Durham residents can get DPAC ticket discounts. That doesn’t mean they will

Since 2018, Durham County residents have been able to get discounted tickets to popular shows at the Durham Performing Arts Center through the DPAC For All program.

It’s a privilege many others in the Triangle can’t access. And both anecdotal and quantitative evidence suggest the program is in demand.

Responding to The News & Observer’s request for feedback, social media users described the program as “wonderful,” “terrific,” “great” — even “dope” — and said they wished more people knew about it. Durham resident Rachel McNeil said in an email that DPAC For All gave her and her partner access to more shows than they would have been able to afford otherwise.

DPAC For All tickets — offering discounts of 20%-75%, depending on the event — usually sell out before the day of the show, Megan Rindoks, director of community engagement at DPAC, said in a phone interview.

“We do feel that we’re doing a pretty good job of opening the door to more people to experience Broadway, concerts, comedy at DPAC for the first time, and I think we can continue to find more ways of doing that,” Rindoks said.

But the program’s popularity might actually be keeping people from being able to take advantage of it.

But can you really get discounted tickets at DPAC?

Lisa Misrok has purchased discounted tickets through DPAC For All to see several shows since she moved to Durham in 2021 — “To Kill A Mockingbird,” “Beetlejuice” and “Book of Mormon,” just to name a few.

But this year, Misrok couldn’t get DPAC For All tickets for any of the shows she wanted to see, she said in an email.

Kelly Hayes, who owns Wonder Learning Center in Apex, scours local theater websites to find deals on tickets to plays that could help the center’s Broadway and Beyond class learn about history through performances. She and a teacher at Wonder Learning Center were able to get eight tickets through the DPAC For All program to take students to see “The Great Gatsby” in May.

“It was actually pretty phenomenal,” Hayes told The N&O by phone. “I mean, the tickets were $20, which is amazing.”

Hayes said she has tried getting discounted tickets for other DPAC shows, but the tickets are often sold out by the time she tries to purchase them.

“I do wish there were more performances that were made available through the program, but I’m grateful for the ones that are,” Hayes said.

If people are now having trouble getting discounted tickets, it’s because of an increase in demand, Rindoks said, not because the program has been cut back.

How has DPAC For All changed?

In its early days, DPAC For All tickets were only available for a handful of Broadway shows that came to Durham. That’s no longer the case. Just this past year, DPAC For All prices were offered for almost all of the Broadway shows plus 10-15 concerts and comedy shows.

The problem is, it’s up to each tour or show to agree to set aside a number of tickets at discounted prices. And not every act wants to do that. For those that do, there are usually around 30-50 tickets on sale at lower rates, Rindoks said, which is just a fraction of the approximately 2,700 seats in the downtown Durham venue.

Customers are allowed to purchase more than one discounted ticket, and in addition to Durham County residents, students and active-duty and retired military members are included.

There are also no restrictions on the number of times someone can purchase DPAC For All tickets — a benefit for people who enjoy seeing shows, and a testament to the program’s mission of increasing accessibility for the Durham community, but arguably a hurdle for people who can’t purchase tickets quickly enough.

Best ways to get DPAC For All tickets

If you are a Durham County resident, student of any age, currently in or retired from the military, you can purchase DPAC For All tickets. (DPAC also offers tickets for the military community through Vet Tix.)

Discounted-ticket buyers may be asked to show their ID when they pick up their tickets to prove their status.

To know when DPAC For All tickets become available, sign up for email alerts on DPAC’s website. There are sign-up links for Durham residents, military and students.

All DPAC For All tickets become available at the same time, and all are sold at the same price. No DPAC For All tickets are set aside specifically for Durham residents or students or military members.

Tickets can be purchased online or over the phone, but there will be a fee. To avoid that fee, people can buy tickets in person at the box office.

Renee Umsted

The News & Observer

919-419-6579

Renee Umsted is The News & Observer’s Affordability Reporter. She writes about what it costs to live in the Triangle, with a consumer-focused approach. She has a degree in journalism from TCU.