BWW Reviews: Incredible Diva Moments with Christina Bianco at Rockwell

Christina Bianco is known for her cover of "Let It Go" that went viral at the height of Frozen frenzy and Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart." In both videos, she impersonates everyone from Barbra to Celine from Bernadette to Alanis and at her show titled "Diva Moments" at Rockwell on Sunday, June 29th, she brought those divas and more to a packed house of enthusiastic fans.

Bianco began with "Wherever He Ain't," from Mack & Mabel first singing as herself and then making a flawless transition into a dead-on Bernadette Peters impression. This trend continued throughout the night. Next, she sings, "The Wind Beneath My Wings" as Bette Midler, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Bernadette Peters, Alanis Morissette, Norah Jones, Kristin Chenoweth, and Julie Andrews, accurately portraying each diva's unique quirks and inflections. Bianco is also known for her off-Broadway performances in NEWSical and Forbidden Broadway. She brought her Celine Dion impression from NEWSical complete with Celine's heavy French Canadian accent and "Glitter and Be Glib" from Forbidden Broadway. Impersonating Kristin Chenoweth's operatic voice, Bianco's vocal range brought the house down.

She entertained with anecdotes of childhood, telling a story of how she thought she was meant for superstardom at 7 years of age, followed by a rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Though she transitioned into a Judy Garland impersonation during the song, she finished the song as herself, and concluded the song beautifully. She introduced what she calls "Unlikely Interpretations" with different Broadway divas singing songs they would never sing. For example, Bernadette in Evita singing "Buenos Aires" or Julie Andrews singing Britney Spears' "Toxic." She concluded the night by completing a diva megamix including audience favorites like Adele's "Skyfall" and then transitioning to classic divas Shirley Bassey, Édith Piaf, Eydie Gormé. Her set ended with "Let It Go," hitting all of her diva impersonations until the very end where she hit that final strong note as herself, belting it effortlessly.

The show's musical director Michael Orland served as accompanist for Bianco and together, they created a wonderful and memorable night of music that made the audience leap from their seats when it was over, eager for more. Bianco may be known for her impressions, but what audiences will take away from her shows are her humor, charm, and incredibly powerful voice rivaling the very divas she impersonates.

Photo Credit: Aimee Curameng

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