For singer and entertainer Cece Teneal, performing at the Ritz Theater is a favorite stop on a busy touring schedule.

Born and raised in Osteen, Cece grew up with Sanford as part of her backyard. When she takes the Ritz stage, she will not simply be performing for another audience—she will be singing before family, friends and a community that has been part of her story from the beginning. This homecoming will also mark something new. Central Florida audiences may know Cece best through Portrait of Aretha, her tribute to the legendary Aretha Franklin. Now, she is expanding that celebration of soul with Divas of Soul, a new production that reaches across generations of powerhouse female performers.

“It gives you a taste of all the divas, from Patti LaBelle to Chaka Khan to Whitney Houston, Tina Turner—and the list goes on,” Cece said. “It’s just one big old party.” For Cece, however, the music behind that party reaches much further back than any single production.

Music was part of Cece’s world long before it became her profession. Her mother was a singer who performed around the world and spent several years as an opening act for blues icon B.B. King. Her grandfather sang as well, and Cece describes music as simply something that has always been part of her family. She began, as many great soul and gospel singers have, in church. From there, however, her career was built one opportunity at a time. “I did a very grassroots movement,” she said. “I started off doing open mics, and then, once I started investing in myself, created these two productions.” What began on open-mic stages ultimately became an international career. “Now, 65 countries later, this is what I do for a living,” she said. “I provide people joy through the gift that I’ve been given—that’s music.” That journey has taken Cece almost everywhere imaginable. She regularly performs throughout the United States, particularly in community venues with audiences ranging from a few hundred people to around 700—a setting she has intentionally made her specialty. “I pride myself on bringing the big city vibe to small communities,” she said.

Cece's productions can travel with ensembles ranging from six to ten musicians and singers. For the Ritz performance, she anticipates taking the stage backed by a four-piece band and two background vocalists, with the possibility of adding horns as the production develops. The result is intended to capture the scale and excitement associated with some of soul and popular music's greatest performers while preserving the intimacy that comes from experiencing that music inside a historic theater. And perhaps that is precisely where Cece's approach fits the Ritz so naturally.

Ask Cece what she most wants audiences to understand about her work, and the answer quickly moves beyond the songs. “My heart is for the people,” She believes music can do something increasingly valuable: give people common ground. “I believe that music is one of the things that can unify us,” she said. It can also provide relief from whatever may be waiting outside the theater doors. “I also think that music is the thing that can bring us a sort of respite and reprieve,” Cece said. “If for one night I can provide people 90 minutes of joy, then my job is done.” That philosophy may explain why, after traveling to 65 countries and performing for audiences around the world, she remains drawn to community theaters and intimate venues. The goal is not simply to sing at an audience. It is to create an experience with them. “I want people to have a brief escape from anything they may be going through,” she said. For one evening at the Ritz, that escape will come through the music of Aretha, Patti, Chaka, Whitney, Tina and other women whose voices have provided the soundtrack to generations.