Charlotte's stature as a city that supports the performing arts continues to grow. Broadway road shows and local groups are both attracting wider audiences. The North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center offers outstanding stages for live performances: The 2,100-seat Belk Theater hosts traveling New York blockbuster musicals and performances with internationally known artists; Booth Playhouse presents theater-in-the-round and is home to the North Carolina Dance Theatre. Just a few steps north, Spirit Square is a more intimate space in a former First Baptist Church, which has a Byzantine dome and stained-glass windows; its performance venue is the McGlohon Theater. A short drive east of Uptown, the Ovens Auditorium, a 2,600-seat facility on East Independence Boulevard, is a venue for large shows.
The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (http://www.charlottesymphony.org) and Opera Carolina (http://www.operacarolina.org) offer polished performances. Avant-garde theater fare is offered by Actor's Theater of Charlotte (http://www.actorstheatrecharlotte.org).
