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Articles by Paul Hyde
Ballet Greenville brings back Halloween favorite with new characters and music
A young woman engrossed in her cellphone misses the announcement that a museum is closing for the night. Suddenly, the doors are locked, and she's trapped among the exhibits. Then the nightmare begins. The wax figures come to life in "Madame Tutu's Nightmare at the Museum," Ballet Greenville's Halloween-themed production returning to the Peace Center's Gunter Theatre, Oct. 23-24.
Brahms and Wagner make surprisingly harmonious companions in Atlanta Symphony concerts
CONCERT REVIEW: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra October 1, 3 & 4, 2026 Atlanta Symphony Hall Atlanta, Georgia – USA Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Nathalie Stutzmann, music director and conductor; Johan Dalene, violin.
Humor: Grits, bugs and all the dirt on SC for newcomers
Dear Newcomer, Thank you for making South Carolina the fastest-growing state in the nation. And welcome to the land of kudzu, diabetes and data centers. No doubt y’all have a lot of questions. Here are some basics about South Carolina you need to know. South Carolina has four seasons: summer, almost summer, still summer, and Christmas. We don’t have global warming in South Carolina. We have global scorching. Our state food is grits. This is not a side dish. Grits are a way of life. Our truly is sweet tea.
Humor: Grits, bugs and all the dirt on SC for newcomers
Dear Newcomer, Thank you for making South Carolina the fastest-growing state in the nation. And welcome to the land of kudzu, diabetes and data centers. No doubt y’all have a lot of questions. Here are some basics about South Carolina you need to know. South Carolina has four seasons: summer, almost summer, still summer, and Christmas. We don’t have global warming in South Carolina. We have global scorching. Our state food is grits. This is not a side dish. Grits are a way of life. Our truly is sweet tea.
Humor: Grits, bugs and all the dirt on SC for newcomers
Paul Hyde Mon, October 12, 2026 at 3:58 PM EDT 4 min read Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Add Yahoo on Google The moon rises behind the flags atop the South Carolina Statehouse dome in Columbia, S.C. on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Photo by Travis Bell/STATEHOUSE CAROLINA/Special to the SC Daily Gazette) Dear Newcomer, Thank you for making South Carolina the fastest-growing state in the nation. And welcome to the land of kudzu, diabetes and data centers.
Classic American musical 'The Music Man' comes to Clemson
There's trouble in River City - and it's arriving at Clemson University's Brooks Center for the Performing Arts. Meredith Willson's beloved musical comedy "The Music Man" comes to the Brooks Center on Oct. 13, bringing with it one of Broadway's most enduring collections of songs, characters and small-town Americana. First produced on Broadway in 1957, "The Music Man" follows Harold Hill, a fast-talking traveling salesman who arrives in River City, Iowa, with a dubious plan.
From 'Psycho' to Copland, free Clemson concert explores American sound
What could be more different than the prickly, nerve-jangling music of "Psycho" and the warm expansiveness of Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Suite"? Yet both are distinctly American sounds - and both are part of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's "American Soundscapes" program, coming to Clemson University's Brooks Center for the Performing Arts on Oct. 6. The program, presented as part of Clemson's Utsey Series, celebrates American music in the year of the nation's 250th anniversary.
Owner remembers how time at newspaper started
I will always remember looking down at my phone on that day very early in 2020 and seeing that Jerry Tidwell was calling. I have known Mr. Tidwell for many years. I grew up in Granbury. I played soccer with Mr. Tidwell’s son Derek. The Hood County News sponsored that team. One of the senior reporters at Hood County News, Rose Thyne, was the coach of that team. Derek also was in my grade at school.
10 years after Townville, what did South Carolina learn? Original
7:00 Commentary TOWNVILLE — Things like this can’t happen here. A school shooting can’t happen here. Not in this quiet, tight-knit rural community of rolling fields and roadside vegetable stands. Not in this village (population 3,913) whose history reaches back two centuries to a post office that opened in 1836 and a Presbyterian church founded in 1803, when Thomas Jefferson was president. This historical marker tells the history of Townville Presbyterian Church, founded in 1803.
