DPAC's Event History

Unique Live Entertainment Experiences!

From Greensboro to Durham, Chapel Hill to Cary, Raleigh and east to the coast, the Durham Performing Arts Center has become the award winning home for superstar entertainment in the Triangle region. DPAC has sold out over 150 shows including musical acts Neil Young, Paul Simon, and Dolly Parton, comedians Carol Burnett and Robin Williams, and four consecutive weeks of Disney’s The Lion King.

Since our doors opened in 2008, DPAC has quickly grown into an established cultural landmark for popular entertainment in the Triangle and beyond. DPAC is currently listed among the Top 4 in Pollstar Magazine’s Top Worldwide Theater Venues; we have won the Herald-Sun Reader’s Choice award for Best Entertainment and the Independent Weekly’s Best of Award for Live Theater from 2009-2011.

DPAC has presented more than 520 ticketed events since our grand opening, with over 1 million guests from the region in attendance. We will present over 180 performances throughout the upcoming year. SunTrust Broadway at DPAC 2011-2012 season boasts 10,000 season ticket holders and has become one of America’s biggest Broadway subscription series in three short years.

DPAC is proud to have showcased the following remarkable shows in its first three seasons…

Broadway

• RENT starring Adam Paschal & Anthony Rapp* - January 20-25, 2009
• Jesus Christ Superstar - March 6-8 , 2009
• Fiddler on the Roof starring Topol* - March 17-22, 2009
• Legally Blonde The Musical - April 14-19, 2009
• Oprah Winfrey’s The Color Purple* - May 12-17, 2009
• Cirque Dreams Illumination* - September 15-20, 2009
• Grease starring Taylor Hicks - October 6-11, 2009
• The Phantom of the Opera - November 26-December 20, 2009
• Mamma Mia! - January 26-31, 2010
• Hairspray* - February 24, 2010
• Spring Awakening - March 2-7, 2010
• Wicked* - April 21-May 16, 2010
• The Color Purple - May 25-30, 2010
• Billy Elliot the Musical - October 30-November 14, 2010
• Mel Brooks Young Frankenstein - December 7-12, 2010
• Disney’s The Lion King* - January 4-30, 2011
• In the Heights - February 22-27, 2011
• Blue Man Group* - March 15-20, 2011
• Shrek the Musical - April 5-10, 2011
• Avenue Q - April 19-20, 2011
• HAIR - May 10-15, 2011
• Monty Python’s Spamalot* - May 24-25, 2011
• Come Fly Away - September 27-October 2, 2011
• Rock of Ages - October 25-30, 2011
• Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes* - November 10-27, 2011
• Rain* - January 17-18, 2012
• Memphis* - January 24-29, 2012

