Natina Harris has several tips for Duke employees taking in a show at the Durham Performing Arts Center.
The first is to use PERQS, the Duke employee discount, to save on tickets.
"I keep telling my friends to be sure to order tickets through Duke's site, because it saves 10 percent," said Harris, a neurodiagnostic technologist at Duke's Sleep Center. "That's too good to miss."
Another tip is to buy what Harris considers the best seat sin the house: the Grand Tier, just below the first balcony.
"I sat there for The Color Purple and felt like I was right on stage," she said.
Despite tough economic times, Harris attends shows at the performing arts center frequently, often with her 16-year old daughter, Alecxis."To me, spending money wisely on a show that can take your mind off your troubles is well worth it," said Harris, who saves about $10 each time she uses the discount.
Having grown up enjoying the lively arts scene in Philadelphia, Harris is delighted to have the performing arts center enlivening her adopted hometown of Durham.
"When I went to my first show, I was amazed at the building," she said. "I was so happy that they put together something so modern and beautiful."
The performing arts center, which opened last November and sits next to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, offers Broadway musicals, concerts and live comedy. Upcoming shows include magician David Copperfield (Oct. 21), and musicals, The Phantom of the Opera (Nov. 26 - Dec. 20) and Mamma Mia! (Jan.26-31, 2010).
While the standard employee discount is 10 percent, Duke employees can save up to 20 percent with lower online fees. To get the discount, employees must order tickets online through the PERQS website, which links to the performing arts center's website with full details about dates, times and seating.
That's where a final tip from Harris comes in handy:
"Always get an end seat. That way, if someone has to get out, you can let them by easily and not miss a moment of the show."