Christina Bianco

Since then, she’s dazzled on stages across the globe, earning acclaim for her vocal versatility and comedic brilliance. Currently starring in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Christina sat down with interviewer Daniel May to discuss her incredible journey, her passion for performing, and what it’s like to bring her boundless energy and talent to such an iconic role.

THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO HAVE A CHAT WITH ME, I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING YOU FOR YEARS, WENT TO YOUR SHOW IN THE MAC A FEW YEARS BACK WHICH WAS INCREDIBLE AND JUST CANNOT WAIT TO SEE YOU IN JOSEPH.

I’m so glad you enjoyed my show at The MAC! I have wonderful memories of my time in Belfast and am looking forward to returning.

AS THE NARRATOR, YOU’RE GUIDING THE AUDIENCE THROUGH JOSEPH’S JOURNEY. HOW DO YOU MAKE THIS ICONIC ROLE YOUR OWN, ESPECIALLY WITH YOUR BACKGROUND IN IMPRESSIONS AND COMEDY?

Well, I grew up listening to the recordings of Laurie Beechman, Linzi Hateley, Kelli Rabke, and Maria Freedman (and bootleg audio of Tina Arena cause I’m a superfan) so stepping into the shoes of the fabulous women who’ve played it before me is definitely daunting! The lovely thing is that they all played and sang the role differently. So although audiences will have their expectations and their favorites, I think they’re used to the cast of each revival bringing individuality and variety. So I’ll be trying my best to honor the existing legacy but also put my own personality into every moment. This particular Palladium production has The Narrator being a bit more mischievous and playful than in previous versions. She also plays other roles! So I’ll be energetically dancing, changing costumes, changing voices, wearing beards and causing general mayhem throughout the show! As for impressions, I can’t make any promises but it’s possible that Edith Piaf will make an appearance in Canaan Days.

THE NARRATOR IS ONSTAGE ALMOST THE ENTIRE SHOW. HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR ENERGY UP AND STAY CONNECTED TO THE

STORY THROUGH EACH PERFORMANCE?

Coffee and prayers! No, no, no, I’m joking... but as I’ve said, in this production, The Narrator is on stage even more than usual. It’s incredibly physical as well as vocally demanding. When I got the role and they told me how active I’d be on stage, I knew I had to prepare. Although I’ve done a lot of high energy tracks before, like in Forbidden Broadway and as Fanny in Funny Girl, my more recent roles have all been more subdued. For example, LV in Little Voice and Glinda in The Wizard Of Oz. LV never left the stage, but barely moved. And Glinda was only in 20 minutes of the show! So to prepare for this tour, I started doing daily workouts and exercises to slowly build my strength and stamina. I also drink a lot of water, take vitamins, get as much sleep as possible and walk up all the escalator steps in the tube stations! Every little bit helps to keep me healthy and strong. Which in turn helps me stay grounded, comfortable and focused. Then it’s easy to stay connected to the story and do my job on stage.

YOUR ROLES OFTEN INCLUDE HUMOR, AND THE NARRATOR HAS PLAYFUL MOMENTS. HOW DO YOU BALANCE THAT HUMOR WITH THE MORE HEARTFELT ASPECTS OF THE STORY?

From the start, our director Laurence Connor and associate director Nikki Woollaston were very clear about the fact that The Narrator’s relationship with the children was the most important thing. Who am I to them and why am I telling this story? Well, in this production, I may be telling the story but the children are making it happen and bringing it to life with me! And kids wear their emotions so openly, without fear or judgement, so we use that as our guide. When something is silly, we really go for it with broad comedy, but when the story turns and becomes more serious, we honor that equally. In fact, because it’s us telling the story and creating this world, the kids and I feel personal guilt for what we’re putting Joseph through! Experiencing the emotions of the story through their eyes makes it all clear and very special for the audience too.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE SONG OR MOMENT IN JOSEPH THAT YOU PARTICULARLY ENJOY PERFORMING EACH NIGHT?

