Celena Barton

Review of Durham Performing Arts Center

The family and I visited DPAC to see Carolina Ball...

The family and I visited DPAC to see Carolina Ballet Presents The Nutcracker. I was pleasantly surprised at the venue's organization and cleanliness; and the attendants are absolutely outstanding. I had read somewhere about a woman who visited and she mentioned the attendants made her feel like she was visiting friends or family -- they really are that friendly and helpful! ... And I do believe it was the first time in my 42 years I actually saw men (who weren't on stage) wearing top-hats.

The venue itself is pretty impressive with it's high-rising, crystal clear glass walls welcoming you in, and the red carpeting, and comfortable plush seats. Also, the main floor declines enough that, even though we sat 3 rows from the very back, we still saw the entire stage. I don't believe there was an empty seat in the room, and people were sitting directly in front of us, but we did not have to crane our necks or sit giraffe-like to see. :) My husband's first reaction upon entering was, "Well, there's not a bad seat in the house, is there?" (I don't think there is!)

Okay, okay, you want to know about the restrooms. Again, I was super impressed. Interim is usually only 15 to 20 minutes and how do you accommodate 2700 people in 15 to 20 minutes? Well the venue has twice the mandated facilities - and yes, I waited about 10 minutes before even heading out there, but when I did, there was no line, no wait, and about 12 empty stalls available when I entered the ladies' room. (And it was clean and tidy, too.)

I'm sorry I can't divulge much on the parking. We parked a block or so away (across from Mellow Mushroom) and walked from there, stopping to eat at Tyler's on the way through. The walk was nice and beautiful (even as cold as it was). There was plenty to see.

The whole night was a beautiful experience. If you haven't gone, you must! There's such a wide array of events offered, I'm sure you can find something you'd enjoy. ;)