Come Thursday night, some of the biggest names in music will grace the stage of the historic Ritz Theatre.

Jimmy Buffett will be on hand to sing a few of his most notable tunes, while Lionel Richie and the fellows from Alabama will also take the stage to perform.

Sound too good to be true?

Maybe you’re right. Buffett, Richie and the Alabama crew won’t actually be performing at the Ritz Theatre, but some pretty talented musicians and singers will be, and they’ll be performing favorites from Buffett, Richie, Alabama, Hank Williams Sr. and many more.

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 are lawyers, business managers, bank officers, judges, teachers, high school students and retirees.

By night, they morph into top-notch singers, dancers and musicians who help stage the must-see performance of the year in the Camellia City.

They are the Ritz Players, and they will once again take the stage Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights for the Greenville Area Arts Council’s annual production of Putting on the Ritz.

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 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 by all means make your way down to the Ritz Theatre for one of the three performances this week and be prepared to be amazed.

The curtain rises nightly at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and are available at The Pineapple and McFerrin’s Jewelry.

It will be money well spent, we assure you.