Q&A With Christina Bianco - Barbra, Cumberbatch, PARTY OF ONE And More!

Hi Christina! Thanks so much for talking to us. Have you enjoyed being back in the UK?

Oh yes. This visit was particularly wonderful. I loved seeing more of Scotland and getting to play such stunning venues like Edinburgh's Usher Hall. Appearing on This Morning again was ridiculously fun (I was excited to meet Amanda Holden!) I always love playing The Hippodrome so having an extended run there was very special. But I also had some free time to be a tourist! I went to Edinburgh Castle and Hampton Court Palace and shopped way too much.

Tell us what Kerry Ellis is REALLY like.

I wish I could give you some juicy gossip but she really is exactly as she seems - totally down to earth. Not a diva at all. She's kind, generous and self deprecating. It's lovely when someone as talented and famous as she is doesn't let it change who they are.

And what about Adam Garcia?

Everyone asks me about Adam! People I haven't spoke to in years were suddenly messaging me on Facebook, asking - "Are you really working with Adam Garcia? Can you send candid photos? Is he still hot? What's he like?" Well, I can tell you that he is as adorable and charismatic as ever! When he dances, everyone stops to watch because he absolutely glides on air. What I loved learning was how incredibly intelligent he is. He's really a smart guy and very easy to talk to. Plus he's hysterically funny. He also has a gorgeous wife so all of you readers can calm down now! [Ed's note: Right, he married Piper Perabo at the end of Coyote Ugly after LeAnn Rimes recorded her song, didn't he?]

Your solo show Party of One at the Hippodrome was fabulous - I went with my friend and she was absolutely gobsmacked at the range of material you perform. Is this the show that you're taking to Edinburgh this summer?

Thank you so much. I tried to put a lot of variety into this show. More than usual! And yes, I'll be talking 'Party Of One' to The Fringe but it will be a super jam packed 60-minute version of the show. I'll admit, it is hard to edit and craft such a short version after doing a two complete sets of it at the Hippodrome. You always feel like you're cutting something too important. However, it's always easier to cut than add. I was able to learn a lot doing the show seven times this run, seeing what bits the audience responds to best. Also, the audience at The Fringe won't necessarily know me the way the London audience does...so I've got some interesting choices to make before August 6th!

The #BiancoForFunnyGirl hashtag - just a gag, or an entirely serious campaign?

A bit of both. I am really dying to play Fanny Brice. I haven't had the opportunity yet and it's one of those roles I feel I was born to play, however cheesy that may sound. So it's a serious campaign for that reason. What's hysterical, though, is that everyone tweeted it with the second part I mentioned, which was #WithBenedictCumberbatch! Now, I'm not so delusional to think that Mr Cumberbatch is going to have his first foray into musical theatre just because of little old me, but it does certainly help get the idea out there! I mean, you're now writing about it! And, hey, let the record show that if Benedict isn't interested, I'll take other British actors. Tom Hiddleston or Matthew Goode would do just fine :)

You talk in Party of One about being thought of as "a funny girl" - who are your favourite comediennes, from now and from history?

Here's my list: Betty Hutton. Madeline Kahn. Carol Burnett. Andrea Martin. Bette Midler (a huge idol of mine! Talk about a full and varied career!). Also Lily Tomlin. When I was performing Off-Broadway in the the 40-character, one-woman play Application Pending, I was frequently compared to her so that was a huge honour.

Being a "funny" woman or a "funny" actress can sometimes be a bit of a pigeonhole - you don't get considered for serious or straight roles because you're stereotyped as a "comic" performer. Have you found that?

Yes and no. I think a lot of people in the industry like to pigeonhole because it's easy. And I certainly don't fit a set, particular type. But a lot of people in this business are smart and aren't afraid to use their imagination a little. They know that comedy is hard and that very often, it takes a smart and versatile actor to make comedy land. There are many who believe that comedy is harder than drama. Now, I'm not trying to pat myself on the back here, I'm just speaking from experience. I know plenty of comedic actors who have been given the opportunity to play great dramatic roles because they've proven themselves to be more than just a 'one-trick pony.' I hope more people will think of me that way and will give me those kind of opportunities. Many actors have so much to offer, so much variety and colour in them, and they don't get to use it. Right now, I'm just grateful for the outlets I have to exercise my creative muscles.

You also mentioned in passing during the show about working on your impressions - how DO you work on impressions?

It depends on the particular impression but it typically takes a lot of time. If it's a singer I know well, then it becomes a lot easier for me to develop my 'character' version of them. Whenever I listen to a singer, I try to determine the placement and the differences between their voice and mine - I replicate the breathing and the vibrato. Some artists and voices won't be far from my own. Others are the polar opposite. For example, artists with raspy or husky voices are hard for me to do because I have a relatively higher pitched, clear voice. Also, some new contemporary artists are hard to impersonate - not just because they're new and I haven't heard them as much but also, in also because in today's music industry there's a LOT of vocal processing. It's hard to make out the artist's real, distinct voice when all I hear is vocal effects.

The tough part is that you have to do impressions in public in order to get better. You have to learn from it each time - placement, how to use the mic, the song choice...for example I'd never done Jessie J before but I put her in Party of One. Now, I sound the most like her singing Bang Bang but I was using it at another point in the show and I didn't want to repeat it, so I ended up doing a song that makes me sound less like her than others. It was for the greater good! But I'll improve!

Do you test an impression out on your husband and see if he knows who you're being?!

My husband is a great sounding board. I use him less to test an impression, and more on how to apply it in my shows and videos. I think he's got a great sense of humour so if I make him laugh, I keep the bit!

And finally - Barbra's Passion For Design. What an absolute goldmine of fantastic material...and you don't even have to add gags! How excited are you for her forthcoming memoir?

I may have actually jumped for joy in public when I heard the news! I have barely scratched the surface with her design book, so now I really think I'll have material for years! I'm so pleased that everyone enjoys it so much and finds it as fascinating as I do! I genuinely started reading the book while browsing a book store and found it absolutely brilliant and hysterical at the same time. Strangely, I learned nothing about design but I was inspired to use it in my shows. I cannot wait to read the new book. 'My Passion' is already such an intimate look into her life and career, I can only imagine what gems this more 'in depth' memoir will provide! I imagine it'll be like reading her diary. I can't wait to find out how Cheryl Cole will sound reading it!

Christina Bianco is back in the UK to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August.

Follow her on Twitter @XtinaBianco1.

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