'Floyd Collins' brings a haunting true story to Mill Town Players
Phillip Rast has been waiting nearly a decade to play Floyd Collins. Rast, who stars in the title role of the Mill Town Players' production of "Floyd Collins," first encountered the musical as a student studying musical theater at Coastal Carolina University around 2015. He quickly became fascinated by its music and its haunting story. So when he learned Mill Town Players was producing it, there was little question that he would audition.
SC lawmakers almost doubled their own pay. What can we expect from them?
7:00 Commentary State lawmakers failed to produce a state budget on time, but they were far more decisive when it came to almost doubling their own compensation. Many South Carolinians may question whether elected officials deserve a significant pay increase while many South Carolina families struggle with rising housing costs, gas prices, healthcare costs, utility expenses, insurance premiums and grocery bills.
The SC Arts Commission should fund art, not police ideas
7:00 Commentary The Greenville Gay Men’s Chorus and Proud Mary Theatre Company, two LGBTQ-related arts organizations in the Upstate, had been recommended for South Carolina Arts Commission grants through the agency’s normal review process. The agency’s governing board approved grants for more than 170 other organizations. But commissioners singled out these two and postponed their grants until they can make another case for their artistic merit. Why?
'Maybe Happy Ending' at Peace Center finds the human heart in a world of robots
Claire Kwon knew she wanted to be part of "Maybe Happy Ending" almost as soon as she saw it. She had already auditioned for the Broadway musical but by the time she saw the production during previews, she hadn't heard whether she had gotten the job. A few months later, she got the call - and got her chance. Kwon joined the Broadway company as a vacation standby for Claire, one of two "helper bots" at the center of the musical's unlikely love story.
'James and the Giant Peach' brings Dahl's imagination to life at SC Children's Theatre
For James Henry Trotter, an orphaned boy living with two mean-spirited aunts, the world can seem like a lonely place. Then along comes a giant peach. The South Carolina Children's Theatre will bring Roald Dahl's beloved "James and the Giant Peach" to the stage on Sept. 18. This musical version of the story spotlights a cast of about 30, ranging from elementary-school students to adults. "This show is so full of imagination," said director Peggy Trecker White.
SC lawmakers almost doubled their own pay. What can we expect from them?
State lawmakers failed to produce a state budget on time, but they were far more decisive when it came to almost doubling their own compensation. Many South Carolinians may question whether elected officials deserve a significant pay increase while many South Carolina families struggle with rising housing costs, gas prices, healthcare costs, utility expenses, insurance premiums and grocery bills.
At Warehouse Theatre, 'Here There Are Blueberries' explores the human face of evil
A bowl of blueberries might seem an unlikely symbol for one of history's darkest chapters. But in "Here There Are Blueberries," the new production at the Warehouse Theatre, a photograph of women enjoying blueberries becomes the starting point for an unsettling exploration of the Holocaust - and the people who helped carry it out.
Centre Stage opens 'Season of Icons' with Neil Simon farce
Centre Stage is kicking off its new season with a comedy that demonstrates just how much fun can come from a story of high-spirited chaos. Neil Simon's "Rumors," directed by John Fagan, takes the stage on Sept. 17-Oct. 4 to open "A Season of Icons." For Fagan, the production marks his first opportunity to direct a full-fledged farce in quite some time - and his first crack at "Rumors." "I love doing farces," Fagan said. "The show is killer.
The SC Arts Commission should fund art, not police ideas
The Greenville Gay Men's Chorus, founded in 2011, consists of more than 35 tenors and basses "dedicated to artistic excellence, meaningful collaboration, and the power of choral music to build community and connection," according to the group's website.
The SC Arts Commission should fund art, not police ideas
The Greenville Gay Men’s Chorus and Proud Mary Theatre Company, two LGBTQ-related arts organizations in the Upstate, had been recommended for South Carolina Arts Commission grants through the agency’s normal review process. The agency’s governing board approved grants for more than 170 other organizations. But commissioners singled out these two and postponed their grants until they can make another case for their artistic merit. Why?
The SC Arts Commission should fund art, not police ideas
The Greenville Gay Men's Chorus and Proud Mary Theatre Company, two LGBTQ-related arts organizations in the Upstate, had been recommended for South Carolina Arts Commission grants through the agency's normal review process. The agency's governing board approved grants for more than 170 other organizations. But commissioners singled out these two and postponed their grants until they can make another case for their artistic merit. Why?
