Christina Bianco – Courtesy of Williams Emst. Used with permission.
Actor singer Christina Bianco, one of the most celebrated impressionists in the entertainment world, is soloing in “Who’s Your Diva?” an Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Pops concert conducted by Jack Everly, on Friday, January 21 and 22 at the Hilbert Circle Theatre on Monument Circle in Indianapolis. A star of TV and stage, including a long-running stint in a Paris production of “Funny Girl,” Bianco’s rare gift for mimicking many of the world’s greatest vocalists, comedic charm and own substantial singing voice have delighted audiences all over the world.
I have interviewed Bianco several times in conjunction with her past appearances with the ISO, both at the Hilbert and Conner Prairie, and have regularly followed her career. So, there was no one more disappointed than yours truly when the ISO Pops concert schedule in 2021 was postponed due to the pandemic. Unfortunately, I missed her Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael show in Carmel this past May, as well. So, it pleased me greatly to learn Bianco was returning to solo in her upcoming concert with the ISO. Recently, in a Zoom call and via email messages, I chatted with Bianco about her most recent endeavors and the upcoming concert in Indy. Below is an edited transcript of our communications.
How was your run at Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael last spring?
I am pleased to say my run at the Carmichael went very well, in every way! The venue staff were lovely and professional. My shows went smoothly and best of all, the audiences were full – which is something I especially do not take for granted during a pandemic. I hope they will have me back again soon.
Update me on your personal and professional activities since then?
Since we last spoke, I have performed solo concerts in New Jersey, Austin, Provincetown and was part of a massive tribute to Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall with Tracie Bennett and The London Gay Big Band. Which brings me to the biggest personal activity since we last spoke…I have moved to London! I was granted a Global Talent Visa in August and since then have slowly begun “setting up life” there for me, my husband, and our dog, Jeff. It has been a lot of work, packing and going back and forth from the states and London many times. But we did manage to take an actual vacation to Hawaii before my run of “farewell concerts” at Birdland in NYC in October. All of which was lovely and bittersweet. In February, I finally begin rehearsals in London for the UK tour of “The Rise and Fall of Little Voice.” So, these performances with the ISO will be my last in the states for some time. What a phenomenal way to see me off, right?
How is COVID impacting you currently?
I have been incredibly fortunate in many ways. Mainly, in that my family and I haven’t had COVID yet and we pray it stays that way! Also, I have been able to continue working with some regularity during this time, knowing well that so many of my friends in the arts have not. The most important thing is that, despite the current challenges, many theatres and shows have remained open. It is clear audiences want and need the magic of live theatre more than ever. Because audiences are returning! And they have been so grateful! The performing arts, the shared creative experience, and the escapism it provides are so important. As long as producers and venues keep doing everything; they can keep the artists, staff and audiences safe, I believe the arts will thrive again.
Describe your concert with the ISO.
It sounds cliché, but there really is something for everybody. This show celebrates some of the greatest musical divas of all time, spanning many styles and eras. Covering Broadway, standard, pop, jazz and more – audiences will hear songs they know, sung in my own voice, but also, I will impersonate some of these iconic divas. Sometimes, I even do the impressions with a little twist. Sure, you will hear Celine Dion sing one of her hits, but you may also hear Julie Andrews sing from the musical “Hamilton.” I really thing Maestro Jack Everly and I have put together a program suitable for the whole family, that is as playful and comedic as it is touching.
What has it been like, appearing in live shows again?
In this concert, I sing “As If We Never Said Goodbye.” That sums up exactly how I feel. I have come home at last!
For those unfamiliar with your background, how did you get started doing impressions?
Like most young performers, I went to NYU School of the Performing Arts. But prior to that, I was in as many plays and musicals as I possibly could be. I grew up about 40 minutes from NYC, so I was always going to see theatre and cabaret and any sort of musical theatre that I could. So, I was just always happy to be singing any genre I could, which helped me later on doing impressions, but also having more opportunities for work. I always wanted to sing and musical theatre is where my heart is. When I was little, it was the only outlet. Now, people can download and karaoke to anything under the sun and the kids can sing along in the car. It was not that easy when I was little. So, theatre was really the primary outlet and from then on, working in the theatre was my primary opportunity to perform. I never entertained, in my wildest dreams, doing impressions. I would do them for fun, just a little bit.
