“We opened in 2008 and we’re proud to say that we have contributed over a billion dollars to the local economy since then. Just last year we had over 600,000 guests in our door, which was a new record. So we keep growing bigger and better every year,” said Josette Roten, director of marketing and sales for the Durham Performing Arts Center.  

On the menu for the season opener this week is Clue, a side splitting comedy based on the cult classic film and wildly popular board game. It will continue its run at the DPAC through September 8. 

“This is the first comedy Broadway play that we’re bringing to DPAC, so that makes it really special. But if you love the classic board game, the movie, this is the show for you,” Roten added.  

And joining the murder mystery this season are other new popular shows like & Juliet, Neil Diamond the Musical and Back to the Future.  

“There’s nothing like seeing a show live on stage. The energy of the audience and the cast connecting, it's just magical. You can get an experience from a movie or television show, but nothing will compare to a live event,” Roten said.   

In May, we took you behind the scenes in Durham of the groundbreaking Disney musical The Lion King. And after a month of reigning supreme over the Queen City, the show is leaving Charlotte on Sunday to make room for a new season of performances that are expected to draw people from near and far.  

Last year, Charlotte's Blumenthal Performing Arts Center saw 191 Broadway performances, making an estimated economic impact of more than $64 million. And this fall, the center is kicking off two different Broadway series featuring new shows like Shucked, Some Like It Hot and Kimberly Akimbo, and other classics like Six The Musical and Wicked. 

Just down the road in Greensboro, the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts is also coming off a banner Broadway season, where thousands of guests attended shows, staying in hotels and eating in local restaurants.    

“You add up 7 performances, we also offer specials, and all the one-night performances we host. So it’s a $100 million plus economic impact for the community,” said Scott Johnson, general manager for the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts.  

And with big-time shows like MJ the Musical, Hamilton and Mama Mia gracing the stage in a few short weeks, the venue’s already setting a new record with more than 17,500 season seat members.    

“The shows that we present are just as good as New York and those that come do appreciate seeing them local. And you can save a lot of money by seeing them in Greensboro, North Carolina versus New York City,” Johnson added. 

Meanwhile the Wilson Center in Wilmington is welcoming a slew of big shows starting next month with Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, and then in March of next year, The Addams Family:  A Musical Comedy.  

Exciting seasons that are officially getting underway across the state, proving you don’t have to go all the way to New York to experience the best of Broadway!