She talks and sings, but she doesn’t open her mouth.
Darci Lynne Farmer, the adorable ventriloquist of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” fame, is coming to Pittsburgh.
She and her “musical friends” will take the stage at 7 p.m. Nov. 9 at Heinz Hall. It’s part of the “Darci Lynne & Friends — Fresh Out of the Box Tour.”
“I am very much looking forward to coming to Pittsburgh,” she tells the Tribune-Review. “Come and get tickets. Can’t wait to see you all there.”
Her friends do all the talking
Darci Lynne and her friends, a rabbit named “Petunia,” a shy and soulful mouse, “Oscar,” and a sarcastic old woman, “Edna” will entertain the audience with songs and sounds.
What might be hard to believe when you see and hear Darci Lynne perform is that she was a shy child growing up. But when she’s with her buddies, the Oklahoma native is definitely outgoing.
Where it all began
Ventriloquism, the art of talking or singing in which the voice seems to come from a dummy or puppet, intrigued her at a young age.
She met a ventriloquist at one of her pageants and was mesmerized by the art form.
“I took tips from her and something just clicked,” Darci Lynne says. “I would go into the bathroom and practice in front of the mirror. I taught myself. Ventriloquism is so fascinating. ”
“Singing in ventriloquism is way harder than talking but I love to sing,” she says. “My mom taught me to sing, and it just came natural to sing without moving my mouth.”
Getting noticed
Her voice garnered her over 21 million views on “America’s Got Talent” YouTube channel. She was on “America’s Got Talent: The Champions” competition and finished second.
She says the show allowed her to meet so many people. She says people recognize her.
“When I was young, I was really shy,” says Darci Lynne, who is homeschooled. “But I came out of my shell through ventriloquism. These puppets have such outgoing personalities and as long as I have them I will always have friends.”
She’s been featured on NBC’s “Little Big Shots,” Food Network’s “Kids Baking Championship,” “Ellen” and the “Today” show.
Her first Christmas special “Darci Lynne: My Hometown Christmas” aired on NBC last December. The program attracted 6.5 million total viewers and earned a re-air by the network the week following its premiere. She released her first single “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” from the special.
“It means so much to me to be loved and supported and that comes across the minute I see the audience,” says Darci Lynne, who turned 14 on Oct. 12. “I have so much fun doing this. It’s the best time of my life.”
She says one of her biggest accomplishments was performing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn.
“It was surreal,” she says.
“’America’s Got Talent’ was the best experience I’ve had in 14 years of living,” she says. “It was such a jump start for me and my career. I am thankful for the opportunity it provided me to live my dream.”
