“Flames, on the side of my face!” I was 10 years old watching Clue for the first time and those words hit me. How Madeline Khan could take seven little words and make them so ridiculously and oddly hilarious, was something that I had to figure out. I watched it over and over again.
Christina Bianco
I was too young to realize that you can’t ‘figure it out’. You can’t figure out how to be funny, surprising or unique, like so many of the great comedic actresses and performers I’ve idolized over the years. But watching them, and immersing yourself in their work like I did, sure does inspire – and it led to me discover my own comedic voice.
Other than Madeline, the first funny lady I fell in love with was Betty Hutton. (Yes, I was that kid who watched 1940’s black and white movies.) Hutton was known for being abrasive, broad and over the top but those outrageous antics were paired with a nuanced and lilting singing voice that could melt your heart. She was part dramatic actor, part comedian, part singer – and I loved the way all those parts came together into a single performance. This led me to Bette Midler! I heard her voice on the stereo before I ever saw her perform on screen and I loved her right away because she did a lot of funny Bette Hutton songs. Then I saw Divine Madness and it’s probably clear to anyone who’s seen my shows, how much that concert influenced me. Bette is a versatile performer who can make you laugh and cry in quick succession before belting out a power ballad. It’s the contrast of all those different layers that I think makes each one stronger and more dynamic to an audience. It’s not always about getting laugh after laugh. The comedians I admire most seem to work by the way of thinking that drama enhances comedy, and vice versa.
A great example of someone who took that way of thinking to incredible levels is Lily Tomlin. From stage to screen, she’s the queen of smart comedy - fearlessly creating characters and stories that hit audiences in ways they wouldn't expect.
Of course, Lily got her start in sketch comedy, like so many other greats. I could write 500 words on Carol Burnett alone! I wore out the video tape watching Andrea Martin and Catherine O’Hara on SCTV, I recited the dialogue of French and Saunders while attempting my best British accents, and I found myself trying to do impressions like human-unicorn-of-voices that is Tracey Ullman. Watching these comedians is an education to this day and I wouldn’t be the performer I am without them. Who else? Well, I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t mention Julia Louis-Dreyfus. I once wrote in a school paper that she can raise just an eyebrow and put me in tears of laughter on the floor. It’s my greatest wish that one day, someone says that about me.
Christina Bianco is performing her show First Impression at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2019, for tickets please see www.edfringe.com.
Tagged in Edinburgh Festival Fringe