I remember it was grand! That’s my memory of the Carolina Theatre as a child in the 60’s when my fourth grade teacher, Miss Miller, took my brother and me to see “The Sound of Music.” The hallways were dark but the ornate and decorative elements scattered on the walls shined through the shadows. I thought I was such a grown-up – traveling all the way Uptown (15 minutes from where I lived) and sitting in front of the stage shrouded with the largest curtain I’d ever seen in my life.
In the early 80’s, Springfest was Charlotte’s major annual tradition Uptown. The picture of me and my friend, Jeff, standing in front of the Carolina Theatre in 1981 is often mistaken for a Mediterranean vacation. The theatre’s facade may look out of place on North Tryon now, but when I was growing up it was a natural part of the city’s landscape; no questions asked.
I’ve watched the Carolina Theatre deteriorate over the decades as it stood abandoned and dealt with the stress when I heard there was a possibility of it being torn down to build condos or a parking lot. After years and years of renovation talk, it’s finally happening and it warms my heart every time I walk by and see the scaffolding along North Tryon and 6th Street as construction begins. The Carolina Theatre is a Charlotte icon, a treasure that needs to be treated as such. She’s in good hands, and this native Charlottean knows she is being well taken care of.
– Susan G.