Christina Bianco – “O Come All Ye Divas”
When you buy a ticket to a Christina Bianco show, you get dozens of celebrities for the price of one. She is a Youtube and stage sensation and has garnered a reputation as one of the best impersonators and most highly sought after entertainers in the business. The New York born woman of Italian immigrant grandparents has all the drive, wit, gumption and effervescent sparkle you’d expect from that heritage, but she is also down-to-earth, modest, and genuinely intent on giving her best and then better each time.
“If I’m going to keep my audiences interested…and not make them get tired of the same old ‘gimmick’.. then I’ll have to push myself and try a few new things,” says Bianco. “I think the audience appreciates me taking that chance.”
If her popularity online and with reviewers is anything to go by, they certainly do. Her show, as she describes it, is “a musical comedy grab bag of fun. There is definitely something for everybody.” Fellow impersonator, Trevor Ashley, met Bianco in New York and was a guest in some of her shows. He persuaded her to come and perform her show in Sydney – which didn’t take much persuading:
“It’s at the Sydney Opera House! What a dream come true, right?” says Bianco.
The unconventional show includes sketches, comic routines, marathon medleys and “vocal cameos” from Edith Piaf, Celine Dion, Dolly Parton, Britney Spears, and possibly every other great female singer you can think of; all done with seasonal cheer.
“For me it’s all about doing the great divas and I think they’re that much more spectacular at Christmas. They all have their take on how to cover the classic Christmas song…so it gives me a lot of heightened material to work with.”
Bianco is thrilled to be performing with long time collaborator and friend, Joe Louis Robinson. They’ll have a straight person/whacky person banter happening and will perform some duets as well as playing a game with the audience called Christmas Crackers. It’s a special surprise. So you’ll need to buy tickets to find out more.
Dec 13−15. The Studio, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point. $69.90-$79.90+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com
By Rita Bratovich
