Syesha Mercado is coming back to the stage in the city where she got her start.

The Booker High School graduate and former American Idol finalist will headline "Ladies of Soul," a tribute concert celebrating the music of Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan and Anita Baker. The show is Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Unitarian Universalists of Sarasota, 3975 Fruitville Road. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35.

For Mercado, 39, the concert is more than a gig. She and her family are back home in Sarasota, and she told Sarasota Magazine that performing here carries personal weight. She said there is something special about returning to the place where her journey began and sharing that growth with the community that shaped her.

From Idol to Broadway and back

Mercado placed third on American Idol's seventh season in 2008. She went on to play Deena Jones in a national tour of Dreamgirls and later Nabulungi in The Book of Mormon on Broadway.

She grew up in Bradenton and Sarasota and attended Booker High School's Visual and Performing Arts program. Asked what Sarasota gave her as a young performer, she pointed to a lesson she still carries.

"Attending Booker High instilled within me an important message that I still carry: success is when preparation meets opportunity," she told Sarasota Magazine.

Building programs for Sarasota kids

These days, Mercado is channeling her energy into two initiatives she founded: Sing2theChildren and CocoRootz. Through Sing2theChildren, she creates original songs, chants and affirmations aimed at supporting children's learning and self-expression. Her goal is to complete a full album families can use at home and in classrooms.

CocoRootz connects children and families, particularly in the Newtown neighborhood, with nature and creativity. The program operates out of a community garden on Orange Avenue, where Mercado described papayas, a moringa tree, citrus, ginger and a growing fruit forest.

"It's our little safe haven out here," she said.

Aretha Franklin's influence

The Nov. 5 concert pays tribute to the women who shaped soul and R&B. Mercado told Sarasota Magazine that Franklin had the greatest influence on her career. She said Franklin was her go-to for audition songs, recalling a 2008 Florida Super Singer competition where she won a Toyota Corolla by performing "Chain of Fools" and "Think." Her American Idol audition song was also Franklin.

Syesha Mercado Day

The city of Sarasota declared May 9 as Syesha Mercado Day, a recognition tied to her hometown visit during the final episodes of her 2008 American Idol run, according to the Herald-Tribune. That visit included a parade and a gathering at the Ringling Museum.

The "Ladies of Soul" show runs about 75 minutes with no intermission, according to the event listing. Parking is free. Seating is limited.