hey, definitely affordable and maybe I can get some culture. We bought a few tickets, invited some friends and made a Thursday night date out of it.

Parking, like most anywhere in Durham, is scarce if you don't want to pay for it. Hey, I already admitted to using Groupon, so yeah, I can be a bit of a cheapskate. But no worries, a nice little walk does everyone some good! (Just not in heels for the wife and a noose, I mean tie for me...)

The ballet was great, but I suppose that should be a separate review somewhere else. DPAC was fine. It was clean, well-organized, comfortable seating, and even for discounted seats, the view wasn't as bad as I was expecting. The ushers and staff were kind and helpful. I can't really think of a negative thing to say about the whole event. But then, I can't really think of anything that "wow"ed me either. I don't know why people are giving 5 star reviews for this place. Because it's clean and the staff is nice?? Isn't that kind of the baseline?? I mean they didn't offer complimentary massages or puppies to pet during intermission...

In any case, I have nothing against it, in fact, I'm really glad it's here! I just don't understand why the reviews seem hyperinflated. The red carpet and windows aren't THAT amazing. I'll definitely come back, but my review sticks until they offer puppies.

Durham is fortunate to have such a wonderful performing arts venue.

The building itself is spectacular. I've never had a bad seat and the acoustics and lighting are all state-of-the-art. It's very easy to get to. Parking is a breeze. There are also many quality dining options nearby (several within walking distance).

Best of all, they have brought some major entertainment options to Durham with productions like "Wicked", "Billy Elliott", and most recently, "Priscilla, Queen of The Desert". They have concerts, comedy shows and they also host productions for the American Dance Festival.

Durham is very fortunate, indeed!

DPAC is an amazing venue.  The architecture definitely adds to downtown Durham.  The theatre is top notch on the inside too--thick red carpet, stunning glass architecture.  I had nosebleed seats, but about 2 minutes before the start of the show, they let everyone in the upper tier (it was less than 20% full) make their way down to the bottom of that section, which was really nice.  It was a Wednesday night showing towards the end of one of the show's runs, so I don't know if the theatre is usually fuller or if that is common practice.  Plus, if you go early and dine within walking distance, you can basically park for free (gotta love the free downtown parking in Durham).

I was disappointed in the show I saw there, but I mainly wanted to go to get to experience the theatre and the theatre itself definitely disappoint.