Missouri-born musician-entrepreneur Calvin Gilmore has been called a better businessman than a guitarist. He's credited with starting the entertainment explosion in Myrtle Beach by launching this theater back in 1986 and thereby immediately spawning a host of imitators. In 1992, the original Carolina Opry moved into this new 2,200-seat facility, complete with its own recording studio. Shows offer a variety of music, including country, bluegrass, western swing, big band, patriotic, and show tunes, as well as comedy. An enduringly popular show, which keeps being revived year after year, is Good Vibrations, a program that celebrates, with verve, pop, and rock, the music of the '60s and '70s. The Christmas show is so popular that it's often sold out by June. Performances are daily at 8pm. Know in advance that the Carolina Opry is adjacent to the Dixie Stampede Dinner Theater , and a battalion of parking supervisors will direct you to rigidly predesignated areas, depending on which theater you plan to visit.