They’ve been rehearsing for many weeks, night after night, after spending busy days at work or in class. Long, tiring hours have been spent learning song lyrics, perfecting steps, fine-tuning arrangements, working to put it all together into a polished performance. By day, these dedicated performers and musicians serve as lawyers, business managers, bank officers, judges, teachers, high school students, retirees.

By night, they bring the local community a top-notch, all-singing, all-dancing production. And they don’t earn a dime doing it. For the Ritz Players, it is a labor of love.

Lots of work has gone on behind the scenes, too. Talented seamstresses, some of whom also perform in the production, have been busy creating fabulous costumes that would look at home on a Broadway stage. Local musicians have polished their trumpets and re-strung their guitars to provide the show with a live orchestra.

The only thing “small town” about this production, folks, is the fact it’s held in a city with less than 8,000 residents.

The Greenville Area Arts Council has been bringing professional productions that normally only appear in much larger venues to our community for decades now.

It takes lots of dollars to do that. That’s why these musical fundraisers featuring local talent mounted each spring are so very important. Sell-out crowds each night equate more high-quality GAAC productions in the future.

And if you’ve never discovered for yourself just how talented and creative local folks can be, then come to the Ritz Theatre April 22, 23 or 24 to enjoy “Putting on the Ritz 2010:Hooray for Hollywood.” Hum along with classic music from the movies you love. Prepare to be dazzled and to cheer on our amazing homegrown stars.

The curtain rises nightly at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students. It will be money well spent, we assure you.