CHARLOTTE, N.C.: Originally built in 1927, the Carolina Theatre is being restored to its original condition and will reopen on March 7, the 98th anniversary of its original opening. As a preeminent cultural venue, the Carolina Theatre hosted live shows, including by such fixtures as Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, and feature films, including a record-breaking run of the movie The Sound of Music, which played to nearly 400,000 people (more than the population of Charlotte) in the mid-1960s.

Like other Southern theatres the Carolina was segregated for decades until 1963, when area theatres began a trial desegregation period, when Blacks were admitted in small groups and were required to reserve seating in advance. Within a few weeks, theatre owners dropped the reservation requirement and began admitting all patrons on the same basis. Like many historic theatres of its era, the theatre went into decline as audiences gravitated to multiplexes in the suburbs. Its doors closed on Nov. 27, 1978, after a final showing of The Fist, starring Bruce Lee.

The historic theatre gained a new lease on life in 2012, when the city of Charlotte deeded the property to Foundation for the Carolinas (FFTC). A year later, the foundation was awarded the theatre and its associated land in 2013. With this gift, the foundation announced a $51.5 million capital campaign to launch the formal rebirth of the Carolina Theatre. Construction to restore and renovate the theatre began in 2017. As of today, the campaign has increased to over $78 million.

Carolina Theatre’s primary focus will be civic uses such as lectures, town hall gatherings, annual meetings, symposiums, and panel discussions, with secondary uses to include film, arts, and entertainment. The space will serve as an extension to the conference space in the FFTC’s headquarters and provide the foundation with an additional offering for its public, private and nonprofit clients.