A local homegrown entertainment company from Hanford will provide a huge opportunity for a talented individual or group during their Next Big Thing Talent Show to be held at the Porterville Fair, running May 14 -18.

The lucky winner of the inaugural talent competition at Porterville Fair will open for the stars of MTV’s Making the Band 4 Series and platinum selling female group Danity Kane before they hit the stage on July 11 at Kings Fair in Hanford. According to Billboard, the popular Pop/Hip-Hop/R&B group currently has the No.1 album in the country.

Via a press release, Joey Perez, founder of J-Live Entertainment, said he felt one of the talent show champions will be able to reach a new level of recognition. Perez will host and produce the talent competition for the inaugural show at the Porterville Fair.

Perez and his company are no strangers to providing their local talent with huge opportunities. Past winners have advanced to the top 24 of American Idol Season Four, and have performed with legendary stars such as Kenny Rogers, Santana, War and BB King.

Auditions for the Next Big Thing Talent Show will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. today and Thursday in the Rabbit Barn at the Porterville Fair.

All ranges of talent are encouraged to audition, except bands. Log onto www.jliveent.com for more information on “Battle of the Bands” produced by JLive Ent.

Auditions for the Next Big Thing are casual and short. Costumes are welcome but not necessary and will not be a factor in the judging during auditions. CD capabilities will be available.

Additional electronics will not be provided and are not necessary during the audition portion of the competition. A capella or unplugged auditions are welcome. Those interested in auditioning can attend either of the two remaining auditions. Audition registration will begin at 7 p.m. on each audition night.

The final elimination round prior to the opportunity to perform on Rotary Stage during the run of the Porterville Fair and a chance to win cash prizes will be announced at a later date.

The fairgrounds are located on the corner of Plano Street and Olive Avenue in Porterville.

For more information on Porterville Fair, call 781-6582 or log onto www.PortervilleFair.com. For information about the Next Big Thing Talent Show, log onto www.jliveent.com.