Texas Border Business
McAllen, TX – Just 11 days into the new year and 2019 has already cemented itself as a record-breaking year for the McAllen Performing Arts Center (MPA). The McAllen Performing Arts Center started the year off on a high note with tickets for an astounding 35 events in this year currently on sale to the public – with plenty more announcements coming soon. This sets a record for the most “on-sales” at any given time since the McAllen Performing Arts Center’s opening in late 2016.
An exciting number of events comes off the back of a busy year for the venue, grossing approximately $5.9 million in ticketed events, three times more than the top grossing year of the McAllen Civic Auditorium, which closed prior to the opening of the Performing Arts Center.
The McAllen Performing Arts Center had been busy keeping up with the demand in 2018, as new live performances, many never-before-seen in the Rio Grande Valley, contributed to high attendance numbers (150,237) and nearly a dozen sold-out events (11) last year.
“This venue brings much more than just entertainment to our market: it brings culture, educational events and opportunities for families to explore the arts. There was a need for this type of facility in the market and the numbers confirm it,” said Yajaira J. Flores, Director of the McAllen Convention Center Facilities, which includes both the MPAC and the McAllen Convention Center. “We are very excited about this year’s lineup and we continue to market our venue to promoters and agents throughout the world to bring the type of shows and performances that the McAllen Performing Arts Center allows us to now host.”
While the McAllen Performing Arts Center is enjoying steady growth, the universal appeal for live events continues to flourish in South Texas and plenty of energy has been put into expanding the rosters and lineup of diverse entertainment that can appeal to various audiences and budgets.
This also includes fostering educational events and supporting well-known local performing arts programs, such as the Rio Grande Valley Ballet, Melba’s Dance and Valley Symphony Orchestra, which treated a new generation of symphony goers to live musical movie tributes and presentations of Star Wars and Harry Potter, respectively.
Other MPAC 2018 Highlights:
•Les Miserables (Broadway) –7 shows
•Paw Patrol –5 shows (in two days)
•John Milton – 17 shows
Of the many shows announced last year for 2019, dozens more are waiting in the wings.
Audiences can look forward to more Broadway in McAllen, with “Legally Blonde” and “Chicago the Musical” coming soon, along with touring shows like” The Price is Right: Live;” “Dancing with the Stars” and Anjelah Johnson to name a few. Music fans can look forward to international star Julio Iglesias; legendary acts including The Beach Boys and Tom Jones; and the incomparable Il Divo.
Both the McAllen Convention Center and McAllen Performing Arts Center spaces have amplified the prevalence of the arts in the city, where people of all ages can feel part of the performing arts community and have so many options for entertainment.
“2018 was a great year for entertainment at the McAllen Performing Arts Center,” said McAllen City Manager Roy Rodriguez, P.E. “The future for the arts in McAllen is exciting.”
. The McAllen Performing Arts Center started the year off on a high note with tickets for an astounding 35 events in this year currently on sale to the public){kind=link}