Wow! Christina Bianco has some lungs on her! Most impressionists just do speaking impressions, however Bianco manages to do that and singing impressions. And not just singing impressions - she completely nailed them! She sounded better live than some of the divas she was impersonating.
Standing at a tiny 4ft 11, Christina Bianco gives a whole new meaning to the little woman with a big voice. To date Bianco has clocked up millions of views on YouTube with her celebrity impressions. After seeing the show, she puts all other female impressionists to shame, not just with her amazing impressions but her sensational singing voice.
Christina Bianco may not be a name that everyone knows, but you are sure to find a couple of voices you recognise in her show ‘Life of the Party’’. The show started with Bianco doing her own version of 'Get This Party Started'. She then proceeded to sing a mashup of 'Twisted' / 'Crazy' / 'Can't Get You Out of my Head' - songs telling the audience that people thought she was insane having all these voices inside her head. It's only when Bianco breaks into Cabaret that we start to see the diva impressions rolling out. Classics such as Celine Dion and Liza Minnelli made an appearance. The latter went on to cover Ricky Martin's 'Livin La Vida Loca'.
Life of the Party celebrates the release of Bianco’s new album and really shows that while she enjoys being known as the lady that does the impressions, she is ready for her voice to be heard. She tells us more about her life and takes some of her favourite songs and puts her own spin on them including 'Santa Fe' from Newsies.
Bianco does still manage to pack in many of her diva impressions in the most unlikely situations - Julie Andrews takes on Hot Stuff and Shakira sings an Ed Sheeran song. However, what has the audience bursting with laughter is her impression of Scottish actor; Kelly MacDonald reading some of the most threatening monologues from movies.
For the second half of the show Bianco changed into a sequin playsuit, full of sparkle and glitter - in keeping with the diva theme. The Waterside in Sale is a small and intimate space, so you really get to hear every note and feel the warmth coming from Bianco. You can tell she is very grateful to be in the position she is in. Bianco has a great relationship with her pianist Ryan McKenzie judging by the chemistry between the pair. It was great to see them trying new things on the spot. It almost felt like being a fly on the wall.
Bringing the show to a close was Bianco’s signature tune; 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart' sung by many divas. Ending on her singing the last note as Christina Bianco, which I thought was a perfect ending for the show, and the audience agreed by giving her a standing ovation.
As an encore she sang a Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand mashup, which was good, however I don't think it was the strongest number to end on. However, her voice is faultless as always. Streisand did seem to get a lot of air time this evening. I would have preferred perhaps to have heard more of the other divas she can impersonate.
Given that Bianco is from the US she has quite a strong following in the UK. This date was the final date of her UK tour and clearly delighted her fans, who flock back to see her time and time again.
Reviewer - Brian Madden
on - 14/10/18
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