Christina Bianco has become a bit of a YouTube sensation on our shores with her fantastic renditions of female singers. Her UK debut comes to the festival this year and it’s a most welcome, transfixing hour of cabaret and she’s joined by the glamorous, hilariously camp drag queen, Velma Celli.
Will definitely have you dancing along to the incredible vocals and outstanding musicianship
Things kick off to great effect as our two hosts invite us to join their appreciation of female divas, old and new as they begin their glamorous cabaret act. Bianco’s impressions are exceptionally good – she doesn’t simply parody the singers. She somehow manages to channel their essence and gives a vocally outstanding performance every time. She clearly has her favourites also and the time she spends with Celine Dion or Liza Minnelli are definite highlights. Actresses also pop in at one point as Bianco retorts a poem as read by the likes of Drew Barrymore and Sarah Jessica Parker. There is a vast range of stars that she has in her repertoire and it’s a thrill to close your eyes and feel like we are sitting in a room listening to Judy Garland singing Somewhere over the Rainbow.
Velma Celli meanwhile has her own impressions, whilst not as vocally spot on as Bianco she has lots of fun creating a more comedic take on the stars. Her comedy is a little forced at times but she does have some cracking moments with a certain recently deceased political guest star being a total riot. Some of the routines that the two hosts do together get a little lost within the concept, such as a game where they pick a word from a lyric to ignite the other to change the song. However they do have great chemistry together and it’s delightful seeing them bounce off each other.
The hour goes in extremely fast and will definitely have you dancing along to the incredible vocals and outstanding musicianship by their ever pleasant pianist.