The South Carolina Arts Commission should fund art, not police ideas
The Greenville Gay Men’s Chorus and Proud Mary Theatre Company, two LGBTQ-related arts organizations in the Upstate, had been recommended for South Carolina Arts Commission grants through the agency’s normal review process.
The SC Arts Commission should fund art, not police ideas
The Greenville Gay Men’s Chorus and Proud Mary Theatre Company, two LGBTQ-related arts organizations in the Upstate, had been recommended for South Carolina Arts Commission grants through the agency’s normal review process. The agency’s governing board approved grants for more than 170 other organizations. But commissioners singled out these two and postponed their grants until they can make another case for their artistic merit. Why?
'Newsies' brings underdog spirit to Fountain Inn's Younts Center
When 70 young newsies raise their voices together at the Younts Center for the Performing Arts, the effect is more than musical. "The building literally feels like it's shaking," said Tim St. Clair II, director and music director of Ignite Theatrical's production of "Newsies." "It's powerful. It's amazing." The production, opening Sept. 11 at the Younts Center in Fountain Inn, is the largest show Ignite has mounted in its three seasons as the center's in-house theater company.
'Titanic' brings a ship full of stories to Greenville Theatre
Everyone knows how the story ends. But Greenville Theatre's production of "Titanic: The Musical," opening Sept. 11, is less interested in the sinking of the ship than in the people aboard it - the passengers and crew members whose hopes, dreams and relationships give the tragedy its human dimension. "You will fall in love, laugh, and cry with all of these characters," said Ahsha Daniels, who is directing the production.
Commentary: Dolly Parton showed us a different kind of Southern politics
I stared at my phone, waiting for the interview of my life. Dolly Parton was scheduled to call to promote the first national tour of her musical “9 to 5” at the Greenville, South Carolina Peace Center. This was January 2011, when I was an arts writer at The Greenville News. But Dolly was 10 minutes late. Would she even call? Then the phone rang. I nervously picked it up. “Paul?” she said in that famous sparkling voice. “I’m sorry I’m late.
Dolly Parton showed us a different kind of Southern politics Original
I stared at my phone, waiting for the interview of my life. Dolly Parton was scheduled to call to promote the first national tour of her musical “9 to 5” at Greenville’s Peace Center. This was January 2011, when I was an arts writer at The Greenville News. But Dolly was 10 minutes late. Would she even call? Then the phone rang. I nervously picked it up. “Paul?” she said in that famous sparkling voice. “I’m sorry I’m late.
'Two Old Black Guys' find plenty to talk about - and laugh about
Two old men. One park bench. A history of rivalry. And, apparently, nowhere else either one would rather sit. That is the setup for "Two Old Black Guys Just Sitting Around Talking," a lighthearted one-act comedy coming to the DreamBox, the intimate black-box theater created by Clark Nesbitt, founder and director of the Greenville-based theater company No Dreams Deferred.
Mauldin Theatre Company opens milestone season with 'Pippin'
Kristofer Parker believes the upcoming season at the Mauldin Theatre Company marks more than a milestone. As the company celebrates its 10th anniversary, Parker said it has firmly established its artistic identity, and that confidence is reflected in its season theme, "Guided by the Light," and in its opening production of "Pippin," running Aug. 14-30.
'The Shark Is Broken' brings Hollywood's biggest fish tale to Greenville Theatre
Few movie monsters have become as iconic as the great white shark in "Jaws." Yet the mechanical predator that terrified audiences in 1975 spent much of the production refusing to cooperate. That behind-the-scenes misfortune became theatrical gold in "The Shark Is Broken," a comedy being staged at Greenville Theatre, July 31-Aug. 2. The story explores what happened while three stars of the landmark film waited, and waited, for the shark to work.
'Spamalot' brings Monty Python madness to Peace Center
Even after half a century, the comedy of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" remains gloriously, gleefully absurd.
Remembering two sides of Lindsey Graham: gangster and American Dreamer Original
17:30 Commentary I’ll remember Lindsey Graham as a gangster. Not that kind of gangster. The South Carolina senator, who died July 12 at the age of 71, belonged to two of Washington’s most famous “gangs”: the bipartisan Gang of 14 and the Gang of Eight. A black cloth and white flowers sit atop the late South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham’s desk on the U.S. Senate floor on Monday, July 13, 2026.
