Amber Ferrari will be presenting a Full Theater tribute show she calls, “Joplin’s Pearl Woodstock Era Show.” With authentic attire along with a nine-piece band she is ready to roll at Bay Street Theater October 1st, 2022 at 8pm.
The East Patchogue, Long Island native said her parents brag that, “I was singing before I was talking. I consciously became aware of it when I was 5. I was classically trained to sing opera when I was 16 years old, just like Pat Benatar!” Amber nurtured her voice throughout high school with teachers and training, especially the world-renowned opera teacher Annabel Franklin.
Amber first sang in front of people, “in church at age 9 and sang in a wedding band at age 17. I had to sing the bride and groom’s wedding song, The Wind Beneath my Wings! She tells of two pinnacle moments in her career. “One,” she said, “was perhaps back in 2005 when I was doing the Janis show in Theater 3 in Port Jefferson. In the middle of the song Ball and Chain, the audience stood as one and the applause was so overwhelming, in the middle of the song, that the theater turned up the house lights. That was awesome. However, I’d have to say my show at the Patchogue Theater, in Patchogue, somehow was even more memorable. It was in front of my family, friends, and neighbors. The very enthusiastic applause was a really great feeling.”
Amber said, “I became aware of Janis Joplin’s music in my teens, but I never sang her songs. I didn’t believe I could sing like that. In 2005 my then vocal coach, the late Ellen Mitchell Moore, was the Musical Director for Theater 3 in Port Jefferson. She wrote a show called, ‘Woodstock Mania,’ and called me and asked if I would learn the music of Janis Joplin. At first, I said, no I can’t sing like that. Then I reconsidered and said, if I sound like bad, you need to take me out of the show. I struggled at first, but I tried really hard and eventually became comfortable to do it.”
Now Amber is taking her talent to Bay Street where she enjoys performing with her husband Chris Ferrari. “I met Chris on Match.com 15-16 years ago. Our first get together was at the Brickhouse Brewery, in Patchogue I didn’t tell him I was in a band, just that I enjoyed singing and used to sing in a band.
“On our third date he heard me sing a song with my friend’s band. As for him, we were at his house and I saw his guitar and he said, you want me to play some guitar for you, and I said yes. He started playing this Spanish guitar, it was so great I was dying.” And the rest, as they say, is great history!
The band performing with Amber: Chris Ferrari – Guitar, Mike Chiusano – Bass, Frank Cannon – Drums, Chris Cuvier – Keyboard, Jason Rodcamp – Baritone Saxophone, Dan Yeager – Trumpet, Josh Seifert- Trombone, Jonathan Holford – Alto & Tenor Saxophone.
Ms. Ferrari is excited to be releasing some new original material she recorded during Covid. It should be out in November.
She loves performing at Bay Street because of what she calls “the awesome feeling of singing to the stadium-like seating there!”
Get tickets for Amber Ferrari’s tribute show, “Joplin’s Pearl Woodstock Era Show.” She welcomes everyone to dress in the authentic attire, especially “bell-bottom pants,” at Bay Street Theater October 1st, 2022 at 8pm. Check out www.baystreet.org for more information.
