(gentle music) - In my world, talking about places to see and experience in South Carolina, we use the words hidden and gem quite a lot.

But when you think about it, what do those words really mean?

So I looked it up.

The definition of the word hidden gem is actually something that has value or beauty that isn't immediately apparent and therefore it gets less recognition than it deserves.

And it's one of my absolute favorite things to find such places and then share it with as many people as I can.

I am so thrilled to be able to do that today with Abbeville.

Abbeville is a town with so much history and charm and at the very heart of this true hidden gem is the Abbeville Opera House.

So let's go for it.

This is Austin Walker, the community development director here in Abbeville.

Austin, can you tell me a little bit about your role here?

- Yeah, I have one of the funnest roles in city government.

I get to plan events and festivals.

I also get to direct the Opera House and the events that go on there and then help small businesses grow and develop and stay for a long time.

- Oh, I love that.

I know that Abbeville is kind of in the midst of a revitalization.

Can you tell me a little bit about that?

- Yeah so since 2019, the goal has been to bring more business and restaurants downtown, bring more tourists and visitors, hoping to transfer them into residents one day and one of the biggest aspects to that has been the Opera House.

- [Devyn] So when I parked earlier, I saw the tagline.

It said, "Pretty near perfect".

Can you tell me what that means?

- Yeah so that's our city's tagline.

When you come to Abbeville, you see that life just runs at a different pace.

We're slower, we take long walks, take in the fresh air, and we really believe that when you visit or stay here, it is pretty near perfect.

- I am so excited to see the Opera House.

Can you tell me a little bit about why it's such a big part of Abbeville's story?

- Yeah, so it's been a part of Abbeville's story from the beginning.

So the Seaboard Airline Railroad came through in the late 1800s and it was bringing people from up north and it was the perfect place to build an inn and an opera house to accommodate these attractions and so all of the rail workers would come for entertainment and we'd also actually get people from our nearby town Greenwood.

- I know this opera house is the star.

Do you think you could show me around?

- Absolutely.

- All right, let's go for it.

(inquisitive music) - So it was actually designed after Atlanta's Grant Theater and it officially opened in 1904, but they didn't dedicate it until 1908.

- Okay, so what would you say is the best seat in the house?

- I would say the best seat in the house are the box seats on either side, down in the orchestra.

'Cause you really feel like you're on stage.

It's eye level, you're not looking up, you're not looking down.

You're right at it.

- I don't know, it feels like you're walking back in time.

You can imagine the people who would be sitting- - Yeah, they're dressed up.

- In the boxes.

- Hand fans, yeah, all the things.

This opera house used to seat nearly 1,000 people, but the seats were like this big.

(both laughing) So now we only seat about 300, but one day we hope to restore the third floor and create more seats.

- What else is unique about the Opera House?

- Yeah, so we actually are home to the tallest freestanding wall.

The back wall of the Opera House has no rebarb in it whatsoever, it's just brick on brick.

- [Devyn] Well, that's super unique.

What other unique aspects are there to the Opera House?

- Yeah, so we also have one of the last rigging and pulley systems with ropes in the state of South Carolina.

And we don't use it anymore 'cause it's super dangerous but it's super cool to look at.

- So can we take a look?

- Absolutely.

- All right, let's go for it.

- Let's go for it.

Welcome backstage.

(laughing) - Welcome backstage.

- This is the rigging I was talking about.

It's made of ropes and weights and it would pull sets and curtains and lights up and down on stage.

- [Devyn] Oh my goodness.

And so you said these are really dangerous so you don't use them anymore.

- Well we do actually have one little rope system that we use that's not anywhere near as dangerous as this and it's to pull open Big Red.

- Big Red, that's the curtain?

- Yeah, that's the main curtain.

- Oh, I love that.

- Do you wanna pull it?

- (gasping) I can?

- Yeah, come on.

- Okay.

(laughing) I've never pulled a curtain before.

- So here we are, it's gonna be this one.

- Okay.

- And you're gonna pull really hard 'cause it's very heavy.

- Okay, oh my gosh, are you sure?

- [Austin] Yeah.

- I'm really excited.

Okay, oh gosh, that is really heavy.

Big Red!

(audience applauding) Is this thing on?

Did you know that the first french fries were actually not made in France?

They were cooked in Greece.

(drum snare rolling) (Austin laughing) Why did the invisible man turn down the job offer?

'Cause he couldn't see himself doing it.

(Austin applauding) Thank you so much everybody.

Thank you, you've been a great audience.

It's been wonderful, have a good night.

Oh my gosh, well, I didn't realize I was gonna be doing standup today, but thank you so much for that life opportunity.

- Yeah, you did great.

I mean, we're gonna call you back next time for Ginger Billy.

- Oh my goodness, I'm ready.

But thank you so much- - Yeah.

- For showing me around.

This place is so special and cool.

I really appreciate your time and touring me around and giving me the stage.

- Absolutely.

- That was so much fun.

- Anytime.

- Thank you.

I think I really wanna kind of go and explore a little bit more of the town square.

What was that donut place that you told me about?

- It's called Two Brews.

You've gotta go.

- I've gotta go?

- Yeah.

- All right, well let's go for it.

If you've watched the show, you know, I love a small town.

I love the history, I love the architecture, the quaintness, and especially the people.

I so enjoyed meeting Austin today and getting a tour of the Opera House and really just experiencing some of Abbeville's magic.

There is nothing like small town South Carolina.

And if you're looking to discover a hidden gem of your own, well, we've got plenty right here in the Palmetto State, so just go for it.