There was a time when it would have been outrageous to think the hottest ticket in town was to see a ventriloquist act, but that was a time before Oklahomans knew Darci Lynne Farmer, the 13-year-old who captured hearts around the country in an improbable run to win season 12 of the NBC reality competition Americas Got Talent.
The Deer Creek Middle School student was originally scheduled to perform one hometown show this weekend, but The Criterion added three additional shows after unyielding public demand. Farmer performs afternoon and evening shows 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday at The Criterion, 500 E. Sheridan Ave.
Many people probably last saw Darci Lynne as a featured performer on the NBC holiday special A Very Pentatonix Christmas. In January, she is set to begin a national tour with a string of weekend-only dates (to not miss any school).
Before winning the $1,000,000 Americas Got Talent prize on national TV, Darci Lynne won smaller, local versions of the competition, including Edmonds Got Talent and Oklahomas Got Talent.
The teen ventriloquist recently spoke with Oklahoma Gazette about her upcoming performances, school life and her best Christmas memory.
Oklahoma Gazette: Do you like traveling? It seems like youre doing a lot of it these days.
Darci Lynne Farmer: I mean, I dont love it, but I dont mind going to certain places. Its fun.
OKG: The shows at The Criterion have really taken off. What started as one show is now four shows in two days. Whats it like to have so much local interest in those shows?
Darci Lynne: Its crazy because I didnt think that many people would want to come. Its weird to see it being sold out so quickly.
OKG: A lot of people in Oklahoma really love you. Is that something youve noticed?
Darci Lynne: Yeah, Ive noticed that. Its just nice to know because Ive got a whole state supporting me. It feels good.
OKG: How have things changed for you since winning Americas Got Talent? Whats been the biggest difference?
Darci Lynne: Probably getting noticed in public a lot. I cant really go anywhere without being mobbed. But I can pull my hair up because its mostly when I have my hair down that I get noticed. If I wear a hat, I dont get noticed as much.
OKG: You have that national tour coming up. Are you excited for that?
Darci Lynne: Yes, Im very excited. Its going to be really fun, and Im just glad that I get to go. Im glad its on the weekends because Im not going to miss any school, so thatll be nice.
OKG: How is balancing school with all of this?
Darci Lynne: Its good. Ive gotten to be pretty much caught up. Next week is going to be a little stressful because I have finals all week. But yeah, Im balancing it. Its just funny because the kids have gotten used to me being at school, but I still get stares in the hall. Its funny; all the boys have a crush on me.
OKG: Have you ever used your ventriloquism powers to try and fool your teachers?
Darci Lynne: My friends always tell me to trick my teachers. Ive only tried to do it like once, but they always know its me.
OKG: What do your friends think about everything that you get to do?
Darci Lynne: Theyre really excited. Whenever I get to do these big shows or TV shows, my friends get really excited. They scream a lot, especially my best friend. Whenever I get to do big things and I tell her, she literally screams. Theyre just super duper supportive, and its fun to still have my friends and I can know that theyre my real friends.
OKG: How was the Pentatonix special and filming all of that?
Darci Lynne: It was awesome. Going out to California and meeting the Pentatonix was so cool because Ive been a big fan of them and theyre amazing. I got to meet Jennifer Hudson, too. It was just really fun. Short little trip, and I got to perform. It was cute. It was fun.
OKG: Christmas is coming up. Are you a big Christmas person?
Darci Lynne: Oh yeah, I love Christmas. Its my favorite holiday. Im super excited to do Christmas songs in my show because whenever I have to learn songs for my shows, its more fun to learn Christmas songs.
OKG: Whats your favorite Christmas song?
Darci Lynne: Thats hard. I really love All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey. Im actually singing it by myself no puppets in my show.
OKG: Oh, whats it like for you to sing solo?
Darci Lynne: Well, its pretty much the same, except Im singing with my mouth open.
OKG: Yeah, imagine that. Singing with your mouth open amazing.
Darci Lynne: Right!
OKG: Do you have a favorite Christmas memory of all time?
Darci Lynne: I got a new phone last year, and it was the iPhone 6S. When I went out there, usually they have our presents sitting out there, unwrapped. I didnt see the iPhone box that the phone comes in, and I was like, Oh darn. Thats OK though. Then I was looking through my stocking and I was pulling things out. I pull out this thing, and its a white box, and I was like, Wait, what? I turn it around and it says iPhone on it. I start screaming like, Oh my gosh!
OKG: You were on Edmonds Got Talent and later you were on Oklahomas Got Talent. And you won both of those.
Darci Lynne: Yeah, its like I went from city to state to national.
OKG: Whens Worlds Got Talent?
Darci Lynne: Yeah. Or Universes Got Talent.
OKG: Do you ever get tired of winning?
Darci Lynne: No.
OKG: What about practicing? How regularly are you practicing the craft?
Darci Lynne: Well, I do practice with my coach once per week. And whenever I have a show coming up and I have to learn new songs, I have to practice my songs for an hour every day to get them done.
OKG: Do you have a favorite song of all time? Maybe one that you have performed or even havent performed.
Darci Lynne: I dont think theres a song I perform that is my favorite of all time, but I really like Whos Loving You? which I sang with my mouse and (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman with Edna. And I really like this opera song that Petunia sings, its called O Mio Babbino Caro. I like those and pretty much all of the songs that I sing I like.
OKG: How many puppets do you have? Do you have any puppets that we havent even seen yet?
Darci Lynne: I do. I have a bird, and I got this rooster a couple of weeks ago in the mail. I dont even know what to do with it. And I also have a donkey. I havent done anything with him yet at all. We havent had time to figure out new characters right now. But I have duck, bird, rooster, donkey, cowgirl, rabbit, mouse, old lady. So I have eight.
OKG: Well, thats the whole barnyard there.
Darci Lynne: Yeah. It is a barnyard.
Print headline: Voice of reason, Teen ventriloquist Darci Lynne Farmer hosts a four-part weekend spectacular at The Criterion.