Durham has picked up some excellent recognition in the venue-attendance world, as chronicled by the concert-industry trade magazine Pollstar. Pollstar just released its list of top-selling theaters in the world for the first half of 2012, and the Bull City is in the top-100 -- not just once, but twice.

Coming in at No. 2 in the world is Durham Performing Arts Center, whose 223,641 tickets sold rank behind only Mexico City's Auditorio Nacional. That makes DPAC No. 1 in the United States, ahead of fabled venues including Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre (No. 3 worldwide), Atlanta's Fox Theatre (No. 5) and New York's Radio City Music Hall (No. 14).

Durham's other entry is the Carolina Theatre, which sold 32,678 tickets through June 30. That placed the Carolina at No. 88 on the Pollstar list.

Thanks to "Celebrity Apprentice," we now know that Clay Aiken can do almost anything.

He can sing (of course) and he can act. He can also write, direct, design and produce.

But the coolest thing Clay has done so far this season is display his mastery as an improvisational puppeteer.

For this week's challenge, the "Celebrity Apprentice" teams had to put on a show for the audience of Henson Alternative's Stuffed and Unstrung puppet show (which has a show in Durham this week!). Brian Henson, son of Jim, is the force behind "Stuffed and Unstrung," along with Patrick Bristow, who you may recognize from Ellen Degeneres' old sitcom "Ellen." 

The teams had to design and build their own puppets, get some quick lessons on how to handle the puppets (which Clay didn't need -- thank you very much, Vacation Bible School!) and a rundown on the rules of improv, and then finally, perform the show.

The Carolina Theatre may have set a record last week when all its three theaters sold out on the same night. According to a copy of an email from executive director Bob Nocek, Friday’s simultaneous sellouts may have been a first.

“We knew going into the evening that our Paula Poundstone show had been sold out for several weeks,” Nocek wrote the theater’s board. “We also knew that we were opening ‘The Artist,’ the award-winning new silent-film. By 7 p.m. we had sold out the 7:15 screening in Cinema Two. Then our horror series, Retrofantasma, sold out nearly 300 tickets in Cinema One for a double feature of ‘The Shining’ and ‘The Lost Boys.’

“There’s no way to be certain, but we believe this may be the first time in the theater’s nearly 20-year history that we’ve sold out individual events in all three theaters at the same time,” he wrote.

Nocek said he could feel the excitement in the audience, which interrupted his stage announcement with applause several times.

“I am awed by what happened here tonight, and I’ve never been more proud of the efforts of this great team we’ve assembled. I’m copying the staff on this so they can share in the recognition of their accomplishments.”
 

So here's another kinda cool, kinda Durham opportunity ...

For years,  All About Beer Magazine's "World Beer Festival" has supported the Carolina Theatre with donations from festival proceeds.  Since 2001, the festival has contributed over $80,000 to the theater, making it one of the Carolina's biggest fundraising partners.

Now you can support the Carolina Theatre by volunteering at this year's World Beer Festival! Register with Durham Wayfiners to help out  Saturday, Oct., 8,  at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park for the afternoon Session (noon to 4 p.m.) or the evening session (6 to 10 p.m.)

That Durham Wayfinders site is pretty nifty too.
 

The Carolina Theatre will undergo a $1.8 million renovation this summer that will include the most significant changes to the facility since it was restored in the early 1990s.

The theater will close for construction June 13 and will reopen briefly for the N.C. Gay & Lesbian Film Festival on August 11-14 before closing again. Construction is scheduled to be completed in October.

The changes include new carpeting, plaster repairs and painting, new doors and windows, and the opening of the six private boxes in Fletcher Hall.

“The Carolina Theatre hasn’t seen improvements of this magnitude in over 17 years, and many of them are desperately needed,” says Bob Nocek, President/CEO of the Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc. “These upgrades will provide us with a facility deserving and capable of hosting the best national acts we can bring to Downtown Durham.”

The Carolina Theatre complex includes the historic 1,055-seat Fletcher Hall, which opened in 1926, and two cinemas that opened in 1994. The City of Durham owns the facility, which is operated by the non-profit Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc.

The City of Durham is paying for and carrying out the renovations, which are Phase II of a construction project funded by a 2005 bond issue. Phase I was completed in 2008 and included a new roof, HVAC replacement, ADA compliance upgrades, and sound and light improvements.

Look for more on this story coming n Sunday's Durham News.
 

Today is Groundhog Day, which means something in Punxsutawney, Pa. and wherever people hate cold weather. However, today has another significance closer to home.

Eighty-five years ago today, the Durham Auditorium -- a.k.a. Carolina Theatre -- held its grand opening and hosted its first show: "The Kiwanis Jollies of 1926," produced and performed by the Kiwanis Club of Durham.

Former Carolina Theatre CEO Connie Campanaro reminded Bull's Eye of the date.

"So it's an important birthday -- or anniversary-- however you want to look at it," she wrote.

Feb. 2, 1926 wasn't the only time the Carolina hosted a local "follies." In 1987, some of the Bull City's cultured set produced a "Durham Follies." Among its acts was a chorus line of men dressed in geisha costumes, dancing away to "Chinatown, My Chinatown."

Many things have changed since then, of course.

David Cross, who played Tobias Fünke on Fox's classic (but canceled) cult sitcom "Arrested Development," is appearing at Carolina Theatre in Durham Wednesday night.

Cross has appeared in lots of TV shows, including his own HBO sketch show with Bob Odenkirk in 1995 called "Mr. Show." But Cross is most well known now for playing Fünke, the discredited analyst/therapist (I'll spare you the shortened version he uses) with "never-nude" syndrome who spends much of his time trying to join Blue Man Group. 

Cross is also the author of the book I Drink For a Reason, which published in August of this year.

The Carolina Theatre show is October 7 at 8pm. 

If you had planned on seeing Arlo Guthrie perform at Durham's Carolina Theatre on Saturday night, you'll have to make alternative Valentine's Day plans. Guthrie is ill and has temporarily lost his voice, according to a statement from his agent. So the show has been postponed until May 19.

Ticketholders can exchange their tickets for the new date or get refunds at the Carolina Theatre box office. For details, call 560-3030.

New to the Carolina Theatre schedule over in Durham -- the incomparable ubur-righteous babe herself, Ani DiFranco, on March 10. Tickets go on sale at 11 a.m. Friday at the box office, by phone at 919/560-3030 or at carolinatheatre.org.

And here's the obligatory local angle: The mastering engineer on DiFranco's recent albums (including the new "Red Letter Year") is none other than Carrboro's own Brent Lambert.

UPDATE: Also coming to the Carolina Theatre in the spring, another righteous babe -- Joan Baez on Feb. 28.

The Carolina Theatre has some new board members.

Nahale Freeland Kalfas, who recently served as the theatre board's vice-chair, is its new chairwoman. Kalfas is a longtime Durhamite who co-owns Spartacus Restaurant with her husband, Epaminondas.

New board members include Brett E. Chambers, Maureen D. Cullins, Saundra M. Freeman, Debie Kulowitch and John Warasila.

The new vice-chair will be Paul Brock, the new secretary will be Kathy Silbiger, and the new treasurer will be Dave McIntee.