Fresh from success in the London Hippodrome, actress, singer, and impressionist Christina Bianco has returned to Edinburgh with her new show: Party Of One.
Like many others, I was first introduced to the wonder and magic of Bianco through the YouTube video post, "Total Eclipse of the Heart". In the video, Bianco performs the classic Bonnie Tyler song in the style of nineteen different Divas.
When I heard she was returning to the Fringe, I wanted nothing more than to have a sit-down chat with this talented woman and find out more – not only about her wonderful array of impressions and other skills, but if she had planned for it to happen.
“No! I can’t give a louder or bigger no to that!” Bianco would post videos for family and friends, for the very simple reason of: why not? But in reality, even she had no idea how big the Total Eclipse video would become.
“Nobody knows why something goes viral, and I believe that for 99% of the people who do go viral it’s a huge shock. In the first few days the numbers went up and up. The video opened so many doors for me and I still have no concept of how it happened,” she says.
Bianco’s natural gift of an amazing singing voice goes back to a young age. It was when she was singing along with her parents eclectic musical collection that they cottoned on to her mimicry: “My mom would say, ‘Christina – sing it like you!’ I would sing along to the music they played and inadvertently take on the style of whoever was singing. I was never truly aware of doing impressions until after college.”
Bianco completed a double major at NYU in Performing Arts and Journalism, and it was while she was there that she would frequently go to watch the long running Broadway show – Forbidden Broadway – and when watching she would imagine herself on stage performing too. Through encouragement from directors in her vocal style, she waited for an audition bulletin to be posted and when it was, she went for it.
“I locked myself in a room and practiced all day. When I got hired seven years ago, that’s when I realized that I could do impressions.”
Now, Bianco has a repertoire of sixty to seventy different impressions, but out of all those wonderful stars, who does she enjoy doing the most?
“Celine Dion, because she gives me so much to work with. She has a wonderful voice, a specific way of singing in her riffs and turns. It’s also in her phrasing and the way she speaks and there’s also the physicality of it – she’s tall, and I’m short! There are so many things in that impression, and I just love her!”
Someone Bianco looks up to a great deal is non-other than Jane Horrocks (Bubble in Absolutely Fabulous). Does that mean that a revival of Little Voice could be on the way?
“It’s been a dream project of mine to do, so hopefully it will happen soon.”
Bianco grew up watching a number of British shows, including Absolutely Fabulous and Blackadder, and it was her father who introduced her to the movie Little Voice.
“I went to see it with my father and it wasn’t until the end of the movie that I realized: that’s Bubble. Then, I went back to find everything she’d done. She’s such an incredible talent and she knows how to do, something I do which is walk the line. I do impressions and cabaret, however I also sing in my own right and act in my own right and Jane is someone who is known for doing great impressions but is also a wonderful actress on her own. I would love to meet her!”
As we chatted, I couldn't help thinking that doing all of these impressions must get pretty exhausting. Maybe exhausting is the wrong way to think about it, but it is definitely something I had to ask about.
“It’s vocally fatiguing. I won’t tell you that I’m delicate with my voice and being because I’m not. I’ve been lucky (knock wood) to have very strong and healthy chords of steal, and I wouldn’t do a lot of these impressions if they were hurting me. There are some people I can do, but I don’t because it could damage me – and also, just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should!”
An extremely wise piece of advice indeed, so how does Bianco prepare for a show, especially one that is outside at the Assembly George Square Gardens (which I am sure adds in a whole new level of things to deal with)?
“It’s pacing. Warming up properly. I'll have chocolate – I’m not too precious, but I do want to be physically and vocally limber. There’s also a throat coat tea I drink, which I swear by. I’m sure you can get it over here too!”
Along with being an extremely talented impressionist, Bianco is a singer and actress in her own right. She recently starred in the off-Broadway show Application Pending where she played forty different characters in 80 minutes.
So where does she see herself next?
“I’m interested in writing. I’ve been doing a lot of my own stuff, sketches with friends in New York. I’m really interested in creating new things. I have some ideas for short films and mockumentaries. The part of me that wants to grow is the writer.”
As with every meeting and all things that are good, eventually they must end. But I had to find out what she thought about the Edinburgh Festival before I went.
“Edinburgh is a truly unique experience that every performer should do at least once. So many creative people surround you and everyone is here because they want to be here with the desire to create. It’s a great celebration of the arts and to see the public respond and come along, it’s definitely a big motivator for performers.”
It’s safe to say impressions are not the only thing Christina Bianco does and that’s what makes her so intriguing. For any audience member to watch her in any guise would be one of those rare treats you won’t quickly forget.
Make sure you head down to the Assembly Gardens to see Party Of One before it ends the run on August 16th. If you miss her this time, then make sure you get your tickets early for the next!
Party of One is on 13-16 August, 7.20pm at Assembly George Square Gardens. Tickets are £14.