It was inevitable...
Indy voters choose the new Durham Performing Arts Center as "Best Live Theater" in their Best of the Triangle 2009.
I love DPAC! I love big, splashy musicals and other "commerical" entertainment (comedians, rock bands, performance art) that DPAC books. I love that the American Dance Festival will be performing at the DPAC. I love the design of the DPAC and I even love the weird spotlight sculpture thingie.
However, DPAC is not the "Best Live Theater" in the Triangle. DPAC an awesome space and it books lots of great live theatre produced elsewhere. That's kind of llike saying that the "Best Live Band" in the Triangle is the
Grease, Wicked, Spring Awakening, Phantom of the Opera, if
anything it should be the SunTrust Broadway Series that get the title
of Best Live Theatre, not DPAC. DPAC may be the best theatatrical venue and it might book the "best" or at least biggest shows of the big shows, but I think DPAC should be in a different kind of catagory.
Take a look at the finalists: Manbites Dog Theater, PlayMakers Repertory Company (Full Disclosure: I work at PRC) and Raleigh Little Theatre. All three of these companies actually create live theatre. I would suggest that the Indy create two catagories: Best Live Theatre and Best Visiting Production. DPAC, as awesome as it is (and it is awesome!), it's not a theatre company. It's a very well run presenting house and for that they should be honored...but let's open up the competition a little?
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