SCRANTON, Pa. — The Ritz Theater on Wyoming Avenue in Scranton is providing quality entertainment this Saturday night. But that's not the only show in the program.
"As we go into Black History Month, a lot of minority businesses are overlooked. They don't really have the audiences that they need," said Carole Mason, community outreach manager at the Ritz Performing Arts Center.
For one night only, the performing arts center will host a Minority Business Showcase as the opening act.
Hassan Omar Beybradehm, owner of Artisan Square, will be one of the businesses featured in the event.
"We definitely agreed to do it, especially for being a minority business in more ways than one because all of the artists inside Artisan Square are minorities," he said.
Artisan Square is next to the Ritz Theater on Wyoming Avenue, and several of its artists will be featured at the showcase.
"If you have a business, but nobody knows about you, there's no reason to have a business. You will absolutely fail," Omar Beybradehm explains.
This is why Ritz Theater is giving these businesses the spotlight.
"They can come in and set up and just show what they have. There are so many minority businesses that people aren't even aware of." Mason said.
And all of them have the same goal.
"Get your name out there for having good, quality products," Omar Beybradehm said
The Minority Business Showcase is only the pre-show, and the main event, "Ain't Misbehavin'," is performed on stage.
The Ritz will be filled with music from the Harlem Renaissance when black voices finally took center stage.
"Using the arts in any way to celebrate heightens the experience. So to celebrate Black History through looking at their contributions to art and just starting there is amazing," said Sheri Melcher, event manager of the Ritz Performing Arts Center.
The Minority Business Showcase at The Ritz Theater in Scranton is open from 5:30 to 7 p.m. "Ain't Misbehavin'" takes the stage at 8 p.m. You can buy your tickets here.
Check out WNEP's YouTube page.