“I had an opportunity to do this show outside Ohio but I feel like Dayton is a good market to start off,” said Farrell, speaking by phone from California. “Dayton is a forgiving crowd but they’ll tell you what they think. I figured Dayton would be a safe, good market to do my first show in order to get really honest feedback so I know what to adjust moving forward.”
The set list covers the 11-time Grammy winner’s career from the late ‘60s through the ‘80s. Songs include “Blue Bayou,” “You’re No Good,” “It’s So Easy,” ”Different Drum," “Silver Threads and Golden Needles” and “When Will I Be Loved” to name only a few.
“It’s all of her biggest hits,” Farrell said. “I enjoy the challenge because she’s super versatile. She sang country, jazz, rock, opera and Broadway. I like singing a variety of genres but Linda Ronstadt is the closest I could come to in order to do all of them.”
She also wants audiences to know they shouldn’t expect an impersonation but an interpretation.
“I’m not pretending to be Linda Ronstadt at all,” Farrell said. “I want to sing her songs and honor them the way she presented them. But it’s my voice. I’m not trying to sound like her or be like her in any way because nobody can compare. But I do want to give new resurgence to the songs because they’re good and they shouldn’t be put on the backburner in lieu of newer songs that aren’t as good.”
‘This has been a labor of love’
Farrell grew up honing her love of singing and the stage through community theater, particularly at the Dayton Playhouse where she starred in such shows as “The Secret Garden,” “Annie” and “The Miracle Worker.” She moved to New York City at the age of 21, then to Los Angeles in 2019.
She notably delivered an outstanding portrayal of Sally Bowles in Dare to Defy Productions’ 2021 presentation of “Cabaret,” appeared in a 2023 touring production of Divas3 in Centerville, and participated on the FOX reality TV singing competition “I Can See Your Voice” in 2020.
“I was very overprepared when I went to New York because the Dayton Playhouse and other community theaters in the area gave me a shot,” Farrell said. “I’m super grateful for it.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
She’s also grateful for expanding her artistry while performing on cruise ships.
“I would sing gender-bending songs or disco hits but it taught me a lot,” Farrell said. “I get bored easily. I’d rather sing everything than sing the same thing for 20 years.”
Presented in partnership with TheatreLab Dayton, “No Map, Just Music” will feature a band and backup singers.
“This has been a labor of love,” Farrell said. “I enjoy doing tribute concerts instead of musical theatre because I find it fun to be able to break the fourth wall and talk to the audience and acknowledge in real time what’s happening and not feel like I have to be in character.”
She also hopes audiences are eager to lean into the nostalgia of the tribute concert essence.
“The trope is true — they don’t make music they way they used to," Farrell said. “There’s so much music now that fits into a formula. But in the ‘70s and ‘80s there were live bands. The songs are timeless for a reason because they’re artistic.”
HOW TO GO
What: “No Map, Just Music: A Tribute to Linda Ronstadt”
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4
Where: The Brightside Music and Event Venue, 905 E. Third St., Dayton
Cost: Tickets start at $27.08
More info: thebrightsidedayton.com, theatrelabdayton.org or runawayvoice.com
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