I really fell into it as a career path. I had been in a lot of regional shows, all around America, and even played Dora in “Dora the Explorer Live” (does impression of Dora). And it ran about 18 months and was my first job out of college. It was this paying job, this great thing. I got to see the country and put money in my pocket, so I could come back to New York ready to go. And it was great just to be performing around America and the whole thing was great, but like many performers based in New York, I wanted to leave my job and come home on the subway. I was fortunate. I did an audition for “Forbidden Broadway,” which ran about 30 years. I was born listening to those cast albums and when I was old enough, my parents took me to NYC to see the show, which spoofs and parodies all the Broadway shows and their stars. One day, I saw an audition notice for it and I thought, I will not embarrass myself. I do a couple of voices. Let’s see what happens. I could talk about this forever. I booked the job and suddenly, I got to use my musical-theatre training and then I was also doing impressions in public for the first time and reviewed well. And suddenly, I was asked to do them everywhere and that is what launched that segment of my career.
Christina Bianco – Courtesy of William Emst. Used with permission.
I presume you have a good ear.
Yes, I always did. I was always coming home and mimicking voices, but for me, it really became a challenge. Once I could do a voice, I wanted to see how many other voices I could do. Someone, for example, like Kristin Chenoweth. Her speaking voice is a little bit like she is on helium, but nothing like her singing voice, which is a strong soprano or a couple of cartoon characters, near to Karen Walker on “Will & Grace.” So, you see what you can do with the flexibility you have. So, that is one part of it. You spend a lot of time making awful noises and awful faces in the mirror and sometimes it’s funny. I cannot even do an impression unless I can make a face like that person. It is almost impossible to impersonate Drew Barrymore without speaking out the side of the mouth because that is what she does.
Are there people you are not able to impersonate?
So many people. It is very frustrating. I find it very difficult to do the raspy, deeper voice because I have a naturally clearer voice. So, to put on an affectation to sound like Elaine Stritch, Joan Rivers, or even Tina Turner, is difficult. I can get her mannerisms and style, but it’s not worth it because I am not close enough to do it. I would not be able to do Kristin Chenoweth if I could do Joan Rivers.
Do you receive feedback from people you impersonate?
Yes. Luckily, I only have good ones. Because if anyone thought something was negative, thankfully, they have not told me. Every time I do an impression, I do it with respect and love. To make an audience want to keep watching, let alone buy a ticket to watch a concert with many impressions, there must be an admiration and respect for the artists that must come through. So, I mention that, because that’s why people who see my impressions have an appreciation. They appreciate them because they know they are done with love.
Tell me about your history with Maestro Jack Everly and ISO Pops Executive Producer Ty Johnson.
I owe so much to those wonderful men because when I was doing “Forbidden Broadway” in NYC, and this was before YouTube videos of me were popular, they saw the show and were impressed with my ability and invited me to audition for their season. Of course, I was so excited because who, of course, would not want to audition for them and a symphonic orchestra? I had always dreamed of singing with a symphony orchestra and, of course, they loved my impressions and wanted to find a fun way to utilize them. The greatest compliment I could ever get is they loved my own voice. So, every time I have the opportunity to sing for Jack and Ty, and not only the ISO or everywhere I travel with Jack (who conducts multiple orchestras), it is the ultimate gift and the ultimate challenge. I have to sing and belt soprano impressions all in one show, all the while, doing a gorgeous quick change into a fabulous new dress and coming out again. I truly get to live my musical best life, singing very diverse material in one show, which is difficult, but so beautiful and to do it with a symphony behind you, it’s just a privilege. There is nothing like it. There is nothing comparable.
From your perspective, what is the ISO’s reputation in the industry?
It is so easy for me to say this…some symphonies have reputations for being the best for a reason. And having sung with many fabulous symphony orchestras around the U.S. and Canada and a few in Europe, I can tell you how great the ISO is. And without insulting anybody else, the caliber of the performance the ISO presents and puts forward, and under the direction of a maestro like Jack, is outstanding. He is not only technically wise and intelligent, but really has musicality to make this music that you may have heard before sound so unique and so special and make the best out of it. And then to be able to do that for the orchestra, while also having it not conflict with and enable and enhance a vocalist, is remarkable that Jack balances that, and the talent of the musicians, that he can manage that and it is just thrilling. It takes it up a level. Singing with a symphony is great but singing with the ISO is special.
What can folks expect when they see you perform?
When you come to one of my concerts, you get to see all your favorite performers in front of you, singing their own songs and each other’s songs and having a little fun. It is a celebration of vocalists and pop-culture personalities of all time. If you like that sort of thing, that is grand, but now you have to add the scale and fabulousness of the ISO. So, it’s quite an exciting evening because I get to do what I love but get to do on a grand scale with lots of sequins, of course.
For tickets to “Who’s Your Diva?” presented by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, visit indianapolissymphony.org.
