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Charlotte Talks
Charlotte Talks With Mike Collins

The wait is over. The Carolina Theatre is ready to entertain the public again — and to share its comeback story

By Sarah Delia
Published March 26, 2025 at 3:20 PM EDT
From left: Charlotte Talks host Mike Collins; Cathy Bessant, CEO of Foundation for the Carolinas; Douglas Young, Carolina Theatre’s programming director; and Sean Seifert, Carolina Theatre’s executive director, on the stage of the Carolina Theatre.
Sarah Delia
/
WFAE
From left: Charlotte Talks host Mike Collins; Cathy Bessant, CEO of Foundation for the Carolinas; Douglas Young, Carolina Theatre’s programming director; and Sean Seifert, Carolina Theatre’s executive director, on the stage of the Carolina Theatre.

The wait is finally over — this week, the Carolina Theatre opens its doors. The public has not been able to enjoy the theater since it closed in 1978. But thanks to planning, restoration, and fundraising help from the Foundation For The Carolinas, this nonprofit theater will soon be filled with music, laughter, and people once again.

Ater years of construction, the theatre has been restored to its former glory but also as a state-of-the-art masterpiece.
TOMMY MCCART PHOTO/Courtesy of the Carolina Theatre
After years of construction, the theater has been restored to its former glory — and transformed into a state-of-the-art masterpiece.
The Carolina Theatre closed in 1978 and has sat vacant for almost half its lifetime – 47 years. Now, it’s set to make a comeback.
Courtesy of the Carolina Theatre
The Carolina Theatre closed in 1978 and sat vacant for almost half its lifetime – 47 years. Now, it’s set to make a comeback.

Located on the corner of North Tryon and East 6th Street, the Foundation for the Carolinas took ownership of the theater in 2012 after purchasing the building from the city for $1. Construction began in 2017 — but it’s been a long, complicated and expensive road. A mix of public funding and private donations covered the cost, which soared to $90 million.

The Carolina Theatre marquie
TOMMY MCCART PHOTO/Courtesy of the Carolina Theatre
The Carolina Theatre marquee.

Charlotte Symphony Orchestra's spring gala on March 28 is one of the first performances coming to the new Carolina Theatre. On this episode of Charlotte Talks, we bring you a sneak peek inside the Carolina Theatre and speak to the people who have been hard at work to make it happen.

GUESTS:
Cathy Bessant, CEO of Foundation for the Carolinas
Douglas Young, Carolina Theatre’s programming director
Sean Seifert, Carolina Theatre’s executive director

Charlotte Talks With Mike Collins
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Sarah Delia
Sarah Delia is a Senior Producer for Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins. Sarah joined the WFAE news team in 2014. An Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, Sarah has lived and told stories from Maine, New York, Indiana, Alabama, Virginia and North Carolina. Sarah received her B.A. in English and Art history from James Madison University, where she began her broadcast career at college radio station WXJM. Sarah has interned and worked at NPR in Washington DC, interned and freelanced for WNYC, and attended the Salt Institute for Radio Documentary Studies.
See stories by Sarah Delia