Concerts & Special Events

• B.B. King* - November 30. 2008
• A Christmas Carol - December 5-7, 2008
• Kenny Rogers - December 11, 2008
• John Legend - The Inaugural Celebration - December 13, 2008
• Harry Connick Jr.* - December 17, 2008 
• Jim Brickman - December 18, 2008 
• Divine Performing Arts* - December 28, 2008
• Aaron Lewis of STAIND - February 18, 2009
• Anthony Bourdain* - February 19, 2009
• Willie Nelson* - February 20, 2009
• Ben Folds - February 25, 2009
• Temps & Tops - February 26, 2009
• 70’s Soul Jam* - February 28, 2009
• Morrissey - March 11, 2009
• John Prine - April 4, 2009
• David Sedaris* - April 11, 2009
• A Prairie Home Companion* - May 9, 2009
• India Arie Soulbird Tour - May 10, 2009
• Steely Dan Rent Party Tour ’09* - June 9, 2009
• American Dance Festival - June 18-July 25, 2009
• Tori Amos - July 31, 2009
• Maxwell* - August 5, 2009
• Jamie Foxx in Concert - September 2, 2009 
• The Fray - September 8, 2009 
• Kenny Loggins & Jimmy Messina - September 24, 2009
• Alice Cooper - September 30, 2009
• Imagination Movers* - October 15, 2009
• The Australian Pink Floyd - October 17, 2009 
• David Copperfield - October 20-21, 2009 
• Roger Daltrey of The Who - October 28, 2009
• FunkFest - October 30, 2009
• Leonard Cohen* - November 3, 2009
• Kem, Najee, and Maysa - November 6, 2009
• Jackson Browne* - November 11, 2009
• Steve Miller Band - November 13, 2009
• Vince Gill* - Jan 22, 2010
• Steve Winwood - February 9, 2010
• Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly* - February 12, 2010
• Celtic Woman* - February 13, 2010
• Harry Connick Jr. and Orchestra* - February 16, 2010
• Gary Allan - March 12, 2010
• The Moody Blues* - March 24, 2010
• Wilco* - March 27, 2010
• Experience Hendrix* - March 28, 2010
• David Gray* - April 9, 2010
• Chicago* - May 18, 2010
• Paula Deen Live! - June 5, 2010
• Chaka Khan - June 20, 2010
• Ringo Starr and His Allstar Band* - July 11, 2010
• Mary Chapin Carpenter - July 18, 2010
• Melissa Etheridge - July 26, 2010
• Norah Jones* - August 8, 2010
• Lyle Lovett and His Large Band* - August 18, 2010
• Natalie Merchant - August 30, 2010
• Buddy Guy: Bull Durham Blues Festival - September 11, 2010
• Celtic Thunder - November 17, 2010
• QDR Country Concert for the Kids - November 18, 2010
• Joe Bonamassa - November 20, 2010
• A Christmas Carol - December 3-5, 2010
• 12 Days of Christmas with Amy Grant & Vince Gill* - December 14, 2010
• The Temptations & The Four Tops* - February 9, 2011
• Madagascar Live - February 18-20, 2011
• John Mellencamp - March 1, 2011
• Daniel O’Donnell - March 2, 2011
• Erykah Badu* - March 4, 2011
• Celtic Woman - March 6, 2011
• Diana Ross* - March 11, 2011
• YES - March 24, 2011
• Disney Live! Mickey’s Magic Show - April 1, 2011
• Yanni in Concert - April 12, 2011
• Kem featuring Ledisi* - April 14, 2011
• Neil Young* - April 15, 2011
• Raheem DeVaughn & Mint Condition - May 5, 2011
• Chris Botti with The North Carolina Symphony - May 17, 2011
• Al Pacino - May 20, 2011
• Steve Martin with The Steep Canyon Rangers* - May 21, 2011
• Imagination Movers - May 22, 2011
• Josh Turner - May 26, 2011
• B.B. King* - June 3, 2011
• Tedeschi Trucks Band - June 12, 2011
• David Gray - July 3, 2011
• Dolly Parton* - August 2, 2011
• Steely Dan* - August 4, 2011
• Maze featuring Frankie Beverly - August 19, 2011
• Steve Earle - September 17, 2011
• Earth, Wind, and Fire* - September 18, 2011
• Blondie - September 21, 2011
• Peter Frampton - October 5, 2011
• Charlie Wilson - October 6, 2011
• Weird Al Yankovic - October 9, 2011
• Joe Wash with Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band - October 18, 2011
• Willie Nelson* - October 20, 2011
• QDR Country for the Kids Concerts* - November 30, 3011
• Paul Simon* - December 1, 2011
• Theatre in the Park's A Christmas Carol* - December 3, 2011
• Hall & Oates* - December 7, 2011
• Carolina Ballet's The Nutcracker - December 10-11, 2011
• Kenny G Holiday Show* - December 15, 2011
• The O'Jays* - January 15, 2012
• Kelly Clarkson - January 31, 2012
• Bill O'Reilly* - February 3, 2012
• Aretha Franklin* - February 9, 2012

Comedy 

• Lewis Black* - December 3, 2008
• NBC’s Last Comic Standing - January 4, 2009
• Ricky Smiley* - February 13, 2009
• George Lopez - March 14, 2009
• Bill Cosby* - March 29, 2009
• Mike Epps* - May 3, 2009
• Big Black Comedy Tour - June 13, 2009
• Brian Regan* - September 25, 2009
• 3 Jokers and a Queen - October 2, 2009
• Robin Williams* - October 14, 2009
• Kathy Griffin - October 16, 2009
• Lewis Black* - September 10, 2010
• Cedric The Entertainer* - December 18, 2010
• Ricky Smiley with J. Anthony Brown* - February 11, 2011
• Jerry Seinfeld* - February 12, 2011
• Brian Regan* - March 3, 2011
• Wanda Sykes* - March 22, 2011
• Rodney Carrington - March 23, 2011
• An Evening of Laughter and Reflection with Carol Burnett* - April 2, 2011
• Stephanie Miller - Sexy Liberal Comedy - June 4, 2011
• Martin Lawrence* - June 19, 2011
• Ron White* - September 10, 2011
• Louis CK* - October 21, 2011
• John Oliver* - October 22, 2011
• Bill Cosby* - January 21, 2012
• Steve Harvey*- February 11, 2012

* Denotes show had sellout performances