Carolina Opry Delights Myrtle Beach Visitors

Myrtle Beach is becoming a music capital, and it’s largely thanks to the work of Calvin Gilmore and the Carolina Opry.

Gilmore, a singer-songwriter in his own right in addition to being a producer and director, founded the Opry in 1986 in a 1,000-seat theater in Surfside Beach. It was a hit. Sell-out crowds inspired Gilmore to open a second show, The Dixie Jubilee, in North Myrtle Beach.

By 1993, both shows were blockbuster successes, and Gilmore consolidated the Carolina Opry in a new, gorgeous 2,200-seat theater in Myrtle Beach.

Today, the Carolina Opry performs 8,000 shows a year and is a highlight of the Myrtle Beach entertainment scene.

The namesake show, performed at least three nights a week, is an award-winning blend of high-energy music, comedy and dance, polished with state-of-the-art lighting, sound and special effects. It features All That, stars of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” Nashville musician Brad Long, and more than 35 performers doing everything from rock to country to Broadway to pop. The variety show is in its 28th season and has been running longer than any show in Broadway history. It received the Governor’s Cup, the state of South Carolina’s highest honor for tourism, and was named the state’s Most Outstanding Attraction by the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.

But the Carolina Opry has more to offer, too.

Time Warp is a pop music show performed three times a week. Featuring tunes from the 60s, 70s and 80s, the show blends music with multimedia screens, special effects and inspired costuming. Performed live by the cast of the Opry, this is a high-energy show that will have you singing along and remembering America’s best popular music.

The Opry also offers its exciting LIGHT shows daily at 9:30 p.m. Laser light shows are combined with classic rock in this crowd-pleaser.  Enjoy shows based on the music of the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd or classic rock from various artists.

During the holiday season, the Carolina Opry offers its acclaimed Christmas Special, featuring holiday classics, music, comedy and dance. The theater is transformed into a Christmas wonderland during the run of the show, with dozens of Christmas trees, thousands of lights and wreaths and garlands delighting visitors as soon as they walk into the lobby.

For information on any of the Carolina Opry shows, call 800-843-6779.