A few years ago, I wrote several blog posts about distinctive places in Charlotte that are associated with the sharing of stories. At the time, I did not write a post about the legendary Carolina Theatre because it was still in the process of being restored. However, this spring the beautifully restored theatre reopened, and it is now providing Charlotte audiences with opportunities to see films and live performances in the same auditorium that originally opened to the public in 1927.
For many years, the Carolina Theatre served as Charlotte’s premier performance venue. The Carolina Theatre hosted performances by such famous stars as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, and Katharine Hepburn, but it was primarily known as a movie theatre. The blockbuster films of the day often made their Charlotte debut at the Carolina Theatre. One such film was The Sound of Music, which opened in March 1965 and continued to play in the theatre until October 1966.
In celebration of the 60th anniversary of The Sound of Music, the Carolina Theatre is bringing back the movie for one day. On June 28, 2025, there will be two screenings of the film, one at 2:00 p.m. and a sing-along screening at 7:00 p.m. Tickets start at only $10 and can be purchased online at TheCarolina.com.
I think it is fitting the Carolina Theatre is reviving The Sound of Music, not only because the film had a remarkable 79-week run at the theatre, but also because the theatre and the film are both examples of escape stories.
When the Carolina Theatre closed in November 1978, it seemed destined to be razed to make room for a new skyscraper, but local preservationists launched a campaign to save the theatre. Their efforts almost came to naught after a fire broke out in 1980, which came close to destroying the structure. Somehow the theatre survived years of neglect and its narrow escape from fire. In 2012, the Foundation for the Carolinas acquired the structure and begin the twelve-year process of bringing it back to life.
The Sound of Music is also the story of a narrow escape. The film is about the Von Trapp family and their daring plan to leave Austria and flee to Switzerland before the Nazis annexation of Austria. The family’s willingness to risk everything to escape the Nazis underscores for contemporary audiences the real dangers posed by the rise of Fascistic governments. The Sound of Music has its light-hearted moments, but there is much more to the movie than singing about “Do-Re-Mi.”
I commend the Caroline Theatre for bring back The Sound of Music. I have fond memories of seeing this film when I was a boy, and I am looking forward to seeing it again in this Storied Charlotte venue.