Downtown Credo will host a poetry night on Monday, June 16^th at 7 p.m.

The Internet has created a superabundance of words. The power of poetry is in its form, its sparseness and brevity, its ability to “tell the truth and tell it slant,” as Emily Dickinson once said. Each writer will present or read his or her poetry for 15 minutes each. The event will break to drink, dialogue and be merry. Poets who would like to read 15 minutes of their work are encouraged to attend. Email a sample of your work to Janay Garrick and the organizers will contact you if you are selected to read.

Nanette Perrotte will perform the story of Ella Fitzgerald, a young woman who journeyed from homeless in Harlem to become the “Queen of Swing” at the Winter Park Public Library on June 22^nd at 2 p.m. Along the way, she has great mentors – Chick Webb, Duke Ellington, Marilyn Monroe, Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra – and wins the Savoy Ballroom ‘Battle of the Bands’ over contemporary, Billie Holiday. All played out against the backdrop of the Harlem Renaissance, the Great Depression, Segregation and World War II.  For more information, contact Ruth Edwards.

The Orlando Museum of Art will host The Orlando Circle of Friends Chorus performance, “The Awesome 80s” on Friday June 13^th and Saturday June 14^th. The performance will begin at 8 p.m. on Friday and 2 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets start at $20 with some discounts available.

Come dance down tubular lane as Orlando Circle of Friends Chorus showcases the music that you teased your hair to, the music that you danced in your ripped sweatshirts to, and the music that you still, after all these years, cannot get out of your head!

For more information, visit the Orlando Circle of Friends Chorus website.

The Garden Theatre will host Ernie Evans and the Florida State Bluegrass Band on Saturday June 14^th at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $15.  This group featuring rich three-part harmonies bridges the gap between contemporary and traditional Bluegrass styles. For more information, visit the Garden Theatre’s website.