Carolina Civic Center

A Night of Silent Film and Organ Music with Mark Andersen
2024-08-15 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Carolina Civic Center, 315 North Chestnut Street, Lumberton, 28358, United States
A Fundraiser for the Robeson County Arts Council
The theater’s “Mighty Morton” organ is featured during a special evening of new and classic silent film as well as nostalgic tunes performed by master musician and composer Mark Andersen.
The performance will start out with the screening of the short film “Applecalypse”, which was created by and stars UNC Chapel Hill film department students. The film, which was scored by Andersen, had its premiere recently at the Carolina Theatre in Greensboro. Director Minh Ngo will be on hand to introduce the film and discuss its process.
The musical part of the program will be “The American Songbook” with music by George Gershwin and Cole Porter.
The night ends with a 30 minute silent film, the hilarious “Our Hospitality,” starring Buster Keaton, and also scored by Andersen.
Admission for this special event is $20 for adults and $15 for students. A portion of the funds for this show will benefit the Robeson County Arts Council.
Tickets can be purchased on-line by going to our web site at www.carolinaciviccenter.com. Tickets also can be purchased in-person or with credit card or cash 1 to 5:30 pm Monday through Friday through our administrative offices in the theater’s second floor (enter on Fourth Street side), or by calling the Civic Center at (910) 738-4339. Tickets can also be purchased at the door. Theater lobby box office opens for ticket sales one hour prior to performance.
About Mark Andersen
Mark began his education at Mars Hill College, The Governor’s School for the Performing Arts, and East Carolina University in North Carolina where he studied organ, harp, and flute. His graduate studies carried him to Chicago and the American Conservatory and then on to a full scholarship at the Paris Conservatory where he studied harp with Pierre Jamet, organ with Marcel Dupré, and composition with Nadia Boulanger. Andersen’s musical compositions have twice won the International Composer’s Competition (1976 and 1999) in Amsterdam, Holland. In addition to the classical side of Mark’s endeavors he has also written the musical score for several Broadway and Off- Broadway productions including “Widow’s Waltz”, “Best Friends”, and “The Woman They Love to Hate”. His musical scores have also been heard in movies and on television for many years.
Mark has served as church organist to several churches throughout his career. Currently he serves as Director of Music and Organist to Trinity Episcopal Church in Lumberton, NC where he heads a concert series that opens the church to many in the community. Mark also teaches organ students at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke as well as in his own studio.
Dr. Andersen continues as weekly host to “Crescendo!” over Time Warner and Comcast television from New York, Seattle, and North Carolina.
Brief history of the 2/8 Robert Morton Theater Organ
The 2/8 (2 manual/8 rank) Robert Morton Theatre Organ currently residing in the Carolina Civic Center, Lumberton, NC was originally installed in the National Theatre in Greensboro, NC in 1922. A sister organ was installed in the Carolina Theatre in Greensboro around the same time – this organ continues to play in its original setting. In 1939 the Center Theatre opened in downtown Durham and the National organ was relocated to Durham where it lived until 1967 when the Center was demolished. Just a few days before demolition, a group of organ enthusiasts was finally granted permission to remove the organ before the wrecking ball hit. The Morton was saved! The organ then spent several years in the residence of the late Dr. Paul Abernethy in Burlington, NC before he replaced it with a larger instrument.
The smaller organ was stored and found its way to Lumberton during the 1980’s thanks to a lot of work by Piedmont Theatre Organ Society members and the support of the community and the CCC Board of Directors. Funds were raised to purchase a console lift, prepare the chambers in accordance with local fire and building codes, and to complete the installation. The organ has been upgraded to use a computerized relay system to control the several thousand pipes and other devices located in the 2 chambers to the left of the stage.
Time and other factors took their toll on the keyboards, which were original to the 1922 console, which rendered the console inoperable for the last several years. The organ was playable only from the computer for that time period. In 2015, new keyboards were custom built and installed making the organ playable again by live organists thanks to the CCC and its supporters, especially Mayme and William Tubbs, Mark Andersen and Mac Abernathy.

Christmas School Show Reservations Start 1pm Sept. 5!
2024-08-30 08:00 - 2024-09-14 17:00
THE SCHOOL SHOW FLYER CAN BE DOWNLOADED BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK: School Show 2024 flyer
Dear Teachers,
At 1:00 pm, Thursday, September 5, we will officially begin taking reservations for our school field trip shows for “The 13th Annual Robeson County Christmas Show.”
Show times are:
Monday, Nov 25 at 10:00am, 11:30am and 1:00pm
Tuesday, Nov 26 at 10:00am and 11:30am
*Each show will last just under an hour. Our out-of-county schools usually need the 10am shows to ensure they are back on campus by the end of the school day.
Students – $10
Chaperones and parents – $10
Teachers and Bus Drivers – Free

Please call us or come by the box-office starting at 1pm September 5th with the following information readily available to make your reservations:

Show date & time preference (and 2nd choice)
Contact name & number
School name
Grade level(s)
Direct email address
Number of students
Number of chaperones/parents
Number of teacher’s/bus drivers

*New this year:
If you plan to allow or invite any parents, you must reserve those seats with your initial reservation to be paid at the same time you pay for your order. In the past some schools instructed the parents to call and purchase their own tickets. Unfortunately, this caused confusion for the theater and schools and disappointment for many parents who were not able to attend. We will not be selling seats to individuals this year.
We encourage you to call at your earliest convenience, because these performances will sell out quickly. Call 910-738-4339 during Box Office Hours of 1–5:30 pm weekdays starting on September 5th. NOTE: we expect a high call volume on September 5th, we encourage you to not leave a voice message but instead, try calling us again.

Annex Addition Coming Along - See the Progress!
2025-06-04 08:00 - 2025-08-30 17:00
We can really start to see the spaces and finishes begin to take shape and become a reality, both inside and outside of the new annex addition to the Carolina Civic Center Historic Theater . The Carolina Ballroom will accommodate 275 people at tables, 390 with just chairs and 450 standing. The lobby will hold an additional 100+ at tables.

The final, final finishes -including the lobby cloud ceiling, picture frame trim in the ballroom, projectors/monitors and exterior LED uplighting- will be visible in a month or so.

Looking to finish construction by mid-July and will announce opening very soon! We are already taking fall reservations for rental events such as weddings, parties, business meetings and conferences.

Go to www.carolinaciviccenter.com for all the details and to sign up for our e-newsletter!

Warmth of Winter Holiday Market
2025-12-13 12:00 - 19:00
Get ready to unwrap the magic of local artistry! Join us at the 3rd annual Warmth of Winter – Holiday Market on Dec 13th from 12-7pm in the new Carolina Ballroom at the Carolina Civic Center. Discover one-of-a-kind gifts that will make this Christmas unforgettable. From pottery to jewelry, paintings, handmade ornaments, and sourdough treats, our curated selection from 25 talented artists has something for everyone!

This event coincides with the Robeson County Christmas Show in the newly renovated Carolina Civic Center, so make sure you’re downtown to enjoy a wonderful holiday season kickoff!