No offense, but the Upstate won the Revolutionary War — and you’re welcome
South Carolina’s new license plate is slowly but surely making its way onto cars across the state. You’ve seen it by now. It bears a sweeping claim: “Where the Revolutionary War Was Won.” kAmp==@H >6 E@ AC@A@D6 2 >@56DE 2>6?5>6?E]k^Am kAm%96 A=2E6 D9@F=5 C62==J C625i “&ADE2E6 $@FE9 r2C@=:?2i (96C6 E96 #6G@=FE:@?2CJ (2C (2D (@?]”k^Am kAmq67@C6 C6256CD :? r@=F>3:2 @C w@=J r92C=6DE@?
No offense, but the Upstate won the Revolutionary War — and you're welcome
South Carolina’s new license plate is slowly but surely making its way onto cars across the state. You’ve seen it by now. It bears a sweeping claim: “Where the Revolutionary War Was Won.” kAmp==@H >6 E@ AC@A@D6 2 >@56DE 2>6?5>6?E]k^Am kAm%96 A=2E6 D9@F=5 C62==J C625i “&ADE2E6 $@FE9 r2C@=:?2i (96C6 E96 #6G@=FE:@?2CJ (2C (2D (@?]”k^Am kAmq67@C6 C6256CD :? r@=F>3:2 @C w@=J r92C=6DE@?
No offense, but the Upstate won the Revolutionary War — and you’re welcome Original
9:00 Commentary South Carolina’s new license plate is slowly but surely making its way onto cars across the state. You’ve seen it by now. It bears a sweeping claim: “Where the Revolutionary War Was Won.” Allow me to propose a modest amendment. The plate should really read: “Upstate South Carolina: Where the Revolutionary War Was Won.” Before readers in Columbia or Holy Charleston accuse me of historical malpractice, hear me out.
South Carolina State’s student protest was not a mob
South Carolina State’s student protest was not a mob The students acted like citizens. It was the politician who missed the lesson. June 30, 2026 at 1:18 p.m. EDT14 minutes ago
Evette and SC State student controversy: Peaceful protest is not a mob
South Carolinians endured plenty of mudslinging during this year's primary election. Gubernatorial candidates sharply, even brutally, questioned one another's records, motives and fitness for office. But one of the election's most troubling episodes did not involve politicians attacking politicians. It involved Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette attacking students at South Carolina State University, A mob conjures images of violence, intimidation and lawlessness.
South Carolina New Play Festival fuels the next generation of theater
Shelley Butler remembers the moment she sensed the South Carolina New Play Festival had helped uncover another play headed for a national audience. "In that packed house, Mat and I felt the whole audience lean in," Butler says. There were laughter and tears, she added, the kind of audience response that suggested the play had really connected. A Black-Billed Cuckoo is hardly an outlier.
Greenville County students march for women's vote in 'Suffs'
More than a century after American women won the right to vote, a new generation of young performers is rediscovering the struggle that made it possible. More than 20 students from Greenville County Schools will take the stage July 7-9 in an all-county production of "Suffs," the Tony Award-winning musical about the women who fought for the passage of the 19th Amendment.
Remembering the Emanuel 9 victims after a season of gun politics Original
Earlier this month, South Carolina voters watched a parade of disturbing campaign images that have become increasingly familiar in modern politics. Among the most striking were social media posts featuring candidates posing with military-style rifles, firing weapons at shooting ranges or otherwise presenting themselves as warriors in the nation’s ongoing cultural battles. Several of the candidates who most enthusiastically embraced those images — including former gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep.
Annual patriotic concert at Furman unites more than 200 musicians
For many Upstate families, summer at Furman University means lawn chairs, picnic blankets and patriotic music drifting across the lake. That tradition returns this year on June 25 with familiar favorites, fireworks and an expanded grand finale featuring more than 200 musicians.
South Carolina voters chose familiarity over fury Original
South Carolina voters were given an opportunity to vote for dramatic change on June 9. But despite the anger and strident rhetoric of this election season, voters behaved in a decidedly conventional, sober fashion. They chose familiarity over fury — and experience over political flame-throwers.
Young performers tackle epic 'Hadestown' at SC Children's Theatre
The South Carolina Children's Theatre is venturing into myth, music and the Underworld this month with "Hadestown: Teen Edition," a youth-centered staging of Anaïs Mitchell's Tony Award-winning musical that director Peggy Trecker White says speaks powerfully to young performers - and audiences. Featuring an all-teen cast and band, the production reimagines the ancient Greek story of Orpheus and Eurydice through a contemporary musical lens of jazz, folk and blues.
After 20,000 deaths, why are we still attacking doctors?
Posted Friday, June 5, 2026 1:26 pm Dr. Edward Simmer, interim agency director for the Department of Public Health, speaks at a press conference on the launch of the new department on Monday, June 24, 2024 (Provided by the Department of Health and Environmental Control) South Carolina lost more than 20,000 people to COVID-19. A tragedy of that scale should have strengthened respect for public health expertise.
After 20,000 deaths, why are we still attacking doctors?
Posted Friday, June 5, 2026 2:26 pm Dr. Edward Simmer, interim agency director for the Department of Public Health, speaks at a press conference on the launch of the new department on Monday, June 24, 2024 (Provided by the Department of Health and Environmental Control) South Carolina lost more than 20,000 people to COVID-19. A tragedy of that scale should have strengthened respect for public health expertise.
After 20,000 deaths, why are we still attacking doctors?
Posted Friday, June 5, 2026 1:26 pm Dr. Edward Simmer, interim agency director for the Department of Public Health, speaks at a press conference on the launch of the new department on Monday, June 24, 2024 (Provided by the Department of Health and Environmental Control) South Carolina lost more than 20,000 people to COVID-19. A tragedy of that scale should have strengthened respect for public health expertise.
After 20,000 deaths, why are we still attacking doctors?
Posted Friday, June 5, 2026 2:26 pm Dr. Edward Simmer, interim agency director for the Department of Public Health, speaks at a press conference on the launch of the new department on Monday, June 24, 2024 (Provided by the Department of Health and Environmental Control) South Carolina lost more than 20,000 people to COVID-19. A tragedy of that scale should have strengthened respect for public health expertise.
After 20,000 deaths, why are we still attacking doctors?
Posted 6/5/26 South Carolina lost more than 20,000 people to COVID-19. A tragedy of that scale should have strengthened respect for public health expertise. Instead, in some quarters, it inspired political backlash against the very officials charged with saving lives. Dr. Brannon Traxler and Dr. Edward Simmer have been treated as convenient targets. Both are physicians. Both […] This item is available in full to subscribers.
After 20,000 deaths, why are we still attacking doctors?
Posted Friday, June 5, 2026 2:26 pm Dr. Edward Simmer, interim agency director for the Department of Public Health, speaks at a press conference on the launch of the new department on Monday, June 24, 2024 (Provided by the Department of Health and Environmental Control) South Carolina lost more than 20,000 people to COVID-19. A tragedy of that scale should have strengthened respect for public health expertise.
After 20,000 deaths, why are we still attacking doctors? Original
South Carolina lost more than 20,000 people to COVID-19. A tragedy of that scale should have strengthened respect for public health expertise. Instead, in some quarters, it inspired political backlash against the very officials charged with saving lives. Dr. Brannon Traxler and Dr. Edward Simmer have been treated as convenient targets. Both are physicians. Both are highly trained. Both stepped into at the state’s public health agency during a once-in-a-century public health emergency.
Atlanta Opera’s ‘Twilight of the Gods’ brings ‘Ring’ cycle to blazing finish
Arts & Entertainment Critic calls Wagner’s four-opera opus ‘perhaps the most ambitious undertaking’ in company’s 47-year history. Lise Lindstrom as Brünnhilde in the Atlanta Opera's "Twilight of the Gods," a five-hour production with intermissions that completes the first fully staged “Ring” cycle in Atlanta. Performances continue Friday and Sunday. (Raftermen/Courtesy of Atlanta Opera) By Paul Hyde – ArtsATL June 5, 2026 This story was originally published by ArtsATL.
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