I certainly love belting out songs like Jacob and Sons, and A Pharaoh’s Story. However, my current favorite moment is tap dancing with the brothers during Joseph’s Dreams. Yes - there’s a full on tap number in this production! First of all, I don’t get to tap very often and I love it, so I’m thrilled I get the opportunity. Second, the jazzy style of the ‘dreamer has to go’ part of the song is absolutely my vibe. Pre-show in my dressing room, you’ll likely find me listening to swing and jazz albums. So this quirky little moment in the show hits all the right buttons for me.

YOU’VE PERFORMED ALL OVER THE WORLD. HOW DO AUDIENCES DIFFER IN THEIR REACTIONS TOYOUR PERFORMANCES?

I’ve noticed that American audiences tend to sit back when watching a show and European audiences tend to lean forward. One energy is more ‘come to me and entertain me’ and the other is ‘I’m coming to you, what are you sharing with me?’ One approach isn’t better than the other, but the difference in energy does impact my performances - especially my solo concert work in which the fourth wall is always broken. For audiences that lean back, I have to work a little harder to pull them in and get them to respond, so we can meet in the middle. And with audiences that lean forward, I sometimes have to put up a wall and push them back a bit, because I need time and space to grow in the performance. Regardless, it’s what makes live theatre so fabulous. It’s never the same twice and keeps you on your toes.

YOU’RE A TALENTED ACTRESS AS WELL AS A SINGER. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ACTING ROLE YOU’VE TAKEN ON? AND HOW DID IT STRETCH YOU CREATIVELY?

Thank you so much! I really love what I do and am so grateful to have played many dynamic roles. But my hands down favorite was playing Fanny Brice in Funny Girl in Paris. It was challenging mentally, vocally and physically - so it was also incredibly fulfilling. First of all, it’s the role of a lifetime not just because you get to sing all of those fabulous songs by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, but also because the story is so dynamic.

You start playing Fanny as an awkward teenager and end with her as a grounded mother in her 30’s. I’d had leading roles before but nothing of that scope. I also sang 95% of the score and only left the stage for quick changes. I even spent the entire interval doing a big wig change! But I also had to somehow make everyone forget about Barbra Streisand. That was the biggest challenge of all- especially as someone known for doing an impression of her! I knew I had to be as different as possible. So I threw myself into studies of the real Fanny Brice, who I knew I already had a lot in common with, and found my own voice in the role.

I won’t bore your readers with details they can google, but this production was just Gaw-geous in every way! We had the most gorgeous creative team led by Stephen Mear, with the most gorgeous cast, in gorgeous Paris, with the most welcoming, enthusiastic and gorgeous audiences ever! Creatively, it was also exciting to be part of the first European production. And I’m also very proud of the fact we used the original script and score, which many people say is problematic, and received nothing but rave reviews. I usually don’t read reviews but these were hard to ignore! I still pinch myself that it all happened. Ok. I’ll stop talking about it now :)

ARE THERE ANY PERFORMERS WHO INSPIRED YOU TO PURSUE A CAREER IN ENTERTAINMENT AND SHAPED YOUR STYLE?

This is actually a perfect segue because the performers who’ve inspired me are almost exclusively versatile, funny girls! The list includes: Madaline Kahn, Andrea Martin, Tracey Ullman, Carol Burnett, Bernadette Peters, Liza Minnelli and Bette Midler. I always wanted to have a career on stage like Bernadette, who balanced drama and comedy so well. I loved silly ‘sketch comedy queens’ like Andrea, Tracey and the ‘OG’ Carol, all of whom also sing and are gorgeous dramatic actors. Liza ... what can’t she do? And it’s Liza’s and Bette’s concert specials that I’ve always used as the templates for my own. These women offer it all within one show - singing multiple genres of music, dancing, playing characters, making the audience laugh and crythey give you everything.

I also have to mention the impact Sammy Davis Jr has had on me. He did all of the above (+ played

4 instruments) and also was the first person I ever heard do singing impressions. I love multifaceted performers. Watching them inspired me and helped shape my career.

Bringing this interview full circle, I really hit the jackpot with Joseph, because like the performers listed above, in this show I get to ‘do it all!’ I get to sing a massive score of truly great songs that cover multiple styles, I get to play multiple characters, I get to dance, I get to be silly and sweet, dramatic and comedic - all in one show! With Joseph, all my dreams are really coming true.

INTERVIEW WITH DANIEL MAY

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