As a fan of old movie theaters and movie palaces built throughout the United States, I’d like nothing more than to one day travel to Greensboro, North Carolina, to experience “The Showplace of the Carolinas,” the Carolina Theatre, which began life in 1927 on Halloween, openings its 2,200 seats to vaudeville performances. Known as the best theater between Atlanta and Washington D.C., the theater boasted chandeliers of sparkling crystal, classical statues, and marbled columns. This building, designed to look like a Greek temple and the auditorium ceiling had clouds projected onto its blue paint; that effect, along with columns and draperies, made the theater look like a a Greek amphitheater. At the time, the cost of a ticket was seventy-five cents for adults and fifty cents for children. The early days of the theater featured live acts, an orchestra, a newsreel, audience sing-a-longs, and a silent film.
In the middle seventies, the building was set to be demolished, but rescued by the United Arts Council; over the years, more than five million was raised to help expand the cultural center on Davie Street as well as to begin the next renovation at the Carolina. The Carolina Theatre is now in its 83rd year of operation and acts as a fully operational performing arts facility. Over the years, a number of entertainers have performed on the Carolina Theatre stage, including the following: Amos and Andy, Miles Davis, Vincent Price, Tonny Bennet, Emmy Lou Harris, Garrsion Keillor, Judy Collins, Gordon Lightfoot and Gregory Hines.
If you come to town and stay in one of the hotels Greensboro provides for its travelers, you may join the 75,000 people the Carolina Theatre serves on an annual basis. Coming up within the next few months (January through March of 2010), you’ll find a great variety of performances continuing in this landmark building, including the University of North Carolina Clef Hangers, the Ciompi Quartet, the Red Clay Saxophone Quartet, Ronnie Milsap, and productions of Menopause the Musical and 60 Years of Broadway.
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Tags: Carolina Theatre, Garrsion Keillor, hotels Greensboro