29 Mar Upstate Headlines: ‘Fun Home,’ ‘Color Purple’ coming to Peace Center
A collection of the top Upstate headlines for the week of March 27, 2017
‘Fun Home,’ ‘Color Purple’ coming to Peace Center
The 2017-2018 Broadway season will feature nine shows, opening Sept. 11 with “The Bodyguard,” the stage adaptation of the 1992 Whitney Houston-Kevin Costner film. This year’s lineup includes several new shows, including “Fun Home,” the musical adaptation of Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir about growing up in a funeral home with an emotionally abusive father, along with perennial favorites such as “Les Miserables” and “Phantom of the Opera.” Additionally on the schedule are “School of Rock,” “On Your Feet!”, “The Color Purple,” “Waitress,” and “Love Never Dies.”
Officials: NCAA had at least a $3.6 million impact on Greenville
The return of March Madness had at least a $3.6 million economic impact on Greenville, a local tourism official said. For the first time since 2002, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament was held in the city March 17 through 19. Officials said Greenville, which hosted first- and second-round games, sold out of the 42,000 tickets available for the event. All of the 6,000 hotel rooms tracked by VisitGreenvilleSC were occupied throughout the weekend. Official economic impact numbers from the event are being calculated and will be released soon, he said.
Greenville Zoo announces 2017 ZooTunes lineup
The Greenville Zoo Foundation has announced the first two artists performing at the 2017 PNC Bank ZooTunes Concert Series. The series, which is presented through a partnership with the Foundation, the Greenville Zoo, the City of Greenville and Eleven Events, features concerts performed at the Greenville Zoo, with on-site food and beverage service included in the ticket price. The first show, on Friday, June 23, will feature Keller Williams, and the second show, on August 25, will be a performance by The Revivalists.
S.C. cities rank high to start a business in 2017
With a strong percentage of new companies starting in the last year and low unemployment rates, the three largest metropolitan statistical areas in South Carolina ranked in the top half of cities to start a business in 2017. According to the study, out of 358 metro statistical areas, Greenville-Mauldin-Anderson was No. 185. while Spartanburg was No. 277. In the Greenville MSA, the stand-out statistics were the lower-than-average real estate taxes and housing costs, both were in the top percentiles in the state and the nation.
Chip and Jackie Batson aim to foster Greenville’s mountain biking community through beer and gear
Bikes and brews, they go hand in hand. Or at least Greenville’s Chip and Jackie Batson seem to think so. The husband-and-wife duo and veteran mountain bikers recently held the grand opening for their new venture, Piney Mountain Bike Lounge, on March 18. The new full-service bike shop and craft beer taproom, which is located at 20 Piney Mountain Road, features local craft beers, a pump track with an outdoor viewing area, and an extensive inventory of mountain bikes and gear.
