A few years back, I was sent a video which featured a ridiculously talented woman performing Annie‘s famous tune, “Tomorrow”. This was no traditional performance though. Instead, the woman sang the anthem as a host of famous “divas.” From Bernadette Peters to Julie Andrews, the performer quickly switched between characters, hilariously capturing the voice and spirit of each iconic singer. The clip was one of the funniest things I had ever seen, and I quickly shared it with everybody I knew. The performer was Christina Bianco, a hitherto well-kept secret of the NYC off-Broadway and cabaret scene.
Luckily, Christina would continue to pop up. First, I caught her long-running performance in Forbidden Broadway, and later, in Newsical the Musical. All along, Christina was as fabulous as ever, just doing what she does best. I would always walk away thinking, “Why is she not famous?”
Then it was 2012, and I was attending a “Broadway by the Year” concert at the Town Hall. The performance included a special guest- Christina Bianco singing from Cabaret as not only Liza Minnelli, but as every other diva you can think of. As always, Christina brought down the house. A standing ovation later, I was once again left thinking, “WHY is she not famous??”
Around the same time period, I was also looking to cast a staged reading for one of my projects. As I was walking away from the Town Hall pondering the “Why is she not famous?” question, I quickly realized that she would be perfect for one of the characters. A few emails later, I met Christina, and we became fast friends. She wasn’t only talented, but a wonderful, genuine human being too, something that’s all too lacking in the entertainment business. She became a huge help in finding some other cast members for the reading, and before long, we were in rehearsals.
I’ll never forget the moment after Christina first sang her character’s hilarious showstopper. I quickly leaned over to whisper in my assistant’s ear… you guessed it… “WHY IS SHE NOT FAMOUS?!?”
Now, jump ahead to the present, and I’m absolutely tickled to say that finally, she’s sort of famous! Christina has really exploded onto the scene this year. From sold-out concerts at Birdland and the London Hippodrome, to a recent viral video of “Total Eclipse of the Heart”, which landed her an appearance on Ellen, a wider audience is finally embracing Christina’s wacky impressions and killer voice, and never have I been so thrilled for someone. If anyone deserves it, she does. I believe her story should serve as a true inspiration for all those insanely talented people out there who aren’t quite sure how to get noticed. Christina’s been around doing her thing for a little while, and slowly growing a loyal fan base all along the way. Though her success was far from instantaneous, she stuck at it, and more importantly, made incredible, lasting impressions on every person she met along the way. Now, she’s just at the start of what I’m confident will be a long and fulfilling career on Broadway, off-Broadway and beyond.
I think the message is clear: Do your thing. Do it well. Be nice. Before you know it, you’ll be dancing with Ellen DeGeneres.
Christina, my hat’s off to you.
Photo via EllenTV.com