You never know what you’re going to find at an amateur talent contest. You might find an amazing singer, a brilliant dancer or a hilarious comedian. Then again, you might not. Either way, though, you’ll almost certainly have fun.
Puttin’ on the Ritz has been running at downtown Jacksonville’s Ritz Theatre and Museum on-and-off since 2000, when it started as Amateur Night at the Ritz, patterned after the famed Amateur Night at the Apollo in New York. Producer Deborah McDuffie, who founded the series, is still involved as a mentor.
Akia Uwanda and Ladarrius Rozier are the new hosts. Uwanda is a Jacksonville native and jazz singer who has performed at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival.
It’s a friendly format, with the audience judging the winners. That means the good acts will earn lots of cheers and the bad ones will have to face a crowd of boo-birds.
Puttin’ on the Ritz is at the Ritz at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 10. It’s the second round of the competition, which opened in May. Semifinals are planned for October and the finals in December. Tickets are $21.80.
First Coast Comic Con
10 a.m. Saturday, July 11, at Duval Hall. $20-$40.
Duval Hall at the new Jacksonville Fairgrounds on Normandy Boulevard will be the venue for the con, which promises more than a hundred indie comics creators and vendors, plus the 501st Legion of Stormtroopers and the Mayor’s River City Bookmobile. Info: firstcoastcomiccon.com
The Southern Truth Tour
8 p.m. Saturday, July 11, at the Moran Theater. $71-$189.
Even hardcore rap fans aren’t going to show up for a concert featuring Torrence Hatch, Webster Gradney and Marcus Cooper. Once you know that these guys are better known and Boosie BadAzz, Webbie and Pleasure P, it’s a whole different story. Boosie and Webbie are from Louisiana and Pleasure P is a Miami guy. Info: jaxevents.com
Billy Bob Thornton & the Boxmasters
8 p.m. Saturday, July 11, at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall. $82-$150.
The good news is that Billy Bob Thornton is taking some time off from his acting gig to play music with his crack blues band. The bad news: The show’s sold out. He’s calling this his farewell tour, and playing mostly original songs. Info: pvconcerthall.com
St. Augustine Sardines
5 p.m. Sunday, July 12 at St. Joseph Academy, St. Augustine. $12.
The Orange State League is playing its inaugural season, featuring current college players. The Sardines will face the Palm Coast Big Buoys. The Sardines’ roster is mostly made up of players from Florida and Georgia enrolled at smaller schools. The other two teams in the league are the New Smyrna Gnarlies and the Cocoa Tailgators. Info: orangestateleague.com
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Top things to do in Jacksonville, July 10-12
Reporting by Tom Szaroleta, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tom Szaroleta, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union | USA TODAY Network
