More than seven decades have passed since Carmel’s Sunset School celebrated the opening of its new auditorium. In 1931, its graceful arches and high-peaked roof gave it the distinctive look of Gothic-inspired architecture. It was the finest assembly hall of any school in the area with seating for over 700. The auditorium soon became a performing arts venue for all of Monterey Bay — and the cultural heart of Carmel-by-the-Sea.

In 1964, the City of Carmel bought the Sunset School complex, which covers two city blocks, and renamed it the Sunset Community and Cultural Center; and the school's auditorium became the Sunset Theater. This far-sighted purchase confirmed the Sunset Theater’s value as a cultural asset. Throughout the years, the theater has rewarded the city’s faith in its future by providing Carmel with a performance hall where many world-renowned artists have appeared.

For nearly forty years, the Sunset Theater was home to symphonies, chamber musicians, singers, actors, and dancers. By the early 1990’s, however, the Theater was well past its prime — an aging “jewel.” Keep in mind, the Theater was built originally as a school auditorium, and its shortcomings were everywhere apparent. For decades, patrons had had to overlook the auditorium’s poor acoustics and sight lines, as well as the inconvenient, remote restrooms. Meanwhile, performers were regularly hampered by its small stage — too small, in fact, to comfortably hold a complete, modern orchestra.

In order to address the problem of a facility that was ill-equipped for the 21st century, a public/private partnership was formed in the early 1990's with the sole objective of modernizing and renovating the Sunset Theater. A nonprofit corporation — Sunset Center for the Arts — raised $13.4 million in private donations from several foundations and nearly 1,200 individuals. The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea, as the public partner in this venture, sold bonds to provide the balance of the $21.4 million needed for renovation.

As the twenty-first century dawned, an innovative design for renovating — rather than rebuilding — the Sunset Theater was approved. The construction project began in earnest in September 2001. In July 2003 — less than two years after the start of this ambitious project and with the renovation and restoration complete — the Sunset Theater reopened to the fanfares of the Carmel Bach Festival, a long-standing annual music event in Carmel. After leading the first orchestra rehearsal in the new theater, Bruno Weil, music director of the Carmel Bach Festival, declared, “It’s a miracle, the acoustics are unbelievable.”

The distinctive, Gothic-inspired arches of the auditorium ceiling, previously an acoustical nightmare, had been transformed into graceful, acoustically transparent, perforated-metal ribs, while the enlarged stage area and proscenium arch could now accommodate a full orchestra and chorus for Beethoven’s remarkable Ninth Symphony. The one-time school auditorium could once again serve as a cherished live-performance venue worthy to be called a regional performing arts center.

Since reopening, Sunset Center continues to host more than 50 classical music performances each year, and has welcomed artists as varied as Wynton Marsalis and his jazz ensemble, Lyle Lovett and the Capitol Steps musical comedy troupe to its stage. In addition, enthusiastic audiences resoundingly applauded the return of José Carreras, who made his North American recital debut at the Sunset Theater in 1975, and the Vienna Choir Boys, who performed originally at the opening of the Sunset Theater in 1932.

Each year, Sunset Center brings the best in music, dance, theater, and live entertainment from around the world to the people of the Monterey Bay Area, and beyond. Today, Sunset Center has confirmed its place as the cultural heart of Carmel-by-the-Sea.

The Sunset Cultural Center

Once the renovation of the Sunset Theater was underway, the City Council for Carmel-by-the-Sea began to review its options for managing the renewed Sunset Center. The City Council sought to divest itself of the responsibility of managing and operating the Sunset Center complex and decided to engage a nonprofit organization to act in its place.

In October 2003, nine local volunteers created Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. ("SCC"), a not-for-profit California corporation. During the next six months, the SCC Trustees formulated a business plan with a detailed operating plan and started negotiations on a long-term contract with the City of Carmel. The City Council unanimously approved the contract in June, and SCC began managing Sunset Center on July 1, 2004. The contract establishes that "both parties desire that Sunset Center be managed and operated as a place for public, cultural, entertainment and community events, so that Sunset Center will serve as an economic and cultural stimulant for the community and the people of Carmel and its environs."

Each year, the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea underwrites a large portion of the operating costs for Sunset Center, as an investment in the cultural life of the community. SCC, for its part, supports its "Presenting Partners" - local performing arts organizations that use the Sunset Theater -- in various ways. Over time, SCC plans to develop programs to help strengthen ticket sales for our existing Presenting Partners and welcome new Presenting Partners to Sunset Center. By actively developing new programs it is the goal of Sunset Center to increase the number of nights that the theater is used and generate programs that encourage a broader audience.