Why Christina Bianco Is Raising Her Many Voices in Support of TDF

Performers

The singer, actor and impressionist on why her upcoming Concert for a Cause is so close to her heart

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Given Bianco’s longtime connection to our organization—she even sang at the opening of our Brooklyn TKTS Booth—we’re thrilled she’s doing a live performance on YouTube on Thursday, July 23 at 3 p.m. benefiting TDF’s Lifeline Campaign. It’s part of her Concert for a Cause series, which she launched this spring at her home in New York City, after returning from Paris where she starred as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl at Théâtre Marigny.

But back stateside, as most of her upcoming live gigs were canceled, the reality of being a performing artist during a pandemic sunk in. “Whenever a show ends, especially when you have a great experience like I did with Funny Girl, you’re always very, very sad,” Bianco says. “But usually you’ve got something else to look forward to. All of a sudden, to not have that work, it’s not just a financial loss, it’s also depressing.”

Some performers pivoted immediately to virtual theatre, however Bianco took a little time to mourn. But she was soon “inspired” by all the content being created. As someone who became an international sensation on YouTube with her impressions of Bernadette Peters, Celine Dion, Julie Andrews, Bonnie Tyler and other divas, she knew how to bring her talents online.

While Bianco sees some upsides to her forced hiatus—”I didn’t know that one could sleep eight hours a night!”—she is looking forward to performing live on stage in front of an audience again soon. “I can’t think of any time in my life when I’ve gone this long without some sort of live show,” she says, adding that she’s excited about her two upcoming, in-person, outdoor, socially distant concerts at The Mansion Inn in Saratoga on July 29 and The Forestburgh Playhouse on August 21.

But she realizes virtual performances aren’t going away anytime soon, and she’s up for the challenge. “It’s amazing how this pandemic has impacted different artists and how they’ve reacted to it,” she says. “This is going to go on for a while, and it’s going to evolve. My live-stream concerts are really more like variety shows now, I do so many different fun things with audience participation and trivia and suggestions. So I’m trying to keep a playful attitude.”

Christina Bianco’s Concert for a Cause in support of TDF’s Lifeline Campaign takes place on Thursday, July 23 at 3 p.m. Tune in on YouTube or join TDF’s watch party on our Facebook page.

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Top image: Christina Bianco. Photo by William Ernst.

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