Carolina Theatre
226 N. Tryon Street,
Charlotte,
NC
28202
226 N. Tryon Street,
Charlotte,
NC
28202
9 people
favorited this theater
Showing 176 - 190 of 190 comments
Falonia: Are you a local Charlotte resident? If so, you might be interested in joining the Carolina Theatre Preservation Society founded by Charlie Clayton (charlie c).
Thanks Charlie for your call and hopefully others will join the Carolina Theatre bandwagon! I’ve learned through more research tonight that the next door, Mint Museum has been allowed to use the theatre for STORAGE!?!
Patsy,
If you want to see inside of the theatre, send me an e-mail at .com Our non-profit’s sole purpose is to save and restore this theatre. If you are not already a member, you need to join with us to make this happen. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!!!
If they had a fundraiser in 2002, why not another one since it was so successful then. The interest is out there and should be ‘tapped’! On the following site: View link there is a story about the event that was held in the ruined auditorium in 1996 that is well worth reading and seeing!! I would love to see the inside of the auditorium though the website photos really help to give you a glimpse of what it really looks like today! The ability to see the past and present photos as a comparison really helps see what was and what isn’t anymore. I truly feel this theatre should be a community effort and the restoration of this once beautiful theatre become a beautiful reality! There are many theatres on this site, but none as worthy as this one to be restored and enjoyed once again by the citizens of Charlotte, North Carolina! If anyone reading this is in the Charotte area, please let me know what one voice can do and in the end if many voices speak out it will and can make a difference!
Falonia: “If Nations can buy Bank of America and completely change the face of downtown why can’t they save this theatre? They owe it to the people of Charlotte? Well written and my thoughts completely. And I repeat…..this theatre needs to be given back to the citizens of Charlotte!!
This theatre needs to be given back to the citizens of Charlotte!!
I was a theatre usher at the Carolina while the Sound of Music was showing in the early 60’s. All seats were reserved and it was a sell out every Friday and Saturday night. Being only sixteen I only knew the theatre was old but knew little of its history. I recall an old chaulkboard that listed the order of acts when there was live productions behind the stage. It was a Wilbur-Kincy theatre at the time and was nicknamed the “Queen of the Chain”. I worked for Kermit High who was a quiet but nice man. I didnt realized the area under the stage was the orchestra pit but if I recall the custodian lived there. His name was Charlie and he had been there forever. He got hit by a bus checking the marquee lights one afternoon. The lights were still individual bulbs in the sixties, there were hundreds of them.
We stole popcorn from the huge popper behind the stage between afternoon and evening performances. That was our dinner as we only made 85 cents an hour. Our blazers were burgundy and we wore bowties. I loved the balcony and usually seated the patrons there. I remember seating one older woman there in the very last row under the projection booth. She said “If there is a fire will you come and get me?” The other 499 people laughed loud and long.
Its a tragedy that this theatre is in such shape. A city with Charlotte’s resources should preserve it. If Nations can buy Bank of America and completely change the face of downtown why can’t they save this theatre. They owe it to the people of Charlotte.
Norman Hayes, Murphys Ca.
The architect of the Carolina Theatre was R.E. Hall & Co Inc., Architects & Engineers.
Please note the organization that did the fundraiser is the Carolina Theatre Preservation Society.(501 c3 non-profit) We operate the web site mentioned above and we would like to hear from all the people who been posting comments on this page. Its important we work together to get the Carolina Theatre back to its orginal grandeaur.Contact Charlie Clayton at .com if you want to see this happen. We are getting much closer than you might think to making this happen. We need your help!!!!
Here is an excellent pictorial history of the theatre:
View link
The Charlotte Theatre is located at 226N. Tryon and it seated 1405 people when it was a movie theatre.
I have taken a photograph of the marquee displaying the last movie to appear at the Carolina Theater.It was taken in the evening Title “Across 110th Street”
The fund raiser was a huge success. Thanks to everyone that came out.
There will be a fund raiser for the Carolina Theatre on June 8th, 2002.
Please follow this link for ticket details.
View link
I have watched many a parade from this same location and was not awar until several years ago that this is all that is left of this grand theatre.
You honestly cannot tell that it once was a grand movie house. As of today 12/14/01 there have been no more plans proposed about this historic Charlotte